From: mathew@mantis.co.uk (mathew)
Newsgroups: alt.atheism.moderated
Subject: Armageddon and Dispensationalism
Date: 27 Sep 92 15:06:42 GMT
Organization: Mantis Consultants, Cambridge. UK.

Extracts from "Apocalypse Soon?" by Gregory Krupey
published in "Loompanics' Greatest Hits" ISBN 1-55950-031-x

===

An elite group of fanatics are currently plotting the nuclear destruction of
the planet for their own bizarre and selfish ends. Old news? I do not refer
to the arms race between the US and the USSR per se. For that is merely the
means to The End for this Conspiracy whose goal is not merely political but
metaphysical: the conflict not only of the USA vs. the USSR, but of Good vs.
Evil, of God vs. the Devil. 
[...]
If you think that censoring books, records and movies, outlawing abortion and
homosexuality (if not ALL nonprocreative sexuality), and erasing the
separation of Church and State is the worst that the funda-mental case
fascists have in store for you, think again! They do not merely want to
censor or suppress you, control you or oppress you, they also want to KILL
you! Why? Because they are the Elect, the Holy Chosen; and you, the Unsaved,
the Damned, are not. Because, seeing themselves as surrounded and outnumbered
by the wicked and hostile forces of "godless secular humanism" (and odd
situation for a "Moral Majority" to be in), they are convinced that the Last
Days prior to the Apocalypse -- the final, earth-shattering war that will
precede the Second Coming of Christ -- are now here, and being impatient for 
heaven they want to speed up the process whereby their Saviour will return
for them in Glory. By exerting and manipulating their considerable influence
in both the US and Israeli governments, they intend to bring about the
conditions favourable to Armageddon within, according to Jerry Falwell and
other fundamentalists, the next fifty years.

[...Much stuff about dispensationalist belief deleted. Dispensationalism is
 the belief that history is divided into seven distinct time periods, in each
 of which God tests humanity's obedience and dispenses justice, rewards or
 punishments as appropriate. The final dispensation will supposedly see the
 Rapture, the Tribulations, Armageddon and the return of Christ -- although
 not necessarily in that order...]

It was in the 40s that two events occurred which convinced most 
dispensationalists that the Last Days were indeed here. Once incident was the
founding of the modern Zionist state of Israel in 1948. A central tenet of
dispensationalism was that the Chosen People's return to their homeland was
necessary before the process leading to the Millennium could begin. [...]
The second prophecy fulfillment happened even earlier in 1945 with the
invention and detonation of the atomic bomb, which seemed to correspond with
the account in Revelation of the destruction of the Earth by a great fire, a
massive, all-consuming holocaust.

It is easy to see why those who hold such beliefs have no interest in peace
movements or disarmament talks. In fact, they have every reason to encourage
the arms race and support politicians with combative attitudes towards the
spectre of communism.  [ The USSR was identified as the earthly manifestation
of Satan's power by dispensationalists.]  In their view, "peace" is
capitulation to the devil. Or as Jimmy Swaggard put it on a TV broadcast from
9/22/85: "We should not make any agreements with the Soviet Union... they can
sign all the peace treaties they want. They won't do any good. There are dark
days coming... It's going to get worse... I'm not planning on going through
the hell that is coming. The Lord will descend from heaven with a shout. My
Lord! I'm happy about it! He's coming again! I don't care who it bothers. I
don't care who it troubles. It thrills my soul!"

Perhaps Jerry Falwell put it even more succinctly, "You know why I'm not
worried (about nuclear war)? I ain't gonna be here!"  Nyah nyah nyah nyah
nyah to you, heathen!

The most successful popularizer of "nuclear dispensationalism" or "Armageddon
theology" is Hal Lindsey, author of "The Late Great Planet Earth" which sold
an estimated 18 million copies in the 1970s, second only to the Bible itself.
[...]  Lindsey describes the coming holocaust in this and other books by
postulating a joint Arab-Soviet attack on Israel as the fulfillment of
Ezekiel. Before this army of 200 million (!) will be destroyed by nuclear
fire in the valley of Har-Meggido (Armageddon), about 50 miles north of Tel
Aviv, it will manage to kill one third of Earth's population. According to
Lindsey, it will be Jesus Himself who will destroy the invaders, having
returned to earth to take command of the defenses of Jerusalem as the
military messiah that the Jews were originally expecting.

[...Stuff about Carter, Reagan and the fundamentalists' political activities
 deleted...]

[...] After the creation of the Moral Majority, [Jerry] Falwell had little
trouble in worming his way into Republican circles. He discussed theology and
nuclear war with Reagan in the candidate's limousine.

[...] In 1983 Reagan allowed Falwell to attend National Security Council
briefings on US plans for nuclear war with the Soviet Union. Reagan also
approved Hal Lindsey to lecture on nuclear war to Pentagon strategists. [...]

Meanwhile, Jerry Falwell had developed contacts at high levels in Israel.
[...]

In 1983, journalist Grace Halsell visited Israel as part of a 
Falwell-sponsored "Holy Land Tour". Hailing from a Texan fundamentalist
background and still a believing Christian, she took the tour to ascertain to
what extent Falwell Armageddon theology figured in the thinking of his
followers. [...] Most of those on the tour to whom she spoke were not merely
expecting [Armageddon] in their lifetime, they were eagerly anticipating it.
None expressed any fear or despair at the idea of a divinely induced nuclear
war because they were certain that they themselves, being "born again" in
Jesus, were guaranteed survival and immortality. The total destruction of the
world was both necessary and just in their belief system. Many of them became
positively ecstatic at the very thought of nuclear holocaust. One man
enthused at the site of the valley of Meggido (alleged site of Armageddon).
[...] A woman dismisses Arabs by saying that if they are Israel's enemies
then they must be God's enemies as well. [...]

[...Much more stuff about Falwell's sucking up to Zionists deleted...]

[...] George Bush, while actively courting the important fundamentalist vote
and claiming to be born again, is obviously not one of them, or at least not
enough like them. In the aftermath of the downfalls of the Bakkers and
Swaggart, and the defeats suffered by Falwell and Robertson, some would have
you believe that the fundamentalist threat is not only passe, but that it
never really existed. [...]

But that is not really the case. If anything, the Christian right agenda has
actually seeped into the mainstream rather than having been rejected.
Anti-abortion/pornography/sex education/gay rights/rock music/feminist
attitudes are stronger than ever and on the offensive, censorship cases
(especially in schools) have been more successful, and state-manufactured
hysterias over drugs, child molestation, and satanic cults distract nearly
everybody. All this is no accident. [...]  These people are patient and
disciplined. They are in it for the long haul. They have not given up on the
idea of a Christian reconstruction of America. Since they believe that
Armageddon will occur within our lifetime (or within the next 50 years
according to Falwell), why wouldn't they take a shot at setting up a
Christian police state?

===

Loompanics' address is:
   Loompanics Unlimited P.O. Box 1197 Port Townsend WA 98368

The book is highly recommended, but be warned that it isn't suitable for
those who are easily offended or shocked by words.


mathew
-- 
De-evolution!  Self execution!  No solution!  I'm a potato, and I'm sooooo hip!