earthquakes and evangicals

[wigglytuff]

the interesting thing is that many of the evangical protestants are saying that Earthquakes are increasing and that its a sign of the "end" http://www.raptureready.com/nm/285.html  but whats the best proof to show that they are wrong?

[Nam]

It's "Rapture Ready", that alone is proof they are wrong.

-Nam

[wigglytuff]

umm good point but the sheer reactionary stance they have on their forums is amost frighting!  I havent seen that much reactionary politics since the southern US states tried to form the confederacy!

[Nam]

You'll see the same thing at a lot of nutty Christian websites. It doesn't come close for them being correct. unless an unbias non-nutty person(s) is able to corroborate anything of what they say.

That simple.

-Nam

[Garja]

No one else noticed that the dates mentioned in the quickly coming Apocalypse end 2 years ago? 

[jetson]

Plate tectonics, and scientific papers related to earthquake activity.  Don't try to fight ignorance with anything more than what science can tell us through their hard word and research.

The evangelicals who make such statements are as deluded and ignorant as they come. 

[Aspie]

Just like any conspiracy theory its strength rests in the fact that it can be stretched to establish any number of entirely arbitrary connections that reflect the biases of its proponents. Any evidence that you could provide would simply get assimilated into their pet theory becoming absolute proof of an atheistic agenda to silence Christians with the religious authority of science so that their master, the Devil, can claim more souls on Judgment Day. Clearly there's just no way that any evidence which contradicts their beliefs could be genuine or reliable - not with the perfect will of God in the picture. Just look at how conspiracy theorists normally respond to evidence. The birthers swore up and down that all Obama would have to do was present his birth certificate and the whole thing would disappear. Now they point to the fact that he didn't present it immediately as evidence that it was forged. By their nature conspiracy theories rely on the absence of evidence in order to swallow truth like a black hole making the conspiracy more powerful and evil than originally posited. It's like the fish that keeps getting bigger and bigger every time the story is told only you're pointing right to the picture that was taken of it the whole time.

The folks at Rapture Ready have already decided that the world has to end in the ultimate revenge fantasy. You can't take that away from them because it would mean accepting that they wouldn't live to experience the satisfaction of the ultimate "told ya so!" moment in which their persecution complex is rewarded by means of eternal punishment for the people who don't think exactly like them.

[Nam]

If the world comes to an end: we know who to blame.

-Nam

[Aspie]

Terribly sorry about that. At the very least I can promise you with the utmost of confidence that it won't happen again.

[Nam]

You say that now but when it happens again...well, you know....

-Nam

[Backspace]

...many of the evangelical protestants are saying that Earthquakes are increasing and that its a sign of the "end" ...  but whats the best proof to show that they are wrong?

Psalm 104:5:  He did fix the earth on its foundation so that it can never be shaken.
Psalm 93:1: Thou hast fixed the earth immovable and firm.
Isaiah 45:18: He who made the earth and fashioned it, and himself fixed it fast.

Once again, the Bable provides clear, unambiguous guidance.
 

[Brakeman]

Women showing too much cleavage causes earthquakes. Haven't you guys heard of "boobquake?"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boobquake

[Nam]

I would be willing to die for breastsssesss.

-Nam

[Emily]

the interesting thing is that many of the evangical protestants are saying that Earthquakes are increasing and that its a sign of the "end" http://www.raptureready.com/nm/285.html  but whats the best proof to show that they are wrong?

The idea of earthquakes being a sign of the end times is taken from this bible verse:

Matthew 24:5-8
King James Version (KJV)
5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.

6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.

7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.

8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.

These things have been happening for the last couple thousands of years.

I mean, WTF? Earthquakes have been happening for thousands of years. Take for example the quake in Crete.[1]. There have been many other Earthquakes since then. Not to mention diseases like the Bubonic Plague, and it's various ourbreaks (which has probably killed more people than AIDS has[2]), and famines have been a problem even since when Jesus 'lived'. Why the fuck would he feel the need to multiply fish and two loaves of bread?

All these 'signs of the end times' have been happening for thousands of years. After the first thousand years waiting for Jesus to come with these 'signs' happening around us, it's probably best to think that Jesus has just stood us all up.

1.	http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/365_Crete_earthquake
2.	referring to some christian groups thinking AIDS is a wrath by god

[Nam]

Um, Emily, not "thousands" of years but millions. The world isn't 6,000 years old.

-Nam

[Graybeard]

the interesting thing is that many of the evangical protestants are saying that Earthquakes are increasing and that its a sign of the "end" http://www.raptureready.com/nm/285.html  but whats the best proof to show that they are wrong?

They are taking a fact[1] at random and then linking it, without evidence, to an idea.

There is no more truth in their assertion than if I were to say, "I saw three black cats today, it is a sign that I should eat more vegetables."

It is a non-sequitur.

1.	I'm not at all sure that it is a fact, but I'm too lazy to find out

[ParkingPlaces]

Of course, if one is only peripherally watching for earthquakes for a goodly number of years, and then suddenly thinks they portend the end times, they will suddenly become aware of many, many more. Which will prove their point.

That's the nice thing about ignorance. It is so convenient at times.

[Nam]

I read once that Florida gets regular occurences of tremors but by the time it reaches the surface it dissipates.

-Nam

[Emily]

Um, Emily, not "thousands" of years but millions. The world isn't 6,000 years old.

-Nam

I don't know what science book you're reading.