End Times

I chuckled with amusment after reading this article on RFID and the “mark of the beast.”

By Mark Baard 02:00 AM Mar, 02, 2006 EST

CAMBRIDGE, Massachusetts — Katherine Albrecht is on a mission from God. The influential consumer advocate has written a new book warning her fellow Christians that radio frequency identification may evolve to become the “mark of the beast” — meaning the technology is a sign that the end-times are drawing near. “My goal as a Christian (is) to sound the alarm,” said Albrecht, in a conversation over tea at a high-end grocery store.

Albrecht has been a leading opponent of RFID, which is fast becoming a part of passports and payment cards, and is widely expected to replace bar-code labels on consumer goods. RFID chips contain unique identification codes, and can be read at varying distances with special reader devices.

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I remember when I was in high school and the UPC bar code was thought to have the potential to be the mark. Now it just common procedure at the grocery store. We use RF at work to track everything coming in and out of the warehouse and the stores.

But fear not, says Boston University professor Richard Landes, who specializes in the history of apocalyptic thought. New technologies often trigger alarm among millenarians — those who believe Christ is returning to Earth to set up a theocratic kingdom, but only after nonbelievers die most unpleasantly in a battle with the anti-Christ.Y2K, bar codes and Social Security numbers all triggered end-times warnings, said Landes, who was co-founder and director of the Center for Millennial Studies at BU, which studied contemporary cult activities and end-times literature prior to 2000.“Even the introduction of the Gutenberg press caused waves of apocalyptic thinking,” said Landes.

I remember worrying about all this when I was a christian. In high school Hal Lindsey the author of The Late, Great Planet Earth was very popular among christians.

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He predicted that the end times were very near and should be here by 1988. I think he missed it on that one. (When I googled him I found he is still very popular and still making predictions.) We were all anxiously awaiting the Rapture - when all christians would vanish off the face of earth “in a twinkling of an eye.” I had mixed emotions. I felt gypped that I wouldn’t get to live a full life, but it was certainly better than being left behind.

I am glad all that is behind me now. It is very freeing for me not to be caught up in all that. I use the term Born Again Unbeliever to describe myself. I literally felt born again when I cast off the chains and trappings of christianity.

I know some of my family and friends worry about my inner state and disagree with my view on things, but we are friends and family, so we deal with it. I don’t try to “witness” to them and convince them that I am right and they are wrong, nor do they do that to me. I know my mom prays for me out of love and the hope that she is doing something to save my soul. At one time I didn’t like my mom praying for me and I told her to stop. Of course, she didn’t, she just kept quiet about it. Now I don’t care if she does…to her it means she loves me and cares about me and I can accept that and even appreciate it.

I have some interesting conversations with my friends at times…all who are at different places in their christianity. At one time we were all on the same page in our beliefs (at least I think so) and now we are scattered all over the board. That in itself is interesting to me, too. I am not the only one who evolved, we just evolved in different directions: some “stronger” christians, some “firmer” christians, some “more open” christians, some “plus” christians, some “only christ” christians. I don’t imagine any of us are in the same spot we were in back when we all used to go to church together. That’s life, that’s growth.

I am happy where I am and I hope those around me are too.

I am at peace with the universe and its laws. I honor my spirit by living a full, vital, energized, animated life. I live in with courage: living life to the fullest, becoming a whole person, becoming my full potential.

I am growing intellectually. I listen with an open mind and take in what I think may enhance my world. I read things pertaining to all aspects of my life and internalize worthwhile things. I learn what works and apply it to my life. I learn everything I can that will enhance my ability to do better at whatever I undertake.


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2 Responses to “End Times”

  1. Mary Says:
    March 4th, 2006 at 9:04 am

    Hope you don’t mind that we pray for you too :) Even if you did I guess we would anyway. That’s funny what you thought about the rapture, that you would be gypped if you went so young, I thought the same thing. I don’t see Christianity as chains and trappings, unless the chains are gold (or in my case silver) and the trappings are security and family. It is sad to think that this life is all there is to some people. Maybe I have just seen so many positives in people and situations changed for the better because of God and you only saw the negatives in his people(which I admit are many since Christianity is filled up with those darn human beings) I guess always telling myself that love is an action word and not a feeling helps too. If I just depended on feelings I wouldn’t even be here on earth now. I love you! Mary

  2. Theresa Says:
    March 5th, 2006 at 9:51 am

    I guess you can pray for me, too…if it means you love me :-)

    It wasn’t the negatives in the christians that drove me away (although there was certainly enough there to do just that!). It was a gradual process for me that started with questioning and looking for deeper answers. I was looking for a deeper relationship with God outside all of the garbage, manipulation, lies and distortions that were going on in our church, especially with our two pastors, one of which I was married to.

    In my case, deeper led to broader, which led to openness and awareness, which in turn led to an eventual dis-integration of my beliefs.

    After reading books like The History of God, all of John Shelby Spong (an episcopal biship), The Demon Haunted World by Carl Sagan (and many more), I began to see how what I believed had evolved into what it was today, and how powerful the mind is in believing what it wants to. For me religion (any)has become magical thinking. I am cautious about what I believe, because I understand how easy it is to believe, especially when it sounds so good and I want it to be true. As humans have a great capacity for believing, I think we need to be cautious as well as curious.

    Now I am probably going to be late for work! I better go. I love you, too.

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