I have some questions and I am inviting anyone out there who might know to please give me some answers. Where and when did this whole "Rapture" thing start? Is this strictly an American belief? I have listened to many Christian "scholars" discuss the topic and I have read the scriptures they use to support this belief. I just don't see it. And it really is a frightening thought -- That God would pull out all the believers and leave the world to be a living Hell. (as if it isn't already that for so many innocent people all over the world -- hard to imagine because it sure isn't that way here...) I have had people tell me "if you think the world is bad now, just wait until God's wrath is poured out..." As if they know. As if they can't wait.

I never even heard of the Rapture until I left the "formal church" (raised in a small Episcopal congregation by a "Born Again" mom ("saved" at a Billy Graham crusade) and an ex-Catholic dad ("spirit filled" at a Vineyard Healing Conference sometime in the Eighties...) and "re-committed" my life to Christ ("saved"). Since then I have been involved in several "non-denominational" churches -- and oh how they love to preach the end times doctrine. I was honestly amazed by the breadth of this belief -- common knowledge to many of these Christians.

I couldn't believe I never learned about this. After all, I went to church 2 maybe 3 times a week. My mom was the choir director, my parents were youth leaders, sunday school teachers -- how could we not know? I went to bible studies all the time. This never came up. What I did learn in all of those years was about Christ. His life, His mercy, His love, His kindness, what He said and who He said it to. My hero. My recommittment to Christ was for me like meeting my hero face to face. A personal relationship. I knew all about Him. Now I knew Him. That simple.

I really think I would have been so much better off if I would have just taken him home to my church.

Instead of looking for a new church.

But, I was a typical "new baby christian". I was so enthralled by these believers who saw things with a different set of eyes. A new point of view. I wanted to learn everything. I don't think that is so bad really. Only somehow I believed them when they said they knew better. "We've been at this way longer than you" "You're just a new baby (with the undertone of "you don't know any better") I even had a guy pray for me (with all the pomp and circumstance of the best of the Vineyard Bunch -- shaking, shaking me, spitting on me (!!) (He was "in the groove") He said -- get ready -- "I still smell the brimstone on this one" If I was myself at that moment I would have told him to get the @#!* away from me -- but I was still in that place where I thought that maybe--just maybe-- he was right. No one else in the room seemed to think he was psychotic. Just me.

More on this later. Gotta go.