It is, therefore, not an exaggeration to say that if the city of New York were suddenly replaced by a ball of fire, some significant percentage of the American population would see a silver-lining in the subsequent mushroom cloud, as it would suggest to them that the best thing that is ever going to happen was about to happen: the return of Christ. It should be blindingly obvious that beliefs of this sort will do little to help us create a durable future for ourselves - socially, economically, environmentally, or geopolitically. Imagine the consequences if any significant component of the US government actually believed that the world was about to end and that its ending would be glorious. The fact that nearly half of the American population apparently believes this, purely on the basis of religion dogma, should be considered a moral and intellectual emergency.
I was a student at an Evangelical college on 9/11/01. You know all those rumors about Muslims dancing in the streets that day? Yeah, that was actually happening at Evangelical schools and churches across the US. Those people thought Jesus was coming back that day. They were dancing (in the spirit of course, regular dancing is a sin) and weeping with joy. 🤮
I’ve always liked how Sam Harris addressed this:
I was a student at an Evangelical college on 9/11/01. You know all those rumors about Muslims dancing in the streets that day? Yeah, that was actually happening at Evangelical schools and churches across the US. Those people thought Jesus was coming back that day. They were dancing (in the spirit of course, regular dancing is a sin) and weeping with joy. 🤮
Well, Y2K was a big disappointment for them. Also a bit of a waste. I never got to use that Tribulation Survival Kit the in-laws sent that x-mas.
I haven’t listened to his podcast in a few years, but I still couldn’t avoid reading that in his voice.