My fully PIMI family and extended circle of congregation friends, totally latch onto any bad new (no matter how small) as verification of the fact that we are living in the last days. "How more worse can it get?" is a question regularly asked of me.
But in some ways, there is a ring of hollowness to their views. In that, instead of being driven to more zealousness, most still plan holidays, save for nice things and go out dinning as they have always done. Unlike being on a sinking ship and seeing the boat quickly lowering in the water, would normally induce more activity, for them its just situation normal. Thus while few of my active friends would admit it, I suspect that the Governing Body's constantly crying "wolf" have had its effect, at least on a subconsciousness level.
For myself, as a unashamed PIMO, I don't see anything to support the idea in the news that we are living in the 'end times' based upon my good grasp of history and the Bible.
Yes we have wars today and every war is a tragedy, however none in the 20th and 21st century have been as devastating (on a non-combatant percentage basis) as whats happened in the past. For example the '100 Year' war between England and France in the 1300s ... or the '30 Year' war of the 1600s, that permanently erased whole cities. Then there were the great plagues, where tens of millions regularly died in Europe and Asia. Lets not also forget the religious massacres, the great famines or the Mini Ice age between the years of 1300 and 1850s. All of which provided a good harvest for the grim reaper. All proving, why there were many good reasons that life expectancy in the late middle ages was 45, if you were very lucky.
When will I be judged by God though, I don't know. But from the mercy Christ showed to people while on earth, I don't live in fear of that day ... as I honestly do my best to practice the life Jesus expects ... and trust in his forgiveness.
