Hunh.

[cyrano]

I just noticed that the Rapture is going to be at the same time as closing night for our show. Do you think Jesus will be considerate enough to let us take curtain call before taking up all the Saved into Heaven to stand at his right hand?

Don't be a dick, Jesus. They paid good money for those tickets.

Comments

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

"They" (by which I mean at least one of the weirdos NPR talked to in connection to this) say it's supposed to happen at 6pm local time... starting on the west coast, which indicates to me that they don't quite understand how time-zones work.

You might want to start early. Or just sell tickets to people-watch for a pre-show amusement. :P

[cyranocyrano.livejournal.com]

So if it starts on the west coast, does that mean that folks will Ascend in an orderly fashion, one time zone at a time, every hour on the hour? Because that would be far better organization than I give JHVH credit for.

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

Because that would be far better organization than I give JHVH credit for.

Apparently? I... don't even know. This whole thing just makes me headdesk, especially with the interviews with folks who've quit college and jobs and are carefully rationing their savings precisely so they'll run out after the 21st. I expect there are going to be a lot of unhappy people on the 22nd, and being unhappy to still be alive... strikes "now that is blasphemy" chords in this pantheist/atheist's mind. :P

[roseneko.livejournal.com]

No, they won't be unhappy, because their leader will either announce that he was mistaken in his calculations (like he supposedly was the last time he pulled this stunt) or that God spared the world due to their devotion. The human capacity for confirmation bias is amazing.

In that article you mention, I was sort of wondering about the woman whose kid was due in June. I mean, what happened if her kid was chosen to ascend to heaven and she wasn't (or vice-versa?) Would that count as an abortion? :D

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

Oh, I know they will. And you would THINK that might be a little "ding!" in some of the followers' heads going "gee, maybe I shouldn't trust this wacko the NEXT time he says the world's about to end, because now I don't have a job, my college, or any savings!" ...But of course it won't. Because, like you said, confirmation bias. *headdesk* If there is a conscious metaphysical force behind the universe, it's wondering why the hell we're all so hell-bent against using the brains it gave us.

I'm so glad I wasn't the only one thinking that about her kid. I mean... any reasonable person would think that an unborn child would absolutely be completely innocent, but... I've always been kind of vague on the question of where original sin kicks in for those who believe in it, so I really don't know. Either way, wishing for the world to end before you have your baby? Nice one, lady. :P

[roseneko.livejournal.com]

Sadly, this kind of thing seems endemic to how the human brain works, which is why even smart people can get caught up in that kind of thinking. But the plus side is, for all that many (if not most) will probably go the "confirmation bias" route, there are also always some people that do eventually realize (and admit, consciously) that they've been had. I've known a few, including one close relative. It's just a question of how strong their desire to believe is when compared to their rational brain.

[cyranocyrano.livejournal.com]

When I opened my mail and saw a bunch of LJ notifications from you two, I smiled a whole lot.

[miss-friday.livejournal.com]

You know that would make an interesting story: The angels having to organize the Rapture. With Jesus as the boss character from the British version of The Office.

Okay, I should have been Mark Twain when I grew up.

[cyranocyrano.livejournal.com]

I don't know the Office, but I trust you to come up with something engaging. (: I don't know if you know, but I have a thing about angels--shadowy alien agents of an all-powerful god. I think one of the reasons I love Neil Gaiman so much is that "Murder Mysteries" was the first thing of his that I read.

[miss-friday.livejournal.com]

Exactly why they would be pissed at having to do office work and organizing the entrance of millions of additional souls into Heaven all at once, instead of getting the cool assignment of raining down Armageddon.

[cyranocyrano.livejournal.com]

As far as I can tell (depending on whether you listen to scripture or to crazy evangelist guy) the Rapture--which is theoretically what Saturday is about--is *all* bookkeeping and no Armageddon. The Chosen are called up into Heaven, leaving all of us poor sinning bastards to manage without them.

It's kind of like a celestial John Galt. Who Is Gabriel?