Not just Christians, but Muslim and Jews also expect the coming of a Messiah that will mark the launch of Armageddon. As bad as expecting the end of the world may be, these people expect it soon — and if it doesn't come soon enough, they are willing to work to bring it about as soon as possible.

The LA Times reports:

[M]ega-church pastors recently met in Inglewood to polish strategies for using global communications and aircraft to transport missionaries to fulfill the Great Commission: to make every person on Earth aware of Jesus’ message. Doing so, they believe, will bring about the end, perhaps within two decades.

In Iran, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has a far different vision. As mayor of Tehran in 2004, he spent millions on improvements to make the city more welcoming for the return of a Muslim messiah known as the Mahdi... Ahmadinejad hopes to welcome the Mahdi to Tehran within two years.

[S]ome Jewish groups in Jerusalem hope to clear the path for their own messiah by rebuilding a temple on a site now occupied by one of Islam’s holiest shrines. Artisans have re-created priestly robes of white linen, gem-studded breastplates, silver trumpets and solid-gold menorahs to be used in the Holy Temple — along with two 6½-ton marble cornerstones for the building’s foundation.

It’s interesting the degree to which these end-times fantasies of blood and destruction involve Israel:

“In Christian theology, the first thing that happens when Christ returns to Earth is the judgment of nations,” said Hagee, who wears a Jewish prayer shawl when he ministers. “It will have one criterion: How did you treat the Jewish people? Anyone who understands that will want to be on the right side of that question. Those who are anti-Semitic will go to eternal damnation.” ... Underlining the sense of urgency is a belief that the end-times clock started ticking May 15, 1948, when the United Nations formally recognized Israel.

“Our whole purpose is to hasten the end times,” [Bill McCartney] said. “The Bible says Jews will be brought to jealousy when they see Christians and Jewish believers together as one — they’ll want to be a part of that. That’s going to signal Jesus’ return.” Jews and others who don’t accept Jesus, he added matter-of-factly, “are toast.” [emphasis added]

We should all be very worried about the presence of people who are not only eager to see the violent end of the world, but who are also more than willing to advance the date of the end of the world when they don’t think it’s coming fast enough for them. It’s ironic that these same people claim to be such devout believers in their god since they are so unwilling to allow things to proceed at whatever pace their god sees fit. A truly devout and sincere person would be humble and patient, waiting to see what happens.

These promoters of Armageddon strike me not so much as devout believers who want to do God’s will, but rather as people who are so dissatisfied with the modern, secular world that they are willing to do anything to end their own misery — even if it requires a violent end to the lives of everyone else around them. They are like jilted lovers who have decide that if they can’t have their loved one, then on one will — and just for good measure, they take out a few innocent bystanders to make sure that others experience pain like they have. These Armageddon-happy believers, though, are looking to take out the whole human race.

It’s worth observing just how little difference there is between these people, even though they come from different religions. This because the exact doctrines of the religions don’t matter too much — all that matters is that the religions promote violence and revenge as part of their doctrines. This not only encourages unstable personalities, but it gives them fodder for revenge-fantasies and creates an outlet for their violent desires. Muslim, Jewish, and Christian extremists are all far more alike than different, and certainly more like each other than they are like their more sane religious brethren.

 

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