Why Is Relgion So Focused on Eschatology - to the Point of Obsession? (page 2)

nvrgnbk

Hello, Rapunzel.

I highly recommend Apocalypses: Prophecies, Cults, and Millenial Beliefs Through the Ages by Eugen Weber.

OK - there are probably many answers, but one (rather weak I'll admit) hypothesis I've been playing with lately, is that for every few generations (or every other) there seems to be a rebellion of what has come before. Young people rebel at least to some extent against their parents' views. It doesn't have to be a big rebellion, just a small difference in beliefs etc. Over a relatively short period of time, this change is seen as negative by the parent generation (and the generations before still living). Since people have had a rather strong belief in God or Gods, they must have thought "How much longer can this change from what we used to teach/believe/practice continue before we are punished by the God(s)?" I think at least some of it starts there. Of course - this was probably only true in the first few religions. Now that we have 'holy books' that definitely describe such an end (and the date is pushed forward as time goes by and it doesn't happen), it's more prevalent. Well - it's a thought I've been playing with at least.

R.Crusoe

Our intelligence gives rise to realities of class systems, having expectation and regulation of self and of others respecting plethoras of ideas, experiences, possessions and futures beyond those which are already in our midst, to an extent that they preoccupy our species as a whole beyond the now of our existence!

Preoccupation with 'the end' is just one symptom amongst many, of this 'human condition.'

nvrgnbk

Interesting thoughts, Awakened.

Another possible explanation for the fascination with eschatology is the fear of being lost in eternal nothingness, oblivion, upon death.

To connect our lifetime with some sort of apocalypse may add a sense of meaning or importance to an otherwise terrifyingly random and vain existence.

Apocalypses almost invariably signal the death and destruction, oftentimes ghastly agonizing, of our enemies and/or perceived abusers while providing for our eternal salvation and bliss.

What's not to love about an apocalypse?

Awakened07

What's not to love about an apocalypse?

Yup. Like the clean, fresh air after a real thunderstorm. Out with the old, in with the new and improved.

Narkissos

Reminds me of an old thread: http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/6/99779/1.ashx

justhuman

It depends on what religion you are talking about..if you are talking about the Protestand extreme movements like WT or Seventh Day Adventists yeah indeed they are obsesssed.

After leaving WT before 8 years(as an innactive dub at the beggining and now disfellowshiped) I realize that I should wipe off all my WT faith system and believes, and start all over again. As a result of this and after a research that no one was forced me to get baptized before the end comes I ended up Christian Orthodox.Some reasons wast the Apostolic Succesion of the Church, the fact that the Gospel was in preached and written in Greek, and the Church never apostasised from the Early Church as the Protestands claim, but there is a line of succesion in the Church. The most importand it is that the Biblical cannon was given by the Orthodox Church Fathers.

What I learned also it is that the Church DOES NOT focus in Eschatology. In fact those who tried to point out that the end was near, and we have lot of those, the Church did not accept this kind of gospel. Because Christianity does not have to do with the end or any Armageddon.

Jesus has to do with LOVE-FORGIVENESS- MERCY...Jesus is the way for us the sinners to be His friends and called children of God. Jesus coming on earth opened the Kindom of Heaven to every on who believes Him, and He has a truimph over sin and death with the Ressurection from the dead.

This was the main idea of Christianity, and this how it is kept. Free from fear and focusing on JESUS

lrkr

Here's a couple of thouroughly unresearched ideas:

1- Ego. Everyone wants to feel that they are special, select, elect, priviledged. Religion gives you that idea by saying that only those who adhere to this belief system will survive the coming end of everything.

2- Control. Religion really got its roots as a tool of the monarchs to control the population. "Keep growing the food you little people!!!" Religion served as the "good cop" who told the people that this (utter slavery to the monarch) isn't all there is. There is more. The end of all this is close at hand. Keep working hard. Keep growing the food.

3- Sensationalism. Who wants to hear a prophesy about something of little significance. If the "prophets" were to talk about trees loosing their leaves, snow coming, stars moving, (probably how they started off as prophets- predicting natural phenomenon that are observable) forever, people would get bored. As a prophet just starting off, you have to have some sort of big production- talk about the destruction of the nation- and to really get people going- say "world" so they are really impressed with your prophecy.

Narkissos

lrkr's point # 3 reminded me of the following line in The Life of Brian:

BLANDLY ACCURATE PROPHET
... Obadiah, his servants. There shall in that time be rumours of things
going astray, erm, and there shall be a great confusion as to where things
really are, and nobody will really know where lieth those little things
wi-with the sort of raffier-work base, that has an attachment. At that time,
a friend shall lose his friend's hammer, and the young shall not know where
lieth the things possessed by their fathers that their fathers put there
only just the night before, about eight o'clock. Yea, it is written in the
book of Cyril, that in that time...

JCanon

Whether one buys into eschatology or not, I think it is noteworthy that the Bible's end-times has LIMITS. Some here talk as if people will talk of the end of the world for eons into the future and nothing will change in that regard. But the fact is, the Bible's eschatology has some definite chronology attached.

The critical general reference I think that most understand is the 6000 years of man's existence running out and the millennium fulfilling the 7th day. That was a key point for the WTS and their focus on 1975. Chronology revisions occurred in the ancient past that has distorted this but not more than slightly over 100 years max. So this IS a critical time in the history of man. Point being, if the millennium date passes by then it would suggest the Bible is not a true book of history or prophecy. So the obsession with eschatology as far as the Bible is concerned is limited. The end of the world has to happen before 6000 years runs out.

2011 AD is a rather critical marker for that 6000-year chronology. It's a concervative cutoff point that some are looking into. So we're still within that overlap time for the end of the world to happen in line with the 6000 year theory and so I think, in particular, until that period clearly runs out, based upon the chronology options now in place then eschatology will remain an interest to those looking to the Bible for answers to man's existence.

JC

Why Is Relgion So Focused on Eschatology - to the Point of Obsession?

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