The Leftovers got me thinking, if the rapture actually happened, would anybody really notice?

[Ben Kenobi]

Like a disaster movie came true. However, I never felt like my life changed. It's only rarely talked about 10 years later. So how would the rapture be different?

It would be 5 or 6 9-11s. So yes, your life would be impacted. Given the average social network, with 16k people, you'd have a 1 in 10 chance of losing someone that you know.

As for the pilots, the bigger concern would be people driving cars, but - if it were 3am, it would mitigate this.

[Sava]

If only 144,000 people are going to be saved, why the **** would it matter if there's gay marriage and abortion?

Seems like they are just taking every person who never masturbated. Though, the number still seems high for that.

[Ben Kenobi]

If only 144,000 people are going to be saved, why the **** would it matter if there's gay marriage and abortion?

It would matter a great deal because doing those things would exclude you.

Seems like they are just taking every person who never masturbated. Though, the number still seems high for that.

Again, those are the folks who, in this particular eschatology, would be taken up to heaven and spared Tribulation.

[kentonio]

People who actually want the Rapture to be a real thing are pretty scary.

[Sava]

It would matter a great deal because doing those things would exclude you.

Sure. If you have a fundamental misunderstanding of the Bible.
/checks who he is talking to

Yup! Sounds about right.

[Ben Kenobi]

Sure. If you have a fundamental misunderstanding of the Bible.

So then it's got nothing to do with the Rapture at all.

[Dr Strangelove]

People who actually want the Rapture to be a real thing are pretty scary.

Obviously people who want the Rapture are amongst the least likely to be saved.

[korn469]

Also, would it change anything instead of teleporting to heaven, like some form of a heavenly beam me up, if the people suddenly dropped over dead. Because, it's just the soul going to heaven.

I think it would be very difficult to prove the rapture happened, especially if it was on a weekend at night in the higher areas of rapture density.

[AAAAAAAAH!]

It would matter a great deal because doing those things would exclude you.

Are you saying people who've had abortions or gay marriage can't be saved?

[Imran Siddiqui]

I wonder why Ben is so into the Rapture. The Catholic Church is anti-Rapture, from what I remember (& the Orthodox and most mainline Protestant denominations are).

[Sava]

Yeah, I can't ever recall hearing about the rapture during an orthodox service.

I just assumed it's an american jesus freak protestant thing
(as opposed to american liberal/politically neutral boring normal protestants like yourself )

[Imran Siddiqui]

The Rapture is an evangelical thing. And not even all evangelicals.

[Sava]

evangelical

Are there non-psycho evangelicals?

I just always assumed they were all nutcases.

[Ben Kenobi]

Also, would it change anything instead of teleporting to heaven, like some form of a heavenly beam me up, if the people suddenly dropped over dead. Because, it's just the soul going to heaven.

This is contrary to what we are taught about bodily resurrection.

I think it would be very difficult to prove the rapture happened, especially if it was on a weekend at night in the higher areas of rapture density.

This is actually a conversation I had with a Bahai person many years ago. No, Jesus is very clear that the second coming will be unmistakeable.

[Ben Kenobi]

I wonder why Ben is so into the Rapture. The Catholic Church is anti-Rapture, from what I remember (& the Orthodox and most mainline Protestant denominations are).

Catholic eschatology argues that the soul is taken up into heaven prior to the final judgment. You're correct in that they reject the concept of the Rapture.

I'm not quite sure why you believe I support the Rapture. I don't. I'm merely arguing the question posed, "if you believe premise A, does B follow?"