Many people believe these prophecies will come true at some point. What if they do, but they were all caused by man only? Would they believe an "Act of God" had occurred? Would they be so fooled that they write a third testament about the so-called Apocalypse? Which perpetuates the religion another thousand years or so, and on it goes. Islam and Christianity came out of the years after Christ's death. There were many crucifixions in that time, but they made a big deal out of this one. Soon the Crusades erupted for the holy lands. But who started this hatred between Muslims and Christians? Well, the holy books the Qu'ran and the Bible give prophecies to both sides about the fate of the holy land. They set the two sides against each other for the last 1500 years in order to create a final war. Israel is the lynchpin because after America destroys itself economically which they are in the process of, Israel will be left unprotected. All of Islam will be called to attack, but this will all by caused by their religious leaders. This is what they want and this is how they set it up. By fulfilling the prophecies their ancestors wrote they hope to control the masses for even more millenia to come. Possibly both Christianity and Islam will become forgotten in favor of a new set of lies.

READ YOUR BIBLE, IT IS AN INTERESTING BOOK.RECOMMENDED BOOKS ARE ROMANS CHP.11, EZEKIEL36(A PROPHECY TO THE MOUNTAINS OF ISRAEL)OF COURSE, DANIEL AND REVELATIONS ARE GREAT. YOU MAY WANT TO READ JERUSALEM COUNTDOWN TO CRISIS BY PASTOR JOHN HAGEE.PASTOR HAGEE HAS DONE AN EXTENSIVE STUDY ON THIS SUBJECT. NEW INFO ABOUT RE-BUILDING THE TEMPLE HAS BEEN RELEASED. YOU MAY WANT TO READ ABOUT THIS TOO. YOU CAN JUST TYPE IN TEMPLE MOUNT AND FIND INTERESTING INFO OR TURN PROGRAMMING TO TBN WHERE YOU WILL FIND MUCH INFORMATION BEING TOLD TODAY.

MARIAN SCOVIL

The one thing that Karl Marx was correct in saying was that "religion is the opiate of the masses."

As biblical scholars unearth new versions of the Judeo- Christian Scriptures one thing seems to becoming clear, that Religious(Political) Leaders through out the ages sought to control and interpret the rich oral tradition of the original eyewitnesses to the events in these writings. What makes us think that they were any different to how we act today! Humans seek control as individuals and as groups. It's the nature of the beast to overcome the primal uncertainties of living on this planet.

How can a true Christian ignore the plight of the other 2.5 billion people who are not Christian ,Jews or Muslim!? Do they actually believ that a loving God (of the New Testament) would cast aside anyone who tried to live an honest life. Actions speak louder than words. There is a lot of proclamations of "I believe" around the world but very little attention is paid to the everyday beauties and cordial relationships and yearnig in their own quiet way of people who are trying to reach a higher level of conciousness.

Christ referred to himself in some versions of the scritures as the "Son of Man".

Perhaps he was telling us that He was what we were all capable of becoming. "Love one another."

was His only repeated command to us. If we are told in the scriptures that we are "made in the image and likeness of God, than I believe we have a stake in helping to reach out at a grass roots level to bring about more of this loving of one another. We are capable of God like behaviour if we would only stop trying to force our idea of "god" on others. People who sit in their ivory towers and think that by paying lip service to their version of God for their own advantage... "salvation"... are missing the point and selfisly wishing for a quick fix because they are "the chosen." How Small Minded! How Arrogant! How Hypocritcal! The sooner we focus on our own famliy, and community, and get out from in front of the distractions of popular culture

and begin to live honestly in our own sphere and elect people who don't follow the bleating crowd, the better off we will all be. Every human alive is one of God's chosen. It's time we realized that and stop being spectators and waiting for some saviour to ride out of the clouds and straighten out the mayhem We have chosen to create!

Chris Merli,

Swiftwater, PA

Reading Boyett's article took me back to the millennial sermons of my youth: that magical time of everyone burning in hell but the chosen few (most of which were sitting in the stifling hot church "Church of Christ" with me) and of righteous consummation of a God-fearing, sinless life. It is wonderful to sacrifice, endure ridicule to, in the end, have backed the winning side. Good times...good times.

Reading the comments, and who really reads the comments anyway, I noticed a few items:

• Yes, the US would, it seems, be the New Rome. Kind of hard to fit that into a victim-mindset, but there it is.

• X-ians are just as sectarian in their beliefs as anyone else...and if you look through history they have killed each other as well. Sectarian violence is not a thing Others do.

• There is real fear in not knowing Bush's real motivations: the only democracy in the region OR pre-millennial enablers...Bush's take on Israel is important to find out.

• The Late Great Planet Earth, is seems, outlives declarations of its death. This too shall pass.

• Most everyone sees what they want in the Text; not everyone has access to Nestle-Aland (http://bibledatabase.net/html/greek_na/index.htm). And this is a real pity.

What happens to fetuses during the Rapture?

Does God give pregnant sinners some kind of heavenly abortion?

Just wondering how that all works.

-- Patricia Schwarz

Oh, Patricia, that one is great!!! My sides are aching from laughing so hard. I first remember hearing about the "rapture" when I was pregnant with my second child, and remember wondering if the rapture occurred during my pregnancy did that mean I would remain pregnant for my entire "forever"? Of course, that was assuming that I would be raptured also.

As anyone who has ever been pregnant can usually attest, that is a troubling conception (pun unintended). Let's see.......if I think back to those who first introduced me to the "rapture", I'm certain they would claim exactly what you suggest. But I guess, too, it would depend upon whether the fetus is considered as about to be born with "original sin" or considered to be blameless--how can a fetus sin? The Catholics would seemingly make an adjustment for this, as those fetuses (feti?) would probably go to limbo, but I guess the sinner mothers would be left behind as though they miscarried.

Another dilemma is those who were married more than once. Would there be bigamy? (Heaven forbid!!) How would it be decided which spouse would be "stuck with" the other, or which would be "blessed to be with" the other. Could make for some uncomfortable situations.

Thank you for retrieving that memory and for a good chuckle. Odd thoughts for 9 AM!!