I had a co-worker who read through the Left Behind series.

[SlackJawedYokel]

She was/is really sweet and a college grad(something with epidemiology maybe?) and we had some interesting discussions about our differing beliefs.
Anyway, I was perusing one of the few bloggers I read and he had a link to this article from Harpers from last year.
I know almost nothing about the books, but have heard about them from my co-worker... are they really so bloodthirsty?

http://www.harpers.org/TheApocalypseWillBeTelevised.html

Is it really that bad?
Are these people really so disconnected from reality?

Cletus

[fshrink]

1. The whole xian stuff is built on blood, death, suffering and guilt. eom

[trotsky]

2. To many Christians, schadenfreude is a key component of their faith.

schadenfreude - enjoyment obtained from the troubles of others

I've met many Christians who almost rub their hands in glee over the prospect of one day being able to look down from heaven at all the suffering souls in hell. It's really sad.

[onager]

3. Heh! In Borders one day...

...I was standing near a young guy who picked up one of the Right Behind books.

A girl who worked for Borders was also in the area, and he asked her: "What's this about?"

She said: "You really should read it. It's about...Jesus!"

I piped up and said: "It's a bunch of crazy Christian Fundamentalist nonsense about the end of the world. Don't waste your money."

The guy put the book back in the display and walked off.

If looks could kill...

[Kolesar]

10. High Five

:yourock: good story

[SlackJawedYokel]

4. I like that... it certainly fits.

And I've certainly met a few who simply insist that others *should* suffer.

Cletus

[Warpy]

5. Reality has sucked for some time

so of course they've disconnected from it. The protections of the New Deal were abolished, the tax code jimmied, and working people have been quietly robbed to fatten the rich since the early 70s, and both parties have been complicit, leaving people nowhere to turn. Who wouldn't want to disconnect? I don't blame them a bit.

However, the task of refocusing those poor saps on just who the Antichrist might be is a necessary one. It's also stunningly simple, if you approach it in a non confrontational manner.

The Antichrist is anyone who supports policies that attack the poor, the sick, the young, the old.

You just have to connect the dots for them.

[Book Lover]

6. The books are written for illiterates

They are some of the worst-written books ever. They could never have been published except for the high demand for the content and for the publishers willing to lose money to print, market and distribute them. Note how I didn't include copyedit or make reprint corrections in that list of expenses.

Yes, I have read them all, if you can call it reading. More like skim through while holding my nose and shaking my head. And the text "designer" should be smacked for taking a paycheck for that work.

[Synnical]

7. I still don't understand the Left Behind/Rapture thing

And, frankly, I don't care.

But the first movie (I think there are two of them now) is so bad it's worth watching for the comic relief factor alone. Trust me. If you're looking for two hours of hysterical madness, and LOL visuals, rent the flick, get a bowl of popcorn and prepare yourself for ridiculous xian paranoia.

It's really, really funny - well, from an atheist's point of view, anyway. :crazy:

[onager]

9. Oh, I'm SO happy to meet another fan!

Did you see them on TBN? Last New Year's Day, I think, TBN showed those pieces of crap 24/7. I almost fell off the couch laughing.

The Rapture-On-The-747 was especially hiliarious, partly because I'd seen it before...in Stephen King's Langoliers.

(Serious Theological Students should note that when you're Raptured, you go up to Heaven nekkid. And without your dentures or pacemakers. And all rug-rats get a free pass. The scriptwriter has obviously never met some of the children I have met...)

I've mentioned this elsewhere, but the cherry on top of this rancid apocalyptic sundae was...(drum roll, please)...Megiddo: The Omega Code 2.

The Christers ripped off the entire Omen series for this doozy. They also got some real, if down-on-their-luck actors like Michael York, Michael Biehn, and Diane Venora...who turns in a blazing performance almost as realistic as the scarred female KGB agent she played in The Jackal. (Nominated for Worst Russian Accent since Richard Burton played Trotsky...)

Oh, and the budget was so low, during the battle of Armageddon you see one tank drive by the camera over and over.

[Sabriel]

8. Even more frightening is the series for kids

It's something like "Left Behind: the Children." Same crap, different age group...lots o' non-subtle indoctrination.