RE: [asa] Eschatology WAS Ecological and Environmental Ethics Conference CFP

Bernie,

Thanks for the link and the excuse to discuss this because I have been dying to and agree it is worth struggling with. BTW the article starts at https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/1999/october25/9tc082.html?start=1.

I personally reject this spiritualized Christian "manifest destiny" that says man is going to be around forever. I think there is an end to the prophetic timetable and it doesn't take a prophecy teacher to see that we are getting close. I know there have been many in previous generations that said the same but they served a purpose and I believe God worked it out so that each generation would get a glimpse of this and that kept the faith alive and passed down to the next generation. Obviously also as we see from the article's author too much of an obession on this can be counterproductive but it is just as foolish to dismiss it out of hand as well.

A friend of mine who is now a missionary in Tanzania got saved from reading Hal Lindsay's book and I remember my dad reading it as well when I was a kid and I saw it around the house and years later eventually ended up reading it myself, and it left a profound spiritual impact on me also just like the author.

But why is this generation any different? I think if you take Revelation and filter out all the symbolism of the vials and bowls and angels and stars and scorpions etc and distill it down to only one reasonably testable and objective statement "that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark", then it should be obvious that we are now close to this being able to be fulfilled and that we never were before.

For you skeptics let me ask a simple question, why do devices such as this even exist http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VeriChip ? Why would the man of mind even come up with this idea if it was not in relation to the fulfillment of this prophecy? Closer to home I was at an Arby's fast food restaurant the other day and at the cash register I noticed a "fast pass" type scanner that would allow me to pay for my meal by just scanning my debit bob if I had one. Why do I need that? Is my cashless debit card not
good enough? Why do I need a cashless proximity reader as well? And then once we are conditioned to that, then we will hear that we need to have it embedded so we won't lose it or to finally eliminate identity theft etc.

Finally, by working backwards from what I consider to be the final and climactic point of all creation, the cosmic spiritual battle between good and evil in the form of God and Satan, what is more consistent than Satan trying to achieve his ultimate goal of his rebellion by trying to extort worship from God's created humanity through financial control? I think it is the obvious teaching of Revelation and consistent with the teaching of the rest of scripture and also correlated with what we see in current events as well.

To me all this is just way too coincidental. I won't say it is tomorrow or next year or even next generation but I do think we are seeing an undeniable fulfillment of this non-symbolic tidbit if revelation that reliably allows us to date where we are on the prophetic calendar and I think it is getting pretty close.

Thanks

John
--- On Wed, 1/21/09, Dehler, Bernie <bernie.dehler@intel.com> wrote:

> From: Dehler, Bernie <bernie.dehler@intel.com>
> Subject: RE: [asa] Ecological and Environmental Ethics Conference CFP
> To: "asa@calvin.edu" <asa@calvin.edu>
> Date: Wednesday, January 21, 2009, 2:13 PM
> "future prospects and/or eschatological outlooks"
> I think that's a big one, because I think the
> evangelical Christian community at large thinks the
> end-of-the-world is coming very soon, contrasted with
> scientists who think we could live on Earth for a few
> million years if we take care of this place. This is a
> massive divergence in future outlook. Does planning for the
> long-term future- a few million years in advance-
> demonstrate that one doesn't take the teachings of the
> Bible seriously? That is a good issue to struggle with, I
> think. Try explaining the possibility that humans may be
> around for a million years to Christians like Hal Lindsey,
> his followers, and other Christian leaders with the same
> idea (like all the preachers on TBN for one group?). RE:
> article about end-time preachers and their effect:
> https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/1999/october25/9tc082.html?start=5
> .
> ...Bernie
> ________________________________
> From: asa-owner@lists.calvin.edu
> [mailto:asa-owner@lists.calvin.edu] On Behalf Of Nancy
> Halliday
> Sent: Wednesday, January 21, 2009 9:28 AM
> To: asa@calvin.edu
> Subject: [asa] Ecological and Environmental Ethics
> Conference CFP
>
>
> Ecological and Environmental Ethics Conference
>
> Keynotes include Dr. Larry Rasmussen and Dr. J. Matthew
> Sleeth. See http://ossf.snu.edu for more information on the
> conference.
>
> Call for Papers (CFP)
>
> Science has determined that modern human civilization is
> detrimentally affecting local environments and the global
> climate. Scientists seek solutions to solve the pressing
> problems. In addition, society must make ethical decisions
> in discerning a proper course of action in caring for the
> environment and maintaining sustainable ecosystems for
> future generations. Numerous issues may inform ecological
> and environmental ethical decision-making within religious
> communities, including those with a Judeo-Christian
> perspective. Ethical decisions may incorporate: global
> stewardship; practical paradigms in making ethical
> decisions; community models and organizational paradigms
> that reflect environmentally ethical decisions; lessons from
> earth's ancient past; future prospects and/or
> eschatological outlooks; the role of humans in the
> biosphere; and social and ecological justice. These
> dimensions are not exhaustive and additional perspectives
> are solicited to inform ecological and environmental ethical
> decision-making.
>
> Please direct questions to Mark Winslow at
> mwinslow@snu.edu. Send abstracts of 250-500 words to
> mwinslow@snu.edu (Mark Winslow) by February 16, 2009.
> Abstracts received will be evaluated in a double-blind peer
> review process. Presenters whose papers are selected will be
> eligible for a nominal travel stipend to be announced before
> March 2, 2009.
>
> Undergraduates: OSSF also encourages and welcomes
> presentations from undergraduate students. The conference
> will include an undergraduate breakout session in which
> presentations and papers will be judged. While a travel
> stipend is not available for undergraduates, first, second,
> and third place will receive cash awards of $300, $200 and
> $100 respectively. Each presenter will also receive a
> certificate. Please follow the guidelines in the CFP above
> (abstracts are due February 16, 2009 and students selected
> for presentation will be notified by March 2, 2009).
>
>
> Talent is a gift - Excellence is a choice.
>
> Nancy Halliday, Ph.D.
> Professor of Biology
> Chair, Division of Science & Math
> Chair, Pre-Health Advisory Committee
> Southern Nazarene University
> 6729 NW 39th Expressway
> Bethany, OK 73008
>
> Phone: 405-491-6657
> Fax: 405-491-6689
>
> Matthew 22:37

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Received on Wed Jan 21 22:56:55 2009