its funny how they call this christian fiction... Showing 851-900 of 1,587

[Tim]

No problem Hazel. I guess I should sometimes reign in my anger or sarcasm anyway. I know I piss some folk off sometimes. And I certainly don't make or believe sweeping statements about Westerners.

Most of the people who visit South Africa from Europe and America, and spend time here, leave knowing much more about the world of Black South Africans than most Whites living here. I think I can fairly confidently say that the vast majority of whites in the city I live in have never visited a township in their lives.

But I'll leave this thread now as I concede that it is actually for people wanting to discuss this book.

Hopefully I'll see some of you on other threads. Forgive my gushing sentiments earlier, Tatuu. I was a bit drunk and so enjoyed meeting another African for the first time on this site. I've only been here a week or two. It kind of reminded me of when I was in Ireland, and i began realising that I am not European, I am African, and all the alienated feelings that brought. Then in the backpackers in Dublin one day there appeared a guy from Kenya, an actor playing the part of Othello. I was drawn to him like a magnet, and we hung out all the time together for a few days.

It was a bit like that, although that was a very profound realisation. A paradigm shift, if you will.

Adios amigos!

[aPriL does feral sometimes]

I read the whole series. I had never heard about the radical fundamentalist storyline before. At the time these books came out, many people around me stopped talking to their friends, neighbors, family, going out to lunch with work friends. They watched only religious TV, they listened only to religious music, they read only religious books. If you called they told you unless you had Jesus in your heart you threatened them with missing the coming rapture. These were family. They went to church three times a week. They stopped voting except whatever religious groups said to do like the Christian Right, Moral Majority, and the Christian Broadcasting Network. They prayed over and over from dropping a dish towel to fixing a potted plant. Like the Muslims Allah Akbar they said Praise Be, May God Be With You, God Forgive You, and other phrases all day every other word.

So I wanted to know what they were going on about.

These books were nasty, full of graphic torture, violence and horrible dyings. If they had been rated, it would have been R-17. A bunch of innocent people whose crime was not accepting Jesus die horribly in great pain and graphic suffering for 12 or 13 books. There is a lot of Harry Potter magic with a lot of Lord of The Rings type oddysey where the main characters travel a lot but actually do very little to help anyone except talk a lot about being sorry and praying a lot. Finally, Jesus comes and he is 50 feet tall and he violently blows up or crushes with his feet like crushing grapes for wine or tears apart physically limb by limb whoever is still alive. All the Jews have converted and the earth is a smoking ball of broken cities and rubble. Everyone left is grateful for the hell earth has become and thank Jesus profusely for letting them suffer, bleed, starve, lose their loved ones forever to hell, being maimed and punished by Jesus because it was to learn them good. The end.

The real people into this were like this for 12 years thinking any day now the rapture was gonna happen, for 12 years cutting off everybody and everything, praying and praying and praying.

Nothing. Still here.

[[deleted user]]

Patricia wrote: "GoodReads isn't a place where you try and lash out against people who like a certain book, it's a place where people who enjoy the same books can come and be friends and share their opinions and kn..."

Thanks, Patricia! We have to keep these forums in good spirits and for the enjoyment of readers, not bash sessions.

[aPriL does feral sometimes]

Tim wrote: "Excuse me can I defend myself here? I merely made mention of a Millenarian movement that took place in South Africa in the 1800s which happens to mirror, in many ways, the same one fundamentalist C..."

I am a 'half breed' Alaskan Native and German. My mother was born in Alaska. She lived a life similar to the South African Black People, except that the only work she was allowed to do officially was work in seasonal canneries cutting up and gutting fish for a dollar a day. She was born in 1928. Natives were not allowed in any buildings in Anchorage, all the stores had signs saying no Natives allowed until the early 1960's. Alaska had a state law that it was against the law for natives to go to college until the state legislature removed it in 1971.

[aPriL does feral sometimes]

I read nothing but lashing out all over goodreads! About books, mostly. Opinions are not all the same, and writing is not tone of voice or often complete so there are a lot of misunderstandings. for instance. This thread is over 900 comments of lashings over religion and stuff. Some of the other religion threads are lashings of 3000 comments going back 3 years.

[Cynthia]

OMG, I just found goodreads.com and joined about a week or so ago, and I read the preview to Left Behind, my pastor mentioned this once or twice during bible study, in which I learn by subject and title each Sabbath. I firmly believe in God and the fact that there will be people who are left behind. It won't be me and I can say this because I once had a dream back in the early eighties that I was being lifted up to the sky with some other people, so I mentioned this to my sister who was already finding her new life in Christ. She invited me over because a gentleman was coming over to her house to teach her about the bible. I walked over about a dozen blocks and I was excited to find out what he would say about my dream. I was introduced and it was okay for me to join in, I don't know his religious background, but soon as I mentioned what happened to me in my dream, he snapped his bible closed grabbed his belongings and said goodbye never to return. I apologized to my sister, and she said no, I did nothing wrong, and we both were standing there looking puzzled. I know that the things that are spoken of in the bible have to be read as instructed, which is line upon line and precept upon precept. All the education we receive from childhood to adulthood is for us to be able to read so that we would have understanding and knowledge. I don't want to be one of those left behind, and the one thing this series can do is reach some of those that may not believe so that they may change, and devote their life to helping others to live life eternal in God's kingdom. May God bless those of us that believe in him and for others to please know this is not fiction it's a fact.

[[deleted user]]

Cynthia,

Remember the story of Joseph in the bible? He told his dream to his brothers and they threw him in a pit- (jealousy? Outrage?)Eventually they had to beg his mercies when the truth was revealed, but anyway sometimes others do not believe or who believe but are afraid and will not understand your vision. It will take patience on both parts and I am glad you are steadfast in your beliefs.

Happy reading!

[Will]

Cynthia wrote: "It won't be me and I can say this because I once had a dream back in the early eighties that I was being lifted up to the sky with some other people"

lulz

[Hazel]

I had a dream back in the 80's that my cat, Minty, had grown extra long fangs, and copied himself over and over, so that the town I lived in was overrun with hundreds of evil man eating Mintys.

[Will]

Hazel wrote: "I had a dream back in the 80's that my cat, Minty, had grown extra long fangs, and copied himself over and over, so that the town I lived in was overrun with hundreds of evil man eating Mintys."

Well, at least we can prepare now for the inevitable army of evil cats.

[Hazel]

Theres the one where every toilet (and theres a lot of them) is either far too exposed or backed up and filthy, and so you can't ever find somewhere to comfortably have a shit without either having the world see you doing it, or having to wade through piles of used toilet roll and effluence. For some reason its often in a unisex changing room. I can only assume that this is a vision of hell, and I won't be one of the ones being raised up when the rapture happened 12 months ago.

[Shanna]

Cynthia wrote: "OMG, I just found goodreads.com and joined about a week or so ago, and I read the preview to Left Behind, my pastor mentioned this once or twice during bible study, in which I learn by subject and ..."

Have you installed your Rapture Hatch?

[Mary]

Shanna wrote: "Cynthia wrote: "OMG, I just found goodreads.com and joined about a week or so ago, and I read the preview to Left Behind, my pastor mentioned this once or twice during bible study, in which I learn..."

*spew!*

[Mary]

Hazel wrote: "I had a dream back in the 80's that my cat, Minty, had grown extra long fangs, and copied himself over and over, so that the town I lived in was overrun with hundreds of evil man eating Mintys."

OK...I had a re-occurring dream when I was young that a witch who lived in the woods behind my house kidnapped me and carried me in a little red wagon to her hut and then fed me poison cracker jacks. Anyone want to venture a guess as to the symbolism???

[Hazel]

were you somewhere between the age of 10 and 15, Mary?

[Tim]

A little Xhosa girl in the 1850s had dreams that the ancestors came out of the water and told her that if the tribe (it was a big tribe, spread over a vast area) killed all their cattle and burned all their crops then they, the ancestors, would return and help the tribe drive the colonists back over the seas. The colonists had made life intolerable for the tribe, not to mention enaging them in numerous bloody, protracted conflicts.

They did this, which was a helluva thing, because cattle were actually sacred to them. On the appointed day of the new moon, they gathered in their thousands by the sea to await the ancestors.

The ancestors never came.

Nearly half the tribe starved to death. The survivors had no option but to embrace a life of near-slave-like servitude to the colonists, and that was the end of the last major stumbling block to my ancestors taking what wasn't theirs: the land.

Later they took the land from the Afrikaners too, once it was found there was gold in them hills.

Beliefs like the Xhosa embraced appeared all over the world in the colonial period, embraced out of desperation, as a last resort against the rapacious greed of the colonists. It happened in America too, with the Ghost Dance of the Native Americans. A last desperate stand against the anhialation of their way of life.

These people had no power left.

What's the Christian's excuse for embracing these self-same beliefs?

[Mary]

Hazel wrote: "were you somewhere between the age of 10 and 15, Mary?"

No...I was closer to 5 or 6. I was a precocious child .

[Nalla]

I read the first three and loved them. To me it's exactly as most of you have said, the author simply wrote it the way he believes it will all end but within that there is a love story, more than one if I am correct and lost something that we all experience everyday and will at the end of time. The books are written not to scare but to inform (in my opinion). Respect each others religious beliefs and move on. I never understand why most people choose to judge and make fun of christian and
god but you seldom see them make fun of Allah, Mother Lashkmi, Buddha etc. The only thing someone has in this world is their faith don't knock theirs but find your own.

[Shanna]

Charane wrote: "I never understand why most people choose to judge and make fun of christian and
god but you seldom see them make fun of Allah, Mother Lashkmi, Buddha etc. The only thing someone has in this world is their faith don't knock theirs but find your own. "

I'm quite happy to question any religion. I guess from you perspective because of your christianity it's the faith directly around you so that's what happens. I daresay that if you were to go over to the Koran forums here on good read you'll see just as much judging and making fun of said faith. Have you checked it out or are just playing the poor me card?

[Mary]

Charane wrote: "I read the first three and loved them. To me it's exactly as most of you have said, the author simply wrote it the way he believes it will all end but within that there is a love story, more than o..."

You know...I would have absolutely no problem letting fundamentalists exist in their own little world and believe whatever they want with no criticism if they were not bound and determined to inflict their beliefs through government intervention on the rest of us. I see very little love coming out of this sect of christianity, but am inundated by the hate and malice disguised as righteousness that permeates almost the entire movement. They do not seem to like women, gays, poor people, unions, Hispanics, children once they are out of the womb, etc. Fundamentalists always resort to the martyr card when their views are called out in the public square. If you all do not like being called out, then get out of the public square. As long as you (generic you) attempt to insinuate your beliefs in some type of misguided attempt to make America some backwards theocracy, then you are going to meet with resistance.

[Dorothy]

This is a horribly-written series. I can't buy that two old virgins manage to find each other and not bore each other to death by explaining themselves over and over and over again. Each book spends several pages recapping the last book. The authors needed the religious foundation to overcome the lack of literary standards.

[C. J.]

Profe wrote: "but it was written to scare the pants off of anyone that believes in Revelations.

Every generation has a fear of/desire for the Apocalypse. Somehow its implied that death and destruction will giv..."

I think it's funny that people like you don't represent real atheists when a REAL atheist would not care what other people's beliefs were since to you guys we're all dyin' to go to nowhere anyway!

[Shanna]

It's not about the afterlife, it's about what you do in this one. I care very much about other peoples beliefs especially when they're trying shove them down my throat.

[Hazel]

CJ wrote: "Profe wrote: "but it was written to scare the pants off of anyone that believes in Revelations.

Every generation has a fear of/desire for the Apocalypse. Somehow its implied that death and destru..."

heh, you've no idea do you, a "real" atheist "doesn't care". Wow. The reason we care is because believing things like an afterlife very much affects how people think about this life, and how they treat each other. With no belief in an afterlife comes the realisation and understanding that we have to make this life count, thats its important and precious.

And like Shanna says, I care very much about people making claims that they cannot back up with evidence and having the audacity to expect others to accept them as true. You can believe what you want, everyone can, as long as you don't tell anyone else that what you believe is right, as thats pure hubris considering the number of different beliefs on the same subject that exist. And the other prerequisite I feel should be expected if you chose to believe something for which there is no proof is that you should make sure those beliefs don't harm anyone else.

But whats most important, in my opinion, is that people should examine their beliefs to ensure that they're true. So many people don't seem to care if their beliefs are true or not.

[Ama]

Cynthia wrote: "OMG, I just found goodreads.com and joined about a week or so ago, and I read the preview to Left Behind, my pastor mentioned this once or twice during bible study, in which I learn by subject and ..."i agree with you cynthia,everything in the left behind series is a fact.i am glad it drew my attention to the rapture and i seriously don't want to be left behind.

[Bosibori]

Charane wrote: "I read the first three and loved them. To me it's exactly as most of you have said, the author simply wrote it the way he believes it will all end but within that there is a love story, more than o..."

The only thing someone has in this world is their faith don't knock theirs but find your own.

Enough said Charane!

[Hazel]

tatuu. if all someone has in the world is their faith, then they're a very sad person. I have no faith, but i have a lot of other things, like a mother, a daughter, a partner, my artwork... the list could go on and on, and because I enjoy science, I like to understand how the world really works, and its awe inspiring and beautiful, without having to populate it with man made gods and monsters.

[Sandy]

I read this series at the same time I did an in depth 8 month study of the book of Revelation including looking at differing interpretations and how Revelation reflects prophecies throughout the entire Bible in both the Old and New Testaments. I found that the Left Behind series really brought the scriptures to life in way that was very real. I for one pray for a pre-tribulation rapture!

[Ama]

Sandy wrote: "I read this series at the same time I did an in depth 8 month study of the book of Revelation including looking at differing interpretations and how Revelation reflects prophecies throughout the en..." that is really true

[Mary]

I have been reading the Left Behind series and I love it .I haven't read what everyone has had to say on here but I have read enough to give my opion .I think that the story is very close to what the bible teaches will happen in the end times .I personally am a believer however if you aren't you should know that the books are good weather what is said is true or not.I think if you have to judge what someone is about then you should do it somewhere other then on here we are all here because we love to read .

[Stephen]

I greatly like this series. I am a big fan of the author. My hope is that this series will bring people to Christ. Perhaps after the Rapture occures, this series will point people to Jesus.

[Stephen]

According to the Bible, the whole point of the Apocalypse is the final warning from God before He judges the Earth. Now if God does not exist and this is just a story, then so what? But if the Bible is correct, then this is a warning.

[Luis]

I am an athiest. That being said, for the most part, I enjoyed this series. Unfortunately, the last book fell flat.

I understand that it is taken from the bible, but regardless; it felt as if the authors were, themselves tired of writing, and just phoned in the conclusion. After ten books, after years of getting to know the charaters, after sharing all the struggles and worries, and wondering who would make it to the end- it just felt as if it were all for nothing.

After all the struggle, Jesus comes, swipes his hand, and POOF, no more badness. Why the seven years of "bad luck"? before punishing the bratty angel?

The other nine books, however; were very entertaining. As I got to know the characters, I felt as if I were part of the resistance too. I'm pretty sure I'm not the only who kept wondering what I would do if I were hiding from basically the whole world.

Long story short: Liked the series. Hated the ending.

[Giansar]

Hi Luis!
You must have skipped some. There were 12 books in the original series - and I agree - the last one was the weakest apart from the three later prequels and the 13th book in the series, which was also added later on and which took place in the God's kingdom to come. The latter books were not on par with the original series unfortunately.
I also enjoyed the series very much as long as I managed to treat it as SF. Quite entertaining.

[Luis]

Giansar wrote: "Hi Luis!
You must have skipped some. There were 12 books in the original series - and I agree - the last one was the weakest apart from the three later prequels and the 13th book in the series, whi..."

You're right. For some reason I thought there were ten. It has been a while since I read them. Thanks for the correction.

[[deleted user]]

Patricia wrote: "GoodReads isn't a place where you try and lash out against people who like a certain book, it's a place where people who enjoy the same books can come and be friends and share their opinions and kn..."

Amen! I agree entirly!

[[deleted user]]

Adam wrote: "I'm an atheist and I've enjoyed these books so far. I've only made it through book 4 and the only complaint I have is that the characters spend far too much time crying and praying. Get on with i..."

I am so glad I came upon your comment. I know you don't believe that God does truly exist, and I'm sure people have tried to tell you this before, but the bible is NOT a work of fiction. It tells of how Jesus Christ came to Earth as a humble babe. How he taught and loved everyone. How he died on a cross and rose on the third day. How he's coming again to Earth to create a kingdom that will last for a millinium. The best part of all of that is - it's all true. Every single word. And all the crying and praying that you were griping about, is the best way to get close to God. God says "If you confess with your mouth and believe in your heart that Jesus is Lord, then you will be saved." God also says in Romans "Every man has sinned and falls short of the glory of God." You have to believe in your heart that you are a sinner, that Jesus came and died on a cross for your sins, and that he rose again on the third day; and you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, you shall be saved so saith the Lord.

[[deleted user]]

Will wrote: "Evidence for what? That Revelation is part of a genre and is one of only many, many others within that genre written around the same time? That's just fact, look it up.

Evidence that there are Bib..."

Forgive me if I interpreted this comment incorrectly and this isn't your view on the subject, but the book of Revelation is NOT about the fall of the Roman empire. It's about the fall of MAN KIND IN GENERAL!

[Giansar]

GND(Girl Next Door) wrote: "...bible is NOT a work of fiction... ...You have to believe..."
Just as you wrote - Bible is not a work of fiction for you ONLY if you believe in it. If I believed in extraterrestrials the X-files might not be fiction for me but it wouldn't change the objective truth.
And the objective truth in case of existence of God is that we have no proof of his existence. That is why we need to believe in him.
This belief is not our conscious decision though, you know. You can't decide whether or not you believe in something - by believing here I mean transcendental belief (like believing in God) as opposed to belief, which is entirely rational (e.g. I can believe a soccer team will win a game because I saw them and the other team play before and I BELIEVE the one team is much better than the other).

[Will]

"I know you don't believe that God does truly exist, and I'm sure people have tried to tell you this before, but the bible is NOT a work of fiction. It tells of how Jesus Christ came to Earth as a humble babe."

Hello, GND. Many religions make this claim (that their holy text is the one true text). The onus is on you to provide the evidence. Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.

Also, I do't know if it's possible to call Jesus humble. Someone claiming to be a Lord, and that you can only get to heaven through him, and if you don't, you go to hell. I would not call this a humble outlook.

[Will]

"And the objective truth in case of existence of God is that we have no proof of his existence. That is why we need to believe in him."

No, you've got this backwords, no proof for something does NOT mean that we "need" to believe in it. No proof for something means we need evidence first before we can believe in it. Why don't you believe in Allah, or Zeus, or Santa Claus?

[Will]

GND(Girl Next Door) wrote: "Forgive me if I interpreted this comment incorrectly and this isn't your view on the subject, but the book of Revelation is NOT about the fall of the Roman empire. It's about the fall of MAN KIND IN GENERAL!"

That's highly debatable. Revelations was a common genre at the time. Many Biblical scholars interpret its symbolisms to allude to the fall of Rome.

I don't subscribe to any of these interpretations. It's a work of fiction just like the other books at the time similar to Revelations.

[Hazel]

Will wrote: ""And the objective truth in case of existence of God is that we have no proof of his existence. That is why we need to believe in him."

No, you've got this backwords, no proof for something does N..."

I actually think thats what Giansar meant, Will, that you have to believe in that you can't know, so all thats left is belief. I may be wrong though.

[Will]

This reminds me of something Pratchett humorously observed in the Discworld book Pyramids that I recently read: "And Dil was realising that there are few things that so shake belief as seeing, clearly and precisely, the object of that belief. Seeing, contrary to popular wisdom, isn't believing. It's where belief stops, because it isn't needed any more."

[[deleted user]]

Will wrote: "... don't know if it is possible to call Jesus humble... I would not call his a humble outlook"

In Matthew 26 verse 39 Jesus says "O my Father, if it is possible let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, bit as thou wilt". Then in verse 42 Jesus says "O my Father, if this cup may not pass over me, except I drink it, thy will be done. " Also in Mtthew, while Jesus was being accused of many things he was innocent of, And when Pilate asked of him many questions Jesus said not one word. He didn't cry out in anger and indignity that he was innocent. He just sat in silence. And while He was on the cross, while people mocked him saying "He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him." Matthew 27:46 says "And abot the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?"

[Shanna]

GND(Girl Next Door) wrote: "Will wrote: "... don't know if it is possible to call Jesus humble... I would not call his a humble outlook"

In Matthew 26 verse 39 Jesus says "O my Father, if it is possible let this cup pass fro..."]

And yet...
In Luke:
Father forgive them, for they know not what they do
Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise (in response to one of the two thieves crucified next to him)
Father, into your hands I commit my spirit (last words)
In John:
Woman, behold your son: behold your mother (directed at Mary, the mother of Jesus, either as a self-reference, or as a reference to the beloved disciple and an instruction to the disciple himself)
I thirst (just before a wetted sponge, mentioned by all the Canonical Gospels, is offered)
It is finished (last words)

So which is what he said?

[Will]

Having a Messiah complex is the exact opposite of being humble, no matter how you slice it.

[Giansar]

Will wrote: "No, you've got this backwords, no proof for something does NOT mean that we "need" to believe in it. No proof for something means we need evidence first before we can believe in it. Why don't you believe in Allah, or Zeus, or Santa Claus? "
I probably wrote it confusingly - English is not my native tongue.
What I meant is I do not NEED to believe in the existence of my son - I just had to chase him away from my PC to prevent him vandalizing it. But if I choose to be a Muslim I will have no choice but to believe in Allah.
This is of course a different kind of belief than what you wrote about. Yours is scientific believe - we believe based on some scientific facts and direct and indirect evidence that human evolved to its current form through millions of years. This is our belief but it is not a transcendental belief (unlike belief in God). This is where creationists get confused. They try to equate their belief with scientific belief and they do not understand what a scientific theory is.

[Will]

I see what you're saying. Thanks for clearing that up.

[[deleted user]]

Will wrote: "Having a Messiah complex is the exact opposite of being humble, no matter how you slice it."

In John chapter 13, Jesus washes the disciples' feet, saying that "...neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him..." which means that he, Jesus the Christ, is not greater than the one that sent him, the one, true, and LIVING God. There, he is seen as humble. Saying that he is equal to a servant here on the earth, the earth that his Father in Heaven created -- and he said that he was equal to a servant, and that the servant is not greater or equal to the master.