Monday, May 23, 2011

Further into the sadness of Saturday's rapture cancellation.

In the wake of the aborted takeoff of all the pious, righteous, and true...more of the tragedy that befell some.

This is not about people who blew their cash, or sold homes. That is bad, and lamented. Like the person who dumps their car off somewhere because "they know" they have the lucky numbers that will be winning the lottery that night. But economic boondoggles can be come back from.

No. This is about the near death of children. A women seeing that the rapture and tribulation were nigh, slit her daughters throat, then her own. Then drove to a friend's home to die. Luckily this person had the sense to call for help, which kept them alive.

This is horrible. What this women did was sick and demented. But she was driven and taught to believe that they were both in trouble, and horrors were coming. That is one important trick to many religious groups, promise horror, torture, and unending pain, unless you walk a very narrow line that the group defines. This woman, presumably believed that it was coming. If she did not end her daughter's life, she would have, literally, hell on earth.

And that is messed up. Messed up for her to do. And messed up that in global society we have this tripe sold and coddled by government, media, and the rest of us (to some varying extent). We try to laugh, but it can't be forgotten that things like the Rapture are a cottage industry. They are big bucks because many people take it on faith that events will soon come to pass. Remember how Christianity starts, with the promise of the end of days just around the corner (from 30-something C.E.). People have been drawn into a belief the end is nigh, time and again, before that time and ever since. Sometimes these people are driven or pushed to dark ends.

Now we may learn that she has various psychological issues, medication she needed to be on, etc. But many churches teach that their is a Rapture. That is you are not on their god's right side...you are screwed.

So we need to be aware of this. Joke. Laugh. But keep an eye out in your family, and among your coworkers. Reach out as any compassionate rational person should.

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