Caring for Pets Left Behind by the Rapture (Page 3)

I love BT so much.

And now I'm kind of wondering if squirrels (blind or otherwise) eat their own poop.

Anybody have, or had, a pet squirrel? 

JBrashear, nobody ever answers your questions man.  That's not cool.  I guess that's a very tough hypothetical for many folks out there.  It would be refreshing to hear those of strong conviction be honest and say, "That sure would suck!" 

Okay, here's my question since I'm not well-versed in any sacred texts...when the rapture comes and all the believers (including those making death-bed conversions for horrible, horrible crimes committed during their lives) ascend into heaven...what happens to those who either don't believe or aren't sure?  Are they sent to hell?  How much time do they have to watch the animals of the believers? 
 

I would like to officially volunteer to take in all of the pet chickens and pigs.

Actually, the bold section does answer the question pretty well.

And I'm an agnostic.  IE - I beleive in God, but not in religion.  I just think that He spends more time in the woods than at church.

We have a Winner!

would you turn my doggie into kung-pao shnauzer?

i certainly feel God's presence in the mountains, at the ocean, in the quiet stillness of nature.

but He also says "where two or more are gathered in my name, there am I" and paul says "let's not forsake meeting with other believers"

continue your lovely saturday - i'm off to run 5 miles on a wooded trail and most certainly will be speaking with him there

Dammit Mike. Now I want wings. With bacon on them.

.

To be fair, meherczeg gave an answer. Gary's answer is decent as well.

I think the Socratic Method - however poorly I employ it - is a method of debate that's foreign to most people anymore. They take questions personally and get offended when in reality all I'm doing is probing their belief to see how well-developed it is. I'm not trying to pass judgment or say people are right or wrong - which is where I think people get confused/defensive, because most 'debate' on the internet consists of people telling each other they're wrong or trying to 'zing' their opponent - I'm honestly curious. I grew up in a very un-religious(for lack of a better term) household and my parents took the tact of 'learn about it & decide for yourself'. I'm more interested in the sociology behind organized religion & the nature of the 'groupthink' that happens than anything to do with which religion is right/wrong about God. So my nature is to probe people's beliefs with questions to see how they arrived at their conclusions, probably moreso than the conclusions themselves. Religion fascinates me, albeit from an outsider's perspective.

read the book of revelation.
last book on the Bible..

you do not have a soul.
you are a soul. you have a body.
C.S.Lewis.

JBrashear, I hear ya loud and clear.  Yes, meherczeg gave an answer, but like mentioned earlier, it explained she was happy now.  The hypothetical question wasn't exactly answered but I'll assume it would sound similar to Gaarryy's answer...Garryy did answer it (very well I might add). 
I'm still curious though, after the believers ascend to heaven, how much longer do the non-believers have to live?  It's totally on-topic because like many others, I'd be more than happy to care for the pets that are left behind...I just want to know how long I'll have to watch them for.

While I personally don't believe in any of the many sacred books or organized religions, I do find peace in my personal belief that there is something after we die.  An eternity of learning an infinite amount of information.  I don't have a name for my religion yet...but as soon as I do and I'm ready to start collecting money I'll give ya'll a call. 

...and yes Gaarryy, Ali becoming the next Bachelorette will truly be hell on earth for me! 

I wonder what will happen once the religious folks leave the planet. Will global warming come to an end? What will happen with the economy? I'm sure it can't be good for the home values but on the other hand there will be plenty of jobs.

i did answer his second question, akshully.

Akshully, you are right!  My bad...I can admit when I'm incorrect. 

 Well I started looking into Christianity since I was doing work in the hypnosis field and thought it was all this religious stuff was bunk.   I would look at the similarities of group dynamics, persuasion, business model  and hypnotic constructs.    which in part is the "groupthink" you mentioned I believe.   It's actually very interesting since I had done some of the same higher level hypnosis course with a well know TV evangelist, and the similarities between what is considered waking hypnosis, and mob mentality at his healings was very close,, It also mimicked a hypnotist that was basically kicked out of the US for his healing work with pediatric oncology cases, that were given 90 days or less to live.   any hoo. 

So I came into all of this from a much different viewpoint as most people.  

I just finished being at a 3 day  conference for pastors, which deals with how they deal with getting their message across in a more effective manner and the business behind churchs, which to me is very interesting. but for the most part it's all about effective communication.

I'll take you to a T.D. Jakes service sometime since it's a interesting experience to say the least. While thats not the Church I attend it might give you some insights into a huge church and the groupthink that you mentioned.

Not all Christians interpret eschatology (the study of the end-times) the same. Many Christians, including Catholics, do not believe in a "rapture" of believers only. They believe in a "2nd Coming" where believers and non-believers are all judged in the same moment. Many other Christians (primarily American Evangelicals) believe in a rapture that precedes Jesus' 2nd Coming in which true Christians are taken up into Heaven and, depending on if you are pre-trib, mid-trib, or post-trib, you either have 7 years, 3 1/2 years, or no time at all since, like Catholics, you believe the two events are simultaneous.

Does that clear it up for you?

I am in the same boat, raised catholic but completely atheist now. I work as a scientist in a corporate research facility, working with several co-workers on all kinds of scientific facts, where all our analysis, proposals, suggestions are based on facts and data. Without facts and data, there's just no way to do our job.But what I find interesting is that the religious coworkers somehow have the ability to look at religion differently - without any need for data, facts and evidence and somehow they still accept the stories they are told are through. I've never understood this contradiction, but nobody has been willing to answer this question.

  Keep the faith. In my experience, it is often those at the highest participating level of a practice, philosophy, or ideology that are the most welcoming and ablest discourse participants around their core beliefs. When I was in my teens and early 20's my family's large urban church had a pastor that was very comfortable discussing his faith and religion, as was the father of my girlfriend at the time, an Anglican Rector and perhaps the most intelligent student of philosophy I have met.

I would also say that (at least here in the Maritimes) with the fastest triathletes I quite enjoy chats about training, etc., while with the 'almost' fastest guys chats aren't worth 2 seconds of my time because they already know everything and don't respect the views of someone not at their pace.

Edited by blairrob 2010-02-20 8:05 PM

There may be a heaven, but there is no hell.  Because there is no sin.  Sin was created by man therefore lives in their mind.  The "punishment" of "sin" is an internal strife knowing what they believe is right versus wrong.

I may be mistaken, but I do not believe there is a single description of hell in the bible.  What everyone perceives as hell came from Dante's poem Inferno.  So I go back to ^^^^.  It is a man made punishment.

All I gotta say on the subject.

'heaven', the bible are also created by man...

The New Testament is replete with allusions to Hell. On several occasions, Jesus talks about "weeping and gnashing of teeth". Rev. 20:13-15 is probably the most direct reference.

¹³The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done. ¹⁴Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. ¹⁵If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.