E-Mail: You've Been Left Behind

[Jeff Gerke]

This is too rich not to share: www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,363471,00.html.

For $40/year you can maintain this service. After the Rapture an e-mail will go out to your loved ones left behind to witness to them one last time.

Beautiful. Ridiculous. Sublime.

Jeff

[Vaporwolf]

Well at least they automated it. My first thought was that they would have to purposefully hire some poor "heathen" they'd leave in the dark to press the button when the rest of them dissapeared.

Somehow this seems like something you'd find in a sci-fi plolitical satire.

Salutations,

Your government has sent you this e-mail as a courtesy to inform you that the Sun has hit critical mass and will have enveloped the planet by now.

Have a nice day, and remember to protect yourself against skin cancer or face prosecution under article six of the Criminalized Health Ignorance act.

- Sol Expantion Beurocracy Department

[Jeff Gerke]

Beautiful.

Or: "Remember to recycle."

;-)

[Teskas]

The story had been removed when I tried to access it. Could somebody who read it post a precis?

[Vaporwolf]

The story is still there, you just have to copy and paste that link.

Or you can click here.

[Teskas]

Thanks, Vaporwolf. I did cut and paste, but came up with a blank page. Your link worked. Go figure.

The weird thing about this story is that the guy already has paying customers!

[Christian Soldier]

What's scary is how thorough it is. I would never have thought of making my financial information available for those left behind, and yet that makes good sense. Of course, what's also scary is that they want to charge for it, but being the free-freak, that's how I am.

[mongoose]

Doesn't it show a lack of faith, or of determination, or of something good to make provision just in-case our attempts to lead people to Christ fail and He comes for us anyway?

"I'm gonna try, but you might not come around in time, so this'll help you survive the great tribulation, where A THIRD of the Earth's population gets wiped out all at once. Have fun!"

Oh, I keep forgetting, Pre-tribers believe people will get saved post-rapture. :-|

EVEN BETTER!

"It'll be too late to save you from certain destitution, ostricization, torture, imprisonment and a slow and painful death at the hands of nature and a wrathful God, but now that you see I was right, you can give your heart to Him!"

I'm really not trying to demean people who believe in a pre-trib rapture. I know they have their logical, Biblical arguments. I'm just not seeing how they expect to convince or otherwise help their non-believing loved ones after they're gone. I believe we're put here now, to help them now. If people don't believe us when it's easy, why would they believe us in the face of persecution, when we're not even there to encourage them? I will point out that the Bible says that those who do not take the Mark of the Beast will not be allowed buy or sell. Thus, our financial assets would be of minimal value to anyone left behind. I suspect our accounts will be frozen until we recant, or something. Point is, we only have the time we're given here before we either die or are raptured, which is why it's so imperative that we occupy more effectively now. That's also why it's so wonderful that God waits to send Jesus back until every nation has heard the Truth, because of His grace.

All of that to say simply that I don't think such schemes as this would be helpful or effective for those left behind.

[Christian Soldier]

Hmm... I'm not sure I see the rapture as being evidence of God's wrath, merely His great mercy. Why should He leave His children to suffer at the hands of those who would oppress us? Anyway, there one point I must disagree. After the rapture, there will only be two explanations: 1) GOD! or 2) Whatever the government thinks up. Think: Weather balloons.

The point is that some folks, especially those who were borderline before, will see the light and get saved. Also remember that the Tribulations are supposed to last seven years. Seven years is not a long time, not by any means. They should be able to hold out for that long if they can keep their faith up, and why couldn't they? There's going to be some incredible miracles going on that will make the all the previous ones look like parlor tricks! How easy it will be for those who know it's coming to believe!

I agree with one thing whole heartedly: we must do our best to spread Christ's love to all those around us. Be they family, friends, neighbors, or complete strangers. It doesn't matter. This is, after all, Christ's final instruction to us.

-- CS

[mongoose]

Leaving alone the question of when the rapture will occur, I feel compelled to point out one thing contrary to your claim, and that of so many who write about the end times: People will not get saved after the rapture. Read it in the Scriptures. About chapter 14 of Revelation, there's no more Christians on the Earth, just a lot of horrible things happening, the wrath of God being poured out, people cursing God and nature and begging for death, which won't come to them in time, and STILL they refuse to repent and turn from their wicked ways. The theme is repeated at the end of one chapter after another. A plague gets poured out to punish, or to prove God, or whatever, and still they don't repent. A third of the world's population gets wiped out at once. The natural disasters are so extreme that even if there were Christians on the Earth at that time, they wouldn't survive. And the government's going to be out to get any, if there are any. As you say, why would God leave His people in the midst of that situation? And the follow up question: Why would anyone convert, knowing that's what they faced, and with no hope of rescue or salvation, as they already missed it? The last half of the tribulation is to punish those that remain.

Would YOU convert for all of that and maintain your faith, if you were borderline before? Many who had already been Christians when the Great Tribulation began will fall away, the Scriptures say. There won't be any borderline. Either you'll be sold out to God, or sold out to the enemy, and the marks on the foreheads will make it pretty obvious which camp everyone's in. Those who were borderline before may well see the rapture for what it is, and become angry at God for leaving them, and discouraged and bitter, knowing there's no more hope for them but to die a slow and painful death. That's little motivation to worship the God who, according to Scripture, left you behind. The rapture won't be evangelistically significant according to Revelation and such places, and according to logic.

[myrthman]

I heard about this service on the radio yesterday. My immediate thought was that it's a brilliant scam to get well-meaning but ill-informed Christians to part with $40 each year. And to divulge all my account information including PINs and passwords? Red flags all over the place! Sure it's "completely confidential," but I wouldn't tell anyone if I suddenly had access to 6 million new bank accounts either.