July 13, 2012 at 3:17 PM
Dear Well-meaning Christian,
On behalf of all other Christians, genuine prophets and non-Christians, I ask you: please stop creating and circulating doomsday texts, emails, posts, videos, Whatsapp messages- whatever- just STOP IT... please.
Yes, this world is slipping deeper and deper into evil everyday. Yes, we are in the end times; BUT God in His wisdom has made it so that '... no one [including you] knows the day or the hour...' (Matthew 24:36). So yes, Jesus may come next year or right after you read this; but you're not doing us any favours when you decide it must be 12/12/2012 or 13/03/2013 (If I were God, I'd come on a different day just to prove you can't order my schedule). You drive people into panic and fear and insincere conversions- those who still believe you anyway...
Dear Well-meaning Christian,
On behalf of all other Christians, genuine prophets and non-Christians, I ask you: please stop creating and circulating doomsday texts, emails, posts, videos, Whatsapp messages- whatever- just STOP IT... please.
Yes, this world is slipping deeper and deper into evil everyday. Yes, we are in the end times; BUT God in His wisdom has made it so that '... no one [including you] knows the day or the hour...' (Matthew 24:36). So yes, Jesus may come next year or right after you read this; but you're not doing us any favours when you decide it must be 12/12/2012 or 13/03/2013 (If I were God, I'd come on a different day just to prove you can't order my schedule). You drive people into panic and fear and insincere conversions- those who still believe you anyway...
And that's just the problem. You know what happened to the boy who cried wolf? From around January 3, 2000; when people realised the millenium wasn't the end of the world as we know it, you started losing your credibility (which in my opinion isn't a bad thing); but you see, you didn't go down in the mud alone. Some people have come to believe the Bible and in some cases, God, less because you tell them that's where your stories come from. It's true that they should read the Bible and know God for themselves; but all I'm saying is, when you combine CNN's news headlines with:
'...you willl hear of wars and rumors of wars... For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom... And there will be famines and pestilences and earthquakes in different places..',
just be sure you don't conveniently omit: '...See that you are not troubled, for all these things must occur; but the end is not yet...' (Matthew 24:6-7). Summary: Stop twisting the Bible to 'help' us.
Another thing: before you forward those alarming emails, please, please check your facts. I know Obama is not a crusader for the Gospel of Jesus Christ, but before you claim he intends to implant anti-christ chips in all of us by June next year, just make sure that the bill was actually passed; or at least that it had anything to do with putting devices in people by force. I'm not concerned for Obama's reputation; just for our sensibility, because since this story of yours turns out to be another hoax; imagine how much harder it will be to warn people against the anti-christ when he actually comes. Remember again the boy who cried wolf.
Come to think of it, I won't be surprised if it's some satanist drafting these emails in the first place. What better way to ensure we won't take genuine warnings seriously when the time comes? I guess on my part, I'll be sure to CHECK THE FACTS before I hit 'forward' or add my name to any petitions. Dear friend, allow me to introduce you to www.snopes.com and www.urbanlegends.com. Two of the many places you can check if your 'urgent message' is not in fact a tale that has been on the net for years.
And finally, please stop threatening me with your cute stories and e-blessings. Many things make a Christian, but forwarding a message I myself don't take seriously, is not one of them. You may be surprised, because I'm still alive, that I didn't actually forward your last ten messages to everyone I know. I used to dutifully follow your instructions to forward your dire warnings and (unproven) cute stories because:
1. I was afraid I would miss out on the 12-day blessing reserved for the 12 people you forwarded it to within 12 mintues
2. I didn't want to feel guilty- or have you think I'm shy of Jesus
But you see, my motivations were wrong in the first place. Thankfully, God blesses me regardless of what my outbox contains; and I'm so over needing to prove to you (over and again) how much I love Jesus. If your message truly touches my heart, I will forward it, and yes, you may suggest that I do; BUT suggest only; and do so once.
Thank you.
Love,
The rest of us
xoxo
'...you willl hear of wars and rumors of wars... For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom... And there will be famines and pestilences and earthquakes in different places..',
just be sure you don't conveniently omit: '...See that you are not troubled, for all these things must occur; but the end is not yet...' (Matthew 24:6-7). Summary: Stop twisting the Bible to 'help' us.
Another thing: before you forward those alarming emails, please, please check your facts. I know Obama is not a crusader for the Gospel of Jesus Christ, but before you claim he intends to implant anti-christ chips in all of us by June next year, just make sure that the bill was actually passed; or at least that it had anything to do with putting devices in people by force. I'm not concerned for Obama's reputation; just for our sensibility, because since this story of yours turns out to be another hoax; imagine how much harder it will be to warn people against the anti-christ when he actually comes. Remember again the boy who cried wolf.
Come to think of it, I won't be surprised if it's some satanist drafting these emails in the first place. What better way to ensure we won't take genuine warnings seriously when the time comes? I guess on my part, I'll be sure to CHECK THE FACTS before I hit 'forward' or add my name to any petitions. Dear friend, allow me to introduce you to www.snopes.com and www.urbanlegends.com. Two of the many places you can check if your 'urgent message' is not in fact a tale that has been on the net for years.
And finally, please stop threatening me with your cute stories and e-blessings. Many things make a Christian, but forwarding a message I myself don't take seriously, is not one of them. You may be surprised, because I'm still alive, that I didn't actually forward your last ten messages to everyone I know. I used to dutifully follow your instructions to forward your dire warnings and (unproven) cute stories because:
1. I was afraid I would miss out on the 12-day blessing reserved for the 12 people you forwarded it to within 12 mintues
2. I didn't want to feel guilty- or have you think I'm shy of Jesus
But you see, my motivations were wrong in the first place. Thankfully, God blesses me regardless of what my outbox contains; and I'm so over needing to prove to you (over and again) how much I love Jesus. If your message truly touches my heart, I will forward it, and yes, you may suggest that I do; BUT suggest only; and do so once.
Thank you.
Love,
The rest of us
xoxo
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