September 23rd, the Bible, and Preppers (CC, skepticism welcome)

[Liz CA]

I am not an expert, but I believe it is September due to the timing of the Jewish feasts. Each one represents not only an event in the past, but a event that has happened since. While I am not a prepped or one who believes the end of the world will be here Saturday- I know today starts the Feast of the Trumpets- and that is me next Jewish feast to be fulfilled in modern times. So, that may be why September keeps being chosen. I'm on my way out so I hope that makes sense.

 

Edited to add a link for clarification: http://christinprophecy.org/articles/the-feasts-of-israel/

 

Oh, I never put Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and Sukkot together with these prophesies. How interesting. Certainly explains why this always happens in September.

 

Edited September 21, 2017 by Liz CA

[unsinkable]

Oh good grief, ds met a rapture/doomsdayer on campus this morning. He tested me to let him know he had a tract in his hand that suggested Christian part owners ask unbelievers to take care of their fur babies after the rapture.

 

He took the tract and said he gently pointed the way to the health center suggesting that this person should avail herself of the free mental health services offered to students.

 

But here is a question, apart from the fact that apparently I should be looking for a home for my cocker spaniel and the cat, why is the girl continuing to attend classes if she is going to be raptured? Why did she even enroll this semester and end up paying tuition, books, etc.? I blame some of this on the lack of teaching formal logic before people get out of high school.

So your son suggested to this girl she was mentally ill bc of her religious beliefs? And that she needed counselling?

 

Is that what he did?

[MercyA]

I am taking my fur baby with me.

 

You and me both!  :)

Edited September 21, 2017 by MercyA

[Catwoman]

So your son suggested to this girl she was mentally ill bc of her religious beliefs? And that she needed counselling?

 

Is that what he did?

I have to admit that I would have been taken aback by the girl's beliefs, too, but it sounds like it was a religious issue for her and that she was genuinely trying to help people. I'm sure Faith's son had the kindest of intentions, but I think it was pretty mean to suggest to her that she needed mental health services.

[TravelingChris]

I haven't met any in person or my friends on facebook who believe this.  If they do, they are unlikely to tell me since they know we are a science family and my dh is very into astronomy and so no hidden planets behind the moon garbage.  There are asteroids that come close and can be catastrophic but I haven't heard of any close encounters with one this Saturday. 

 

As to prepping-  that terms has kind of been hijacked to mean extreme prepping and associated world views/political views/ religious views.  I don't think that having a full pantry and adequate batteries, water bottles or water filtration, generator, etc is what most people consider 'prepping" except if you mention it in relation to actual emergency preparedness like for hurricanes, earthquakes, tornadoes, etc. 

[creekland]

I have to admit that I would have been taken aback by the girl's beliefs, too, but it sounds like it was a religious issue for her and that she was genuinely trying to help people. I'm sure Faith's son had the kindest of intentions, but I think it was pretty mean to suggest to her that she needed mental health services.

I wouldn't read too much into it. This sort of thing is done all the time among the younger set and is most often taken as a joke. (You disagree with me? Get your mind checked out!) 

 

We could say mental issues shouldn't be a joking matter, but that isn't going to change majority culture...

Edited September 21, 2017 by creekland

[Catwoman]

I wouldn't read too much into it. This sort of thing is done all the time among the younger set and is most often taken as a joke. (You disagree with me? Get your mind checked out!)

 

We could say mental issues shouldn't be a joking matter, but that isn't going to change majority culture...

I hope you're right. I was just thinking that if the girl was sincere about what she was doing, it might have hurt her feelings to have been advised to seek mental health services.

 

That said, at least it sounds like Faith's son was trying to be nice about it, and I'm sure many of the comments she heard from other students were delivered a far less kindly way.

[unsinkable]

I have to admit that I would have been taken aback by the girl's beliefs, too, but it sounds like it was a religious issue for her and that she was genuinely trying to help people. I'm sure Faith's son had the kindest of intentions, but I think it was pretty mean to suggest to her that she needed mental health services.

I eat and drink the body and blood of God. Regularly. I bet people are taken aback by that!

[PineFarmMom]

Apparently a lot of people think that because the Bethlehem Star will coincide with a planetary alignment on 9/23 it will fulfill Revelation 12's description of a sign in the heavens. Some people claim this is just a sign of change for Israel. Others claim it will be the date of the rapture (dubious to me, but I'm doubtful of a pre-trib rapture generally). Others claim it is the date of the birth of the antichrist.

 

If you look on YouTube there are so many interesting, crazy prepper videos about this date. Apparently on 9/23/17 a planet will crash into the earth, the poles will shift, or the Eastern half of the USA will be flooded. :lol:

 

I am Christian, so obviously I believe in the Bible and in prophecy. But I also believe no man will know the date or the hour, and after all our interesting prepper threads in the past I thought this was too good of a topic to not bring up. So... how are the crazy preppers in your life reacting to this? And to the plethora of recent natural disasters in general?

I'm in agreement with you. I'm a Christian who believes in Bible prophecy and who definitely believes we won't know the day or hour. I don't even pretend to know...could be tomorrow or 100 years from now. My parents, my mother-in-law, my husband, all of my children, my brother and sister and their families as well as the bulk of my friends are all committed Biblical Christians. None of them are preppers and neither am I. I don't know any conspiracy theorist preppers. I do think I need to work harder on food storage though, just because.

 

And I would totally pretend to be a nutty prepper, just to mess with someone who stereotyped me because I'm a Christian. 😂

[Catwoman]

I eat and drink the body and blood of God. Regularly. I bet people are taken aback by that!

I'll bet if someone told you that you should seek mental health services about that, a whole lot of Catholics would be pretty angry with that person.

 

Just because that college girl's beliefs are different from mine doesn't mean it would be okay for me to basically tell her she's crazy -- even if I might be secretly thinking exactly that -- because it's just not a nice thing to do, and also because it seems like she had good intentions and she probably meant well.

[creekland]

Just because that college girl's beliefs are different from mine doesn't mean it would be okay for me to basically tell her she's crazy -- even if I might be secretly thinking exactly that -- because it's just not a nice thing to do, and also because it seems like she had good intentions and she probably meant well.

 

It's all in the presentation and none of us were there to know which way that went.  I guess it's like seeing the transcript from a comic vs the transcript from a non-comedic speech.

[Catwoman]

It's all in the presentation and none of us were there to know which way that went. I guess it's like seeing the transcript from a comic vs the transcript from a non-comedic speech.

I agree, and I could have definitely read the post the wrong way.

 

It was the bolded part of Faith's post that led me to believe he said it in a serious way, because she described her son as having "gently" pointed the way to the health center. It didn't sound to me like he was joking with the girl.

 

Oh good grief, ds met a rapture/doomsdayer on campus this morning. He tested me to let him know he had a tract in his hand that suggested Christian part owners ask unbelievers to take care of their fur babies after the rapture.

 

He took the tract and said he gently pointed the way to the health center suggesting that this person should avail herself of the free mental health services offered to students.

 

But here is a question, apart from the fact that apparently I should be looking for a home for my cocker spaniel and the cat, why is the girl continuing to attend classes if she is going to be raptured? Why did she even enroll this semester and end up paying tuition, books, etc.? I blame some of this on the lack of teaching formal logic before people get out of high school.

[MercyA]

What a coincidence, we just watched a movie called The Number 23 last night. I'd have to say it was as stupid as those who believe in all these idiotic prophesies. I feel the same for Revelations and the rapture. It's a bunch of garbage. All these kooks wanting the world to end so their savior can appear are becoming, IMO, a bit too dangerous.

 

I don't buy into any teaching that claims to know "the day or the hour," and I don't think the Rapture theory is well-supported by Scripture. However, I do believe in Christ's literal return. If that makes me a kook, I'm fine with that, but I assure you that I am not especially dangerous.  ;)

[MercyA]

It's all in the presentation and none of us were there to know which way that went.  I guess it's like seeing the transcript from a comic vs the transcript from a non-comedic speech.

 

I can't imagine it being said in any way that doesn't sound really mean.  :(

[Katy]

I hope you're right. I was just thinking that if the girl was sincere about what she was doing, it might have hurt her feelings to have been advised to seek mental health services.

 

That said, at least it sounds like Faith's son was trying to be nice about it, and I'm sure many of the comments she heard from other students were delivered a far less kindly way.

 

I bet she liked it. In a "Count yourself crazy for the sake of Christ" sort of way.  She got to experience a microscopic bit of persecution.

 

There's a JW guy who knocks on our door every six months spouting about the end times, despite my pointing to the NO RELIGION bit of our NO SOLICITATION sign and telling him it's illegal to bother us because of the sign.  The last time I swear he HOPED I would call the police and have him arrested for trespassing. There's a JW meeting hall within 5 blocks of here so we get them regularly, but most are polite and don't keep coming back once we point out the sign.

[creekland]

I can't imagine it being said in any way that doesn't sound really mean.  :(

 

 I suspect my seeing a multitude of youngsters in our high school gives me a wider view of how I expect it was said, esp with "gently" used as a description vs a FB "in your face" way.

 

The same thing could have happened with kids at school using broccoli (or McD's) as the topic.  "You don't like broccoli??? You need to have your head examined!"

[bookbard]

Regarding the mental health services thing . ..  I find that naturally anxious people are often ones who worry about these end-times things. I think availing oneself of mental health services for anxiety would be quite helpful in that case. 

[PineFarmMom]

I too believe in Christ's return and am not dangerous. Interesting choice of words. 🙄

Edited September 21, 2017 by PineFarmMom

[Forget-Me-Not]

Oh huh. This explains the guy parked out by Walmart who had a big warnings about the rapture painted all over his truck.

[DawnM]

A girl who went to my high school didn't make any post-graduation plans because the world was supposed to end a few months after she graduated anyway. I'm not sure the extent to which that decision was influenced by her parents, but she believed it too. 

 

Did you graduate in 1988?  My great aunt and uncle grilled me back then on the 88 Reasons Why Jesus is coming back in 1988.

[Word Nerd]

Did you graduate in 1988? My great aunt and uncle grilled me back then on the 88 Reasons Why Jesus is coming back in 1988.

No, but she was a little older than me. I think that is the year it was.

[creekland]

Well, cwap.  I ended up scanning Fox News (the only source I've ever seen this on TBH) and apparently the world isn't ending tomorrow after all.

 

Now I suppose I actually have to do that housecleaning I wasn't planning on doing. I sure hope his calamities don't require more yard work too, though I am still planning on mowing our yard even if I have to duck or otherwise avoid flying objects.

 

 

http://www.foxnews.com/science/2017/09/22/doomsday-is-not-on-saturday-after-all-writer-says-after-predicting-end-world.html

Doomsday is not on Saturday after all, writer says after predicting end of the world

David Meade, who claimed the world is ending Saturday when a mysterious planet collides with Earth, is now backtracking on the calamitous claim.

Meade said the world won't end on Sept. 23 after all, but instead Saturday will only mark the beginning of a series of catastrophic events to occur over several weeks.

“The world is not ending, but the world as we know it is ending,†he told the Washington Post. “A major part of the world will not be the same the beginning of October.â€

[Janeway]

I think it is morally wrong to make fun of or put anyone down because their beliefs seem so far fetched compared to our own.

[Garga]

A few years ago there was a big "end of the world" thing predicted that got a lot of notice from a lot of people. I think there were billboards put up by the group and the man making the predictions was on the news, etc.

 

On the day The End was predicted, DH and I were driving around in the car and we both noticed these odd clouds forming in the sky in perfectly straight lines. I have never seen anything like it. My heart just about fell out of my chest. The preppers were RIGHT! Jesus was coming back on those straight cloud lines!!

 

It turned out to be a new technology for sky writing that I'd never seen before. A series of airplanes fly together in formation and computers on board spew out whatever they spew to make words in perfect accuracy, due to the computers on board the planes. It is almost like a hand is writing letters in the sky.

 

I didn't admit to my dh that for a minute I was sure we were being raptured, but he got a little quiet and had a funny look on his face when he saw the clouds, so I think he believed it for a moment, too.

Edited September 23, 2017 by Garga

[Corraleno]

“The world is not ending, but the world as we know it is ending,†he told the Washington Post. “A major part of the world will not be the same the beginning of October.â€

In other words: "I predict that something bad will happen... in some part of the world... sometime in the next couple of weeks..."

 

:laugh:

[gardenmom5]

I'm a christian.  I've seen this guy's prediction.  (i've seen MANY before him come and go)  I have also seen his retraction/modification that it's not destruction, just change. (have to give him kudos that he retracted it first - before nothing happened and he looked like a schmuck.)

 

and the bible is clear that no one is getting an exact date - just signs of things happening that things are getting closer.   there may be dates on a calendar for when summer starts - but the weather doesn't recognize them.  might come before, might come after (might come a long time after . . . .)

 

besides, Saturday just doesn't work for me.  I have to clean my house.

 

eta: I need to clarify - I've seen the headlines of his theories.  and not on fox, because I don't go there.  but I have no idea where it was.

Edited September 23, 2017 by gardenmom5

[gardenmom5]

In other words: "I predict that something bad will happen... in some part of the world... sometime in the next couple of weeks..."

 

:laugh:

 

given the number of major earthquakes alone the ring of fire in the last one to two weeks, and hurricanes - he's got a good chance at being correct about that one.

[gardenmom5]

I bet she liked it. In a "Count yourself crazy for the sake of Christ" sort of way.  She got to experience a microscopic bit of persecution.

 

There's a JW guy who knocks on our door every six months spouting about the end times, despite my pointing to the NO RELIGION bit of our NO SOLICITATION sign and telling him it's illegal to bother us because of the sign.  The last time I swear he HOPED I would call the police and have him arrested for trespassing. There's a JW meeting hall within 5 blocks of here so we get them regularly, but most are polite and don't keep coming back once we point out the sign.

 

I really need a copy of the sign my dsil posted by their front door.   it's , very roughly, as below.

it's directed to solicitors and purveyors of religious messages.  that before they are allowed to share their spiel, they must a) pay $20 per minute, in advance, and b) listen to their own spiel to them.

if they solicitor/purveyor of a religious message starts talking - it is considered as accepting the contract.

[Seasider]

A few years ago there was a big "end of the world" thing predicted that got a lot of notice from a lot of people. I think there were billboards put up by the group and the man making the predictions was on the news, etc.

 

On the day The End was predicted, DH and I were driving around in the car and we both noticed these odd clouds forming in the sky in perfectly straight lines. I have never seen anything like it. My heart just about fell out of my chest. The preppers were RIGHT! Jesus was coming back on those straight cloud lines!!

 

It turned out to be a new technology for sky writing that I'd never seen before. A series of airplanes fly together in formation and computers on board spew out whatever they spew to make words in perfect accuracy, due to the computers on board the planes. It is almost like a hand is writing letters in the sky.

 

I didn't admit to my dh that for a minute I was sure we were being raptured, but he got a little quiet and had a funny look on his face when he saw the clouds, so I think he believed it for a moment, too.

LOL! That is especially funny if you, like me, have ever said out loud you just wish God would write in the sky clear as day the answer to some confounding decision!

[bibiche]

... I remember the one about Mayan calendar ending (I would surmise that they had felt that they had forecast the calendar far enough and could work on updates and furthering of the calendar at another time.  The entire idea that a calendar ends, therefore, the world ends is so idiotic.)  

 

On the Maya and 2012: https://decipherment.wordpress.com/2008/12/20/what-will-not-happen-in-2012/

https://decipherment.wordpress.com/2009/10/11/q-a-about-2012/

[Happy2BaMom]

I am taking my fur baby with me.

 

 

How does one transport a fur baby during the Rapture? What happens to them afterwards? 

 

 

Full disclosure: 

I will still be here when the Rapture occurs. I imagine fur babies will make good eating....  

 

(that was a JOKE, repeat, a JOKE)

[Happy2BaMom]

I am taking my fur baby with me.

 

 

How does one transport a fur baby during the Rapture? What happens to them afterwards? 

 

 

Full disclosure: 

I will still be here when the Rapture occurs. I imagine fur babies will make good eating....  

 

(that was a JOKE, repeat, a JOKE)

[PrincessMommy]

I'm rather overwhelmed trying to keep too many plates up in the air.  I'd welcome the end of the world today, just so I can get a break   :laugh:

Edited September 23, 2017 by PrincessMommy

[Twolittleboys]

Well, so far so good.

[RootAnn]

Meade said the world won't end on Sept. 23 after all, but instead Saturday will only mark the beginning of a series of catastrophic events to occur over several weeks.

“The world is not ending, but the world as we know it is ending,†he told the Washington Post. “A major part of the world will not be the same the beginning of October.â€

This dude is a few weeks late. If he'd said this before Harvey, Irma, Marie, and a couple of earthquakes in Mexico, he'd probably be more palatable.

 

I hadn't heard this before today, though. Such fun stuff I pick up on the Hive.

[creekland]

This dude is a few weeks late. If he'd said this before Harvey, Irma, Marie, and a couple of earthquakes in Mexico, he'd probably be more palatable.

 

I hadn't heard this before today, though. Such fun stuff I pick up on the Hive.

Perhaps his math is wrong?  

[mytwomonkeys]

I don’t know any preppers, or if we do, they hide their crazy well. Or maybe none of them live here. I’m in FL by the beach so apparently it’s going to be flooded today. It would only make sense that they all left.

[maize]

It's all true, I just caught the weather report:

 

 

Edited September 23, 2017 by maize

[Seasider]

Making my to-do list for the weekend would be a lot easier if this prophet had included specific times. I'd like to know if I should pencil in a catastrophe before or after lunch.

[Lanny]

The man who said the world would end today based that on something in Luke 17. Also possibly Astrology. Yesterday, he changed his mind and he said that the world will not end today...  

[mamaraby]

It's supposed to be really hot and humid today and I have to go sit on the sidelines at a soccer tournament today and tomorrow. I was thinking maybe the end of the world meant I wouldn't have to do that, but since it's definitely the 23rd right now I'm assuming the apocalypse has been called off?

 

Then again, it is the end of September in Wisconsin and I should be freezing on the sidelines about now. I think I'd rather be bundled in quilts and wearing my winter jacket.

[gardenmom5]

It's all true, I just caught the weather report:

 

 

 

 

that's better than the still shot weather forecast someone posted in 2012 that had raining meteors on the day the world was supposed to end.

[creekland]

It's all true, I just caught the weather report:

 

 

 

Ha!  That's one of my favorite Studio Cs.  Good thinking linking it to this!

 

And I suppose I still need to go mow the lawn on top of the other things I've gotten done.

 

The dude is likely right that something will happen in some part of the world in the next two weeks - or the last two weeks - or the two weeks before that - or...

 

All he'd have to do is watch BBC World News instead of US versions of the same and he'd sadly know that plenty of life changing stuff happens around the world all the time.  It only makes the US versions of "world" news if Americans happen to be involved (with very rare exceptions otherwise).

[gardenmom5]

How does one transport a fur baby during the Rapture? What happens to them afterwards? 

 

 

Full disclosure: 

I will still be here when the Rapture occurs. I imagine fur babies will make good eating....  

 

(that was a JOKE, repeat, a JOKE)

made me think of this:

 

http://www.travisagnew.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/image1.jpg

 

apparently it will only allow me to link . . . .

 

Well, so far so good.

 

that depends if you want to get out of a stressful homework assignement or not  . . . . .

Edited September 23, 2017 by gardenmom5

[MercyA]

Full disclosure: 

I will still be here when the Rapture occurs. I imagine fur babies will make good eating....  

 

(that was a JOKE, repeat, a JOKE)

 

Hey now, that's not cool. How would you like people to joke about eating your kids? 

[MercyA]

made me think of this:

 

http://www.travisagnew.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/image1.jpg

 

 

I would have just put Job 12:10 out on the sign.  ;)

 

"But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; and the fowls of the air, and they shall tell thee:

Or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee: and the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee.

Who knoweth not in all these that the hand of the Lord hath wrought this?

In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind."

[gardenmom5]

I would have just put Job 12:10 out on the sign.  ;)

 

"But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; and the fowls of the air, and they shall tell thee:

Or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee: and the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee.

Who knoweth not in all these that the hand of the Lord hath wrought this?

In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind."

 

where's the fun in that?

[Lady Marmalade]

So the person that I know is now saying that something has happened, we just can't see it yet.  They said that we are in the midst of some period of time where our country is supposed to repent, and if it doesn't happen by the end of the month... Doom and gloom for all.  He's actually saying stuff like "you'll see" and calling people out for scoffing what he sees. 

 

:confused1:  :confused1:   :huh:  :huh:

 

So bizarre.