Are we about to experience the end times?

[Aravis Kenobi]

I've been listening to the news lately about Iran and Israel, and it makes me wonder if we're about to experience the end times because of what's going on. If this is already being discussed, then please delete it but I couldn't find a thread on this subject. Anyway, I'd like to hear the Christian Narnian's point of view on this.

[umbrellaxscenexcore]

I don't watch the news, lol! it's always bad news and it's always the same, bombs and stuff people killing each other, it'll be like that till the end so i don't see any point in watching the news, lol!

[Aravis Kenobi]

It's true that most of the news is bad, but that shouldn't be an excuse to completely ignore it. I don't watch the news all that often, but what I do watch, I try to pay attention to because it's important in our world. I also listen to Sean Hannity and Rush Limbaugh some. My parents get onto me because I don't watch the news as much as I should, but they're right: the news is useful because it can help you in everyday life.

[Elf Of The Grey Havens]

But they're also wrong. Sean Hannity and Rush Limbaugh are good, level-headed people. They are an anamoly. Most of the media exists to sell itself, not to deliver news. You can't always count on them to deliver the truth, as it is. Make sure you're on your guard while watching the news. Be careful what channels you watch. A good online new source is http://www.drudgereport.com

[Aravis Kenobi]

Not everything you read online is true too, you know that. I've never been to drudge report, but Hannity and Limbaugh and Fox News channel use that source for most of their news. We only watch Fox News because it's conservative. :)

[Elf Of The Grey Havens]

Matt Drudge doesn't just write his own articles. He links to news sources of all kinds, from CNN to FOX. He's very balanced.

[umbrellaxscenexcore]

anyways, why are those two countries fighting in the first place?

[Aravis Kenobi]

Because Iran is power crazy I think, and Israel wants peace (as we all). Someone like POTW can explain probably better than me.

[Tsukiko]

OMG! my mum & dad kind of think the end times are near.

i want the end times to come.

[Aravis Kenobi]

My dad kind of thinks so too.

[EveningStar]

Don't fall into the trap of Virginia Woolf. She was certain that World War II was the end of the world, and even before she knew about the atomic bomb.

She's been dead for 65 years. People have been born, married, happy, seen thier children off to college and entered into retirement in those 65 years.

John B.

[Aravis Kenobi]

Who was she? What exactly is the point?

[umbrellaxscenexcore]

yes, what he said, what exactly is your point? sry if i sound rude, i respect you mods ;)

[Aravis Kenobi]

Someone explain!

[umbrellaxscenexcore]

just forget it, and pretend it was NEVER there, he went away....

[Aravis Kenobi]

Anyway, let's get back to the conversation. I think especially now, we should be watching the news closely because we might just be about to experience the end times.

[Aslan'sFriend410]

I think it is a possibility, although it's really not our place to guess. The Bible tells us that no one knows the day nor the hour except for God Himself, so no one should believe anyone who claims to know the exact time. But a lot of the things the Bible mentions do add up, wars and rumors of wars, earthquake, famine, natural disasters. However, that is only one sign to look for. There are lots of others mentioned in the scriptures. I think what Eveningstar was trying to say was that lots of generations have probably thought they were in the end times even in their lifetimes, yet they lived and died in the usual manner so we shouldn't be too eager because it may very well not be in our lifetimes just as much as it could be. Either way, keeping up with the current world view with a source whoose information is factual is a good idea. It doesn't have to take over your life but it is helpful to at least have a grasp on current events. Kudos to all of you for being so conscientious at a young age.

[Narborg]

Jeus said it will came like a "theif in the night" Thefore, it will came out of the blue. He also said that a lot of other thinhgs must came first, but this doent mena just before he came, just between when he was here last 9(e 2000 years ago) and when he reteruns ( somwhere in the future). The book of Revalation is ofthen inteprated as a prothey of events which will hahpen just before Jesus reterns. However, this is not the only way of interting it. Say people think that they reprasent spirtual events, some say that they repternt ongoing trabbles, other say that they should be taking fiativlly. I dont follow any of these in partucler, but I dont think it should be inteprted that everyting will get really bad in the last few years or days before Jesus reterns. This doent stack up with what Jesus said himself.

[Elendil]

At the end times...there was suppost to be alot of things happen, things that are happening now. (Wars, and rumours of wars, earquakes, floods that kind of thing) But like it says in the bible, these things are only the begginging of the end. Not every tribe and nation has heard the gospel, and only when that's happened is Jesus coming back.

[Narborg]

At the end times...there was suppost to be alot of things happen, things that are happening now. (Wars, and rumours of wars, earquakes, floods that kind of thing) But like it says in the bible, these things are only the begginging of the end. Not every tribe and nation has heard the gospel, and only when that's happened is Jesus coming back.
Thats true.

[Elendil]

I know...that's why I said it. :D I met someone a while ago, who the only 'Jesus' they knew was as a bad word. If you could pray for her, that would be nice.

The end times...read Revealations. That says it all.

[Narborg]

Who was she? What exactly is the point?

What evening Star is saying is that christians thoghtout history have thoght that the 2nd caming was apon them. The erlest christans thoght this, and people have bean predicting it thghout history. As I said before, noone expect God knows the time. Were told to be retdy because it can hapen at ANY TIME.

[Wendygirljp]

I will probably receive all sorts of flak about this posting, but here is a perspective one may want to think about - still, decide on your own what you wish to believe.

About the ideas of wars and rumors of wars - when has there NOT been such a situation in the past 5,000 years? I believe we see MORE of it now because of our access to "immediate media". Remember, just 100 years ago, it would take people on ships to send news and personal letters to and fro. Now, turn on this electric box with pictures, a.k.a. television.

About earthquakes? Instead of listening to Mr. Hal Lindsey, who claimed, "Earthquakes continue to increase in frequency and intensity, just as the Bible predicts for the last days before the return of Christ. History shows that the number of killer quakes remained fairly constant until the 1950s - averaging between two to four per decade. In the 1950s, there were nine. In the 1960s, there were 13. In the 1970s, there were 51. In the 1980s, there were 86. From 1990 through 1996, there have been more than 150.", how about checking with the United States Geological Society in Boulder, Colorado, or CalTech in Pasadena, California. They are the folks who study earthquakes and claim, if anything, the number of major earthquakes have DECREASED, not increased.

Some will say that the number of people killed from earthquakes has increased. Really? January 23, 1556 where more than 500,000 people died. Please look up the statistics section of the U.S.G.S. for fact, not believing someone who is trying to sell books by using faulty information.

Yes, the end of the world may happen today, tomorrow, or thousands of years from now. People, as stated by another in here, have thought it was coming for many, many years. Imagine the poor folks in Europe with the Black Plague where millions of people died! Yet, the world continues. We do NOT know when the earth will end. Maybe it might be an idea, instead of listening to the news, which is more about SELLING than giving accurate information, to believe that the world is ending, to watching the news to see what others are doing, and to appreciate every moment of life we DO have, for as long as we have it?

Just a suggestion.

P.S. Again, some people will say that, because I am not Christian, that I am not knowing of "the truth". If you wish to discriminate blindly as that, fine. I have no energy vested in such faulty argument. I do welcome mature conversation on the subject, however.

[Narborg]

I agree with waht you are saying. Wars, eathquakes etc have bean hapening for a long time, so we shoudent just to colonsustion just cos one hapens. And Jeusus told us not to warry when they did.

[PeterC]

The end of the world should be gods business and his only.

[LifeMaiden]

It's kind of strange to me, because more than half of my life has been spent denying the Bible, God, and Christianity as a faith. But a few years ago, even I started to think, what is happening to this world? The weather patterns and disastrous storms, the deeply entrenched conflicts and wars in many parts of the world...it just seemed 'Biblical' in its scope ( Revelations was one of my favorite books of the Bible, and I remember many parts of it). I swear you guys might think this is dumb, but I used to think Saddam Hussein and Osama Bin Laden were the Anti Christs ( or at least, those who were apostles of the beast). I had even told this to another non religious friend of mine at the time and she agreed.

[Wendygirljp]

Ice Maiden,

Thank you for sharing your beliefs openly and without hostility. It is most appreciated. I can understand how you might think those two people, who I think are extremists, as either antichrists or something else of "evil". They have shown that their beliefs do not match that of even Islam.

[lions mane]

i dont think so or i doubt it, its definitely one or the other.

the fighting in the middle east has been going on for ever over dumb, different things, such as religon, land, and i think that might be it (i feel dumb now "different things" :rolleyes: ). anyways, whats the difference now? "oh, now theyre using real machines and all" yah........ those are the things youre suppose to use when you fight a war. duh!

but yes................... i just (no offense to anyone) dont really care for what happens in the middle east, i say "let them" theyve been doing it for a long time anyways. ;) :cool:

[Elendil]

It's not just the fighting in the middle east, Gabe. What about Korea? East Timor? Not just wars either. There's been a maijor increase in earthquakes and floods/tsumamis. God said those things will increase, toward the end. I don't know when the end will be. It might be in fifty years, or five hundred. But I belive that now is the begginging of the end.

[lions mane]

i believe anyone who believes the world will end soon is crazy! :eek:

no offense grace. i thought you were an aussie? hmm.....

[Elendil]

I am an Aussie, and PROUD of it!
I don't think the world will end...VERY soon, there's to much to be done still! :D And I don't mean end as in...completly all over and finished, I mean the end as in what God said is going to happen, the last war, seven plagues, rapture, and all that.

[Ephinie]

You know, it could safely be assumed that EVERY generation since the time of Christ has been living in the end times. Logically, as time progresses, we are naturally getting closer to the end of the world. However, for all we know, the actual end of the world could happen a thousand, two thousand, ten thousand, or more years from now.

Also, Wendygirl makes some good points in her post above. I haven't actually looked up the specific data on huge natural disasters, but it is a good idea to do so for anyone who is concerned about it. I would trust secular sources on that sort of information before I would trust some pastor who says natural disasters are increasing. It does take a little research, but the information is available should anyone care to look for it. I think it is imperative that we check our sources before repeating what we have heard. You can say that natural disasters are increasing all you want, but if you haven't done any research about it and if you're just going on what you heard from a pastor (who is not a scientist) or your parents (who may or may not know based on their own research) or your friends (who can often be unreliable, depending on who they are), then what you have is an opinion and not a fact. And opinions aren't worth much if there are no facts to back it up.

[lions mane]

I am an Aussie, and PROUD of it!

i just had no idea that christianity was a religon down there. ;)

[Elendil]

i just had no idea that christianity was a religon down there. ;)
Except that the first europian on Aussie's shores was a christian, he named it 'Australia' wich means: "Great south Land of the holy spirit'. There are alot of christian Aussies.

[lions mane]

Except that the first europian on Aussie's shores was a christian, he named it 'Australia' wich means: "Great south Land of the holy spirit'. There are alot of christian Aussies.
really?

i had no idea at all, i never knew australia ment somthing.

[Elendil]

really?

i had no idea at all, i never knew australia ment somthing.

Well it does! (cool name too, I might add!) America probably does too. Do you know if it does?

[lions mane]

america is like amigo or something! the name of some spanish guy who was the original founder of america, since columbus thought he found aisa :rolleyes: :cool: .

[Elendil]

Ohhh...

Are you at collage, Gabe?

[Wendygirljp]

Elindil -

You posted, "Not just wars either. There's been a maijor increase in earthquakes and floods/tsumamis." - No, there have NOT been major increases in earthquakes. As posted by the USGS and CalTech, the number of earthquakes, especially big ones, is down, not up.

Please check the reliable sources, not what I believe is an attention-getting preacher who is an alarmist, is trying to get others to believe.

[Ephinie]

america is like amigo or something! the name of some spanish guy who was the original founder of america, since columbus thought he found aisa :rolleyes: :cool: .Named after Amerigo Vespucci, who was born in Florence. Plenty of history on him if you google the name.

[Elendil]

Elindel -

You posted, "Not just wars either. There's been a maijor increase in earthquakes and floods/tsumamis." - No, there have NOT been major increases in earthquakes. As posted by the USGS and CalTech, the number of earthquakes, especially big ones, is down, not up.

Please check the reliable sources, not what I believe is an attention-getting preacher who is an alarmist, is trying to get others to believe.

No attention getting preacher told me that! Besides, that's what some science thingy said. Not me.

[Elendil]

Named after Amerigo Vespucci, who was born in Florence. Plenty of history on him if you google the name.

Amerigo...Cool name!
I think Australia is Dutch...but I can't remember! :o Where's that history book?

[LifeMaiden]

i believe anyone who believes the world will end soon is crazy! :eek:

no offense grace. i thought you were an aussie? hmm.....


Haha well if the world ended really shortly, I'd prefer if it didn't :D as I have not had a chance to dedicate my life to doing charitable works and practicing my faith. I'd like a little more time on this earth.

[onlymystory]

And I think Elindil meant that natural disasters in general have been increasing. Maybe earthquakes haven't been as bad but natural disasters on the whole have been increasing in the last 15 years. We have volcanos blowing up, extended hurricane seasons, more tsunamis, freak storms, etc all over the world. (and I'd disagree on the earthquake thing too. I live about 30 minutes south of a fairly large fault line up in the Rockies and last summer we started getting minor trembles out of it. Or well, we started feeling the trembles for the first time in oh, well no one's ever felt them before. And if a major earthquake happened where I live, you'd have serious issues because it could cause several of the currently dormant volcanos in Wyoming to erupt.)
But natural disasters have been increasing. National Geographic, BBC News, CNN, among several others have been doing recent studies about this. That's why the coming hurricane season keeps worrying people.

[Wendygirljp]

Elindil,

As Ephinie stated, please check with the experts, not just what others have said, or rumors you may have heard.

The two people who started the rumors of increased earthquake activity in recent years was Hal Lindsey and Grant R. Jeffrey - who supposedly claim their sources as being the USGS - but the USGS denies these claims emphatically.

In one writing, "Lindsey's citation here is suspicious. Though he claims to be using a USGS source, his endnote (p. 105) refers only to the Los Angeles Herald Examiner, May 22, 1984."

If you believe the end times are coming, I am not about to argue with you about it. It is your belief. Please just be careful how you form your beliefs, is all I am suggesting.

[Elendil]

^ That's what I ment...(what onlymystory said)

[Wendygirljp]

onlymystory,

A suggestion - look at weather and geologic time, not in human time frames but in thousands or tens of thousands of years - we change must faster than those two natural systems.

You mentioned Tsunami - they are caused by earthquakes - related issue - but what I would like to know is what natural disasters do your sources say have increased?

[lions mane]

hahahaha................ this is getting good.

i know we have natural disasters like all the time but its nothing new, im sure weve had them for like ever, so i dont see how people can use this as something to prove the end being near.

[Elendil]

hahahaha................ this is getting good.

i know we have natural disasters like all the time but its nothing new, im sure weve had them for like ever, so i dont see how people can use this as something to prove the end being near.

Something to prove, if you believe the bible. But if you don't, I don't think it means much at all.

[onlymystory]

Most of the sources I've found have stated that as a whole, geophysical disasters (such as earthquakes) have not drastically increased when viewed over a longer period of time.
However, weather-related disasters have been increasing. Most sources stated that this is due in large part to climate changes around the globe thanks to global warming (among other factors). EM-DAT, (emergency database run by the US) has noted that natural disasters have been increasing over the years. In 1970, it was 78. In 2004 it was 348. I will also say though that it is important to note that people keep moving to disaster prone areas. New Orleans has been known to be a trouble spot in the case of a hurricane but people still flock to live there. Some of these weather disasters do cause triggers in geological disasters. Not horribly often but it does happen.
Regardless of how many natural disasters occur though and how many people they affect; war, famine, and disease kill millions more every year. Seems to me like its the man-made disasters that people should be concerned about.
Iwould also like to say that all I'm arguing here is what natural disasters have increased. As far as the end times go, I think Christians should remember what the Bible teaches us, we cannot know the day of the arrival of Jesus Christ. The end times started when he returned to heaven. We've lived in the end times since then and they are over when Christ returns. For me personally, I figure when God's ready to end the world or at least end my time in it, I can't wait to meet my Savior and have some fun in heaven. Until then, I'll keep enjoying life on earth and not worry about when the world is going to end.

[lions mane]

well put melissa, wel put.

[LifeMaiden]

onlymystory,

A suggestion - look at weather and geologic time, not in human time frames but in thousands or tens of thousands of years - we change must faster than those two natural systems.

You mentioned Tsunami - they are caused by earthquakes - related issue - but what I would like to know is what natural disasters do your sources say have increased?


Well we know a lot of the weather patterns are due to GLOBAL WARMING, because of all the emissions in the air from pollution. You know what scares me is fossil fuels running out. We do not have an infinite supply of it...there's always hydro power, electricity, and nuclear power...but the basis of most fuels are the fossil ones.

Storms and hurricanes have increased because of the slight temperature rise every year in the atomosphere. Disasters such as war..well they do happen all the time, but ironically, we seem to be in a religious war of sorts...the terrorists are largely fundamentalist extreme Muslims who hate the US and democracy...and then the wars between the Israelis ( Jewish) between the Palestinians/Lebanese (Muslims)...


I cannot say when the world will end, only God can...only He will determine this. But a person cannot simply become a Christian because he or she is 'afraid' of what might happen because the world will end...you become Christian and adhere to the faith because of your belief in Christ as your savior, and that you WILL be saved when the world DOES end.

[Wendygirljp]

IceMaiden,

Thank you for both your input and feedback.

I agree that the human influence on this world has been quite "selfish", causing an imbalance in the natural world. I see how, for example, even though the U.S. has 5% of the world's population, it uses 25% of the energy of the world. Sadly, most of that energy is caused by environmentally hazardous processes.

How many, even in this chat room, have changed over their incandescent light bulbs to fluorescent in order to not use so much energy? How many people walk and take mass transit rather than drive their car to go two blocks to pick up a newspaper at the local market? I hope many in here.

My spiritual beliefs believe that this world is to be appreciated, used wisely, with compassion and love, returning as much, if not more, than we take.

One report, recently, said that, due to the possible lessening of using CFC's, the Antarctic "ozone hole" may be healing. Maybe, just maybe, we can do that with all environmental issues, including issues of war - through education, through compassion, through understanding, through love.

IMHO, the world will come to an end when it comes to an end. It need not be because of what we do. Our job, as living beings, is to enjoy this wonderful "birth" day gift called life.

Enough said.

Again, if I offend with my comments, my apologies you misunderstand me.

[Queen Swanwhite]

I believe that the end times are soon, as a lot of bad (like REALLY bad things are happening. Not too sure about the whole Anti - Christ thing. I know it's going to happen, but it hasn't happened yet....I don't think. I hope Christ comes back soon as I want to spend eternity with him. :)

EDIT: Everything on my news (in Northern Ireland) is about people who have been murdered, killed, robbed, riots, kidnappings etc. It depresses me and I think this is what God is talking about. All around the world terrible things are happening, in Israel especially.

[Sunrise]

Wendygirljp, for the first time on the boards I can agree nearly wholeheartedly with you. :D

It is human nature to be myopic in perspective - to assume that just because I'm alive to see something awful, then it must be the most awful thing that has ever happened or will happen in the history of the world.

The sad truth is, there's nothing new about war or man's brutality to man. In fact, the majority of the world has been getting off remarkably easily for a long time. But even in times when the major superpowers were enjoying relative peace, there were still horrible things going on in smaller countries and areas that don't get all the press. To the citizens of those countries, their situations were just as serious as what is going on now.

Why do ya'll think Paul had to exhort believers to get off their tushes and stop waiting for Jesus to come back? Persecution of Christians was getting so bad that people were convinced, even just a few decades after Jesus's ressurection, that his second coming was imminent, and they were basically just putting their lives on hold waiting for it. And this was before the fall of Jerusalem; well before Christian persecution got as widespread and ugly as it eventually did. And how about when Jerusalem fell to the Moors? How about the Dark Ages and hundreds of years of European wars and plagues? Then the world wars and all the chaos in the 20th century. Anybody remember Y2K and how idiotic all those doomsdayers looked, saying the world was going to end because of a bunch of computer programming shortsightedness?

My point is, every time the world has gone through a tough spot, Christians have been way too quick to jump on the bandwagon and claim that these are the end times. When the truth is, we don't know. And Jesus warns us repeatedly not to speculate on it, because NOBODY knows but God himself when the final Judgement will take place.

I admit it's tempting to look around at what's going on right now and say, wow, this is serious - maybe this is what Revelation is talking about. Ultimately, it's rather comforting to believe that Jesus could come back soon and fix this mess that we humans have gotten ourselves into. Because the implications and speculations are truly terrifying, and it would be awfully nice, from my personal point of view, if God would just come swipe it all out and start us over. The ultimate deus ex machina. But I have to keep reminding myself that He is sovereign, and that all these events are under His control. So whatever happens, and whether Jesus returns tomorrow or in a few hundred more millenia, God's will is done. Even if it seems to me personally like things can't get worse. There have been plenty of people living on earth for whom things have already been much worse.

The natural disaster thing - meh. Earth goes through cycles. We humans haven't recorded history long enough to realize how unpredictable our geology and meteorology is. We certainly aren't helping ourselves by abusing our resources, polluting our environment, or overpopulating disaster-prone areas. Personally I think end times disasters will make recent ones pale in comparison, but that's just me.

I'm not saying we're NOT in the end times, understand. We could very well be. I'm just not going to obsess over it. Technically we should all be living as though this is our last day on earth, right? I mean, Jesus might not be back for another thousand years, but I could still be killed in an auto accident this afternoon. So really it makes no practical difference in how I live, love, pray, believe, or behave. Or it shouldn't.

[inkspot]

Yah, I agree with Sunrise and WendyGirl: although the current happenings in the middle east could be signs of the end times, I don't think they necessarily are, and as Christians, our more immediate concern is to live each day while letting Christ express Himself through us. The signs Christ gave of "the end" (Matthew 24) included the idea that the Gospel would be preached in all nations before the end. This is what we ought to be focused on: sharing the good news. No one can know the day or hour of the end, Jesus said, so to my mind, we shouldn't worry too much about it, but just live each day for Him.

That said: I know a lot of ministers who focus on prophecy has actually had a great response when they share the Gospel with non-believers, because people are interested in that stuff, so it gets them really thinking about God and how they want to be living when the end-times occur. Same for the Left Behind books. I don't agree with their interpretation of events, but they got a lot of people interested in Jesus, so that's good.

[Narborg]

Except that the first europian on Aussie's shores was a christian, he named it 'Australia' wich means: "Great south Land of the holy spirit'. There are alot of christian Aussies.


Really? I thoght it came from Terra Ausralus? SP

[Mrs.E.Cullenukinfuts]

I've been listening to the news and they are talking about world war 3 and Israel fighting and stuff...there are so many signs telling us that the end is coming. But i don't think we should be scared, as long as we're prepared and ready for whats coming. Ya know? :)

[NarnianPrincess]

The most importaint thing that we need to do is pray! Pray for the peace of Jerusalem especially, the Bible commands us to do so. The Israeli's don't want to fight, they do want peace, to go home every night and not worry that they're family's are going to be bombed. We also need to pray for the worlds leaders, that they will stand up and help God's chosen people. Halfway on the other side of the world, I feel a bit helpless, but we must never underestimate the power of prayer!

[LifeMaiden]

Indeed it's incredibly tragic what's going on over there in Lebanon. In my lifetime I have never seen peace in the Middle East, but you never know...there's always hope.

It's like I said though. " God, please don't let the world end just yet, because we have so much more to accomplish."

[Narborg]

Indeed it's incredibly tragic what's going on over there in Lebanon. In my lifetime I have never seen peace in the Middle East, but you never know...there's always hope.

It's like I said though. " God, please don't let the world end just yet, because we have so much more to accomplish."


Thats how I feel. As much as I want Jesus to return, I hope its not for a while cos there are so may people who need to be saved. Thats why h3es delayed it so long.

[NarnianPrincess]

"Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature"

[LifeMaiden]

My aunt and I have been watching the war there in Lebanon & Israel for a while on CNN. A terrible tragedy not only for the people but for the historical value of that area of the world. It greatly saddens me to think that the area where Christ once walked is torn by war and terrorism. Then a newcaster came on and said, " Evangelical Christians are Glad the World is Ending!!" or something to that extent. I don't see anyone here who thinks the world is ending! ;)

[~The Narnia Addict~]

I don't watch the news, lol! it's always bad news and it's always the same, bombs and stuff people killing each other, it'll be like that till the end so i don't see any point in watching the news, lol!

I also think it is completely biased on the American side. They dont give a crap. Did you ever hear about the 3 american soldiers who murdered innocent citizens just because they were racist in Iraq? I really doubt that. One spray painted "Kill all the Muslims so we can go home". Did you ever hear about that!?!?!?!? NO!BOO CNN!

[LifeMaiden]

I also think it is completely biased on the American side. They dont give a crap. Did you ever hear about the 3 american soldiers who murdered innocent citizens just because they were racist in Iraq? I really doubt that. One spray painted "Kill all the Muslims so we can go home". Did you ever hear about that!?!?!?!? NO!BOO CNN!

Actually I did. One of those guys raped and killed a young Iraqi woman.

[Mrs Gil-Galad Took]

I wonder if we will EVER have one year without a war. Israel, Lebanon, Iraq, Iran, Kuwayt, Yugoslavia when they were still one, North-Ireland, South-America............*sigh*
When you read the history books, there always has been war, war and war. I don't think we will know whether it is the end of the world or not. During all those years, people have said: The end of the world is coming. I really have no clue, but the world is indeed becoming a less brighter place for all of us.

[Solya]

The end of the world! Every war is an end of the world as it was, and every healing of the world is another beginning of a storm. I don't care about wars anymore. I'm a pacifist in heart and soul, but I chose to stop getting angry about them. Sitting behind my television screaming at the leaders of the countries to please start being adults for just this once didn't exactly help matters much. ;)

The end of the world will only come when there is no hope left for any of us. As long as there is hope, we will live on. The power of prayer kicks in here... by spreading love and light on the globe we make a very tangible difference. I work in group meditations sometimes and everything we do has an effect on the world around us. We seem to become calmer at every prayer, and the world around us seems to become more loving and understanding as well. I will never give up the hope that someday we all might be able to embrace the idea of peace.

[Shadowfax]

War, I hate it! Every one is to proud to stop fighting.
It takes two to have a fight!

[inkspot]

War, I hate it! Every one is to proud to stop fighting.
It takes two to have a fight!
If you think about this, though, on a national scale, while it is true, it is not effective. Consider WW II. If everyone had refused to fight the Nazis, then there would have been no war, but Europe and Russia (and eventually the Asia and the USA) would have come under Axis control, and lots of people would have died anyway (Jews, gypsies, homosexuals, handicapped people, etc.)

So while it was a very difficult choice to fight against the Nazis, in the end it was the right choice. Yes, it takes two to fight, but sometimes it has to be done. If you look at the Middle East map and see how tiny Israel is and how big and oil rich her Arabic neighbors who hate her, it's easy to see that the more Israel refuses to fight, the further her borders will be bull dozed.

[NarnianPrincess]

Hear Hear! Listen to Inkspot! If more people would have stood up and fought the evil rampet in Germany in the 1930s, who knows how many lives could have been saved? Millions perhaps. 'Those who do not learn from history, are doomed to repete it.' We must never say 'It's not my problem' or it will become our problem. Unfortunately, until Jesus returns, we must have
"Peace throught superior firepower"

[Narnias_Jedi]

I've been listening to the news lately about Iran and Israel, and it makes me wonder if we're about to experience the end times because of what's going on. If this is already being discussed, then please delete it but I couldn't find a thread on this subject. Anyway, I'd like to hear the Christian Narnian's point of view on this.

My brother and I were just talking about this yesterday, it kinda scares me but we can't decide when it happens and we must accept it when it does

[AllAmericanGirl]

I've been listening to the news lately about Iran and Israel, and it makes me wonder if we're about to experience the end times because of what's going on. If this is already being discussed, then please delete it but I couldn't find a thread on this subject. Anyway, I'd like to hear the Christian Narnian's point of view on this. :eek: You know I was thinking the same thing. Its just like this world has gone down hill :(.

[Wendygirljp]

:eek: You know I was thinking the same thing. Its just like this world has gone down hill :(.

These "horrific" actions have been going on for thousands of years. They are nothing new, imho. There have been "wars and rumors of war" for the majority of the history of humanity, which, depending on your perception of the world, means thousands or tens of thousands of years.

What about the infamous Black Plague with millions dying in a very short time. The earthquake of 1556 which killed more than a half-million people.

I believe, personally, that the only difference between 50 years ago and now is that of "instant media". To think, the first major international public broadcast via satellite was "Elvis Aloha From Hawaii" was a mere 33 years ago.

[NarnianPrincess]

That is a very good point Wendy! When you think about it, can you imagin press coverage of St. Bartholomew's Eve? Or maybe the Spainish Inquisition?

[Parthian King]

I just spotted this article (http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,205525,00.html) about an important archaeological find in Ireland.

Interesting how a 1000+ year Irish psalter is dug out of a bog with a backhoe, and against all odds (in addition to lasting over 1,000 years) is not ripped apart in the process, is preserved, and is legible. And what is it open to? Psalm 83:

1 O God, do not keep silent;
be not quiet, O God, be not still.
2 See how your enemies are astir,
how your foes rear their heads.
3 With cunning they conspire against your people;
they plot against those you cherish.
4 “Come,” they say, “let us destroy them as a nation,
that the name of Israel be remembered no more.”
5 With one mind they plot together;
they form an alliance against you—
6 the tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites,
of Moab and the Hagrites,
7 Gebal, Ammon and Amalek,
Philistia, with the people of Tyre.
8 Even Assyria has joined them
to lend strength to the descendants of Lot. Selah
9 Do to them as you did to Midian,
as you did to Sisera and Jabin at the river Kishon,
10 who perished at Endor
and became like refuse on the ground.
11 Make their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb,
all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna,
12 who said, “Let us take possession
of the pasturelands of God.”
13 Make them like tumbleweed, O my God,
like chaff before the wind.
14 As fire consumes the forest
or a flame sets the mountains ablaze,
15 so pursue them with your tempest
and terrify them with your storm.
16 Cover their faces with shame
so that men will seek your name, O LORD.
17 May they ever be ashamed and dismayed;
may they perish in disgrace.
18 Let them know that you, whose name is the LORD—
that you alone are the Most High over all the earth.

Hhmmmm.

[NarnianPrincess]

Oh wow! That is amazing! I love Psalms, they apply to almost everything!

"Come, let us destroy them as a nation, that they remember the name of Israel no more." Sounds familiar doesn't it? 'Those who don't learn from history, are doomed to repete it.' The Arabs had better take a history lesson from the Nazis.

[SlpNarniaQueen]

I don't know, I think maybe, but its in God's hands, I think it might, from what I watched, which was ten minutes, and its lookin' good to me, but who knows...

[Aravis Kenobi]

What my dad pointed out in one of his sermons was very true: God will not allow Israel to be destroyed, ever. God made a covenant with Abraham thousands of years ago, and that covenant still stands. God will keep His hand over Israel and protect her, though many other nations and countries and superpowers will do everything possible to destroy her.

[NarnianPrincess]

Amen Aravis! Amen!

[Aravis Kenobi]

*takes bow* Thank you, NP. :)