The LA Times just ran a fascinating piece on fundamentalists who are doing their best to bring on Armageddon in their lifetimes.  First and foremost, I am stunned by the length of the piece, which is essentially a feature and contains little or no hard news, but still goes on for three long columns.

But secondly, I have a life-long interest in fudamentalism.  As someone who is trained in literature, I am boggled how otherwise intelligent people can fail to see the metaphor and subtlety in their religious texts.  To interpret something literally is wonderful for recipes or driving directions, but it seems to be inadequate for the complexity and depth of spiritual experience.

One curious instance of this is chronicled in the article.  Evangelist of John C. Hagee says:  "In Christian theology, the first thing that happens when Christ returns to Earth is the judgment of nations," said Hagee, who wears a Jewish prayer shawl when he ministers. "It will have one criterion: How did you treat the Jewish people? Anyone who understands that will want to be on the right side of that question. Those who are anti-Semitic will go to eternal damnation."

Therefore, he is making advances toward Jews and promoting understanding between the two religions.  I like this byproduct of the movement because it seems to "get" what Jesus' message was:  compassion, understanding and love.

But the rest of whats chronicled in this article strikes me simply as crazy.  And I suggest that perhaps the second coming has less to do with the book of Revelation and more to do with the arrival of the spirit of Jesus inside humanity.  What if the true salvation of man comes when we all think like Jesus did?  When "Jesus consciousness" has taken over the world?

The link:  http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-endtimes22jun22,0,7902314.story?page=2&coll=la-home-headlines


The link: 
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-endtimes22jun22,0,7902314.story?coll=la-home-headlines