Assumptions, Bible Verses, and a Little Research

A week or so ago, in a documentary about a particularly lethal cult, I ran into a familiar assertion. While the video showed a page from the Bible, the narrator intoned "Christians believe that..." and went on to describe what some of the 'end times are nigh' churches say they beleve about End Times, Rapture, and television documentaries.

Over the last half-century, I've noted that quite a few folks say - and quite likely believe - that fundamentalist and/or evangelical churches are Christian: and are typical of all Christians.

The first part, I agree with. Someone who worships Jesus the Christ, Second Person in the Trinity, can reasonably be called a Christian.

The second part, assuming that the various outfits that reporters call fundamentalists and/or evangelicals - or churches like the "God Hates Fags" one that's been disrupting funerals - are normal, typical Christians? That I can't believe.

'Pastor Bob Bombast' and the Pope: There's a Difference

It was hard to shake the impression that radio preachers who were endenic to the area where I grew up thought they were the only 'real' Christians around. Even if they did, and were quite sincere about it - that sincerity wouldn't make them right.

I've read what a fair number of outfits have written about themselves - and what others have written about them. To the best of my knowledge, the following is accurate:

• These groups are not identical
  • Howard Camping's church
  • Westboro (Kansas) Baptist Church
  • Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod
• None of that trio are typical of Protestant churches
  • Not even Protestant churches in America
• None of the above are the Catholic Church

Back to what "Christians believe" about the book of Revelation, End Times, Rapture, all that.

I realize that production schedules may not leave a lot of time for fact-checking.

On the other hand, when the documentary is about what some cult did - based on what some fellow thought a verse out of Revelation meant, back in the 20th century: I think someone might have bothered to do maybe 30 minutes of research.

My guess is that's about how long it would take an assistant toGoogle "end times," "final judgment," and a few other terms - and see what the Catholic Church, and some other churches, say they believe. Instead of going with what 'everybody knows.'

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  • "Wealth, Poverty, Stereotypes, and Snidely Whiplash"
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  • "Hell, Heaven, Character, and Culture"
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