Andrew Brown writes for The Guardian that The end of the world comes on the 21 May … well, perhaps. “Christians awaiting the rapture this week are part of a long and curious history in their desire to pinpoint the end of the world.”
Peter Sherlock writes for The Conversation: Judgement Day and the dead are rising: it must be Saturday.
The Church Times has this leader: End of the world? The least of our worries.
Danielle Elizabeth Tumminio writes for The Guardian about Hellfire and ice-cream – alternative visions of the Rapture. “I don’t believe the prediction that today is Judgment Day, but just in case…”
Michael Nazir-Ali writes for The Guardian about A true resurrection in Iraq. “Two Christian communities in Baghdad show real hope for Iraq’s historic diversity – if politicians do their bit.”
Ian Sample reports an interview with Stephen Hawking for The Guardian: ‘There is no heaven; it’s a fairy story.’
In response Michael Wenham writes for The Guardian: I’d stake my life that Stephen Hawking is wrong about heaven, and Brad Hirschfield writes for The Huffington Post: Stephen Hawking’s Sin In Denying Heaven.
Jonathan Weyer writes for The Huffington Post about What the Bible Really Says About Doubt.
Symon Hill writes for Ekklesia about Christianity and homophobia in Britain today.
Lauren R Stanley writes for the Episcopal Café In defense of seminaries.
Well, Mr. Cooper, we’re still waiting here in New Zealand! It’s now 10.30pm on Saturday 21 May 2011 and still no sign of The Rapture. I’m so glad we’ve been let off this time in Christchurch. We got it badly enough last time. Do you suppose God doesn’t have a Google Earthquake computer contact? I’ll be He/She is really having a good laugh up there. Never mind, see you all at Mass tomorrow.
Christ is Risen, Alleluia!
He is Risen indeed, Alleluia, Alleluia!
Brad Hirschfield actually kind of agrees with Hawking in the end. He thinks Hawking’s sin is in calling heaven “a fairy tale” and imputing to believers a fear of the dark. Gentlemen don’t call names or deride other’s beliefs. It’s like telling a child there’s no Santa Claus. Let the kids figure it out for themselves when they’re ready.
But there used to be a convention of conspiracy between doctors and family members not to tell Grandma that she had a fatal cancer — “Let her die happy.” Comforting tales versus harsh realities . . .
If you’re disappointed by the non-Rapture, buck up. It’s not the end of the world.
“But there used to be a convention of conspiracy between doctors and family members not to tell Grandma that she had a fatal cancer — “Let her die happy.” Comforting tales versus harsh realities . . .” I think the analogy to that, Murdoch, would be to someone who believed, literally, that “Heaven is Directly Above Us: Angels on the Clouds”, and then never showing them photographs of the stratosphere (the way you could show the MRI of a fatal tumor to Grandma, or not). If someone has a harsh *concept* of No-Heaven-No-How they’re free to tell anyone they want… Read more »
Steven Hawking states: 1. ‘We need to use the effective theory of Darwinian natural selection of those societies most likely to survive. We assign them higher value.’ 2. ‘We should seek the greatest value of our action.’ So, according to Hawking: We should seek the greatest value of our action, assigning higher value to societies most likely to survive according to Darwinian natural selection. A world where action is directed according to Darwinian-based triage. Any guesses regarding which societies would be consigned to lowest value in the natural selection stakes and thereby warrant little or no action, or resources? Absolutely… Read more »
Steven Hawkings places his faith in mathematics, to postulate the existence of other universes. I admire his faith. He might also like to consider who invented the mathematics.
He might also ask himself why he lives.