To start out I will let you know I am not religious. I have always been interested in the beliefs though.
I have no problems with other peoples beliefs as long as they give me the same courtesy.

As I understand it not all Christians believe in the rapture......Is that correct?
Then there is pre-tribulation rapture & post tribulation rapture (as I understand, depending on beliefs)


Anyways,

My question: God (or Jesus) is supposed to come down and take all the believers up away from the earth before the tribulation. I always got the impression from Christians I know that people will just disappear *poof*
their gone. (Like the left behind series)

Now I think about things more logically and "if" you want to believe this theory then wouldn't this scenario make more sense?

God , nor you have any use for a physical body where your going.

What if: When you are "wisked away" only your soul is taken up and the body stays here....

Assuming that is the way it would happen, then how does anyone know it hasn't happened already?
To me that would explain a lot of the way the world is today with so many people here without souls....
Or should I say: Lots & lots of people with bad souls and lots of people with no souls because God has already taken them up......

Just something I was thinking about and would love some input from Christians.

Nope, no such thing as god....
Why do so many people insist he/she exists? Yet anyone who openly believes in alien life or ufo's is tagged as a loony even though there is more proof of aliens and ufos then there is of "god"??????????

Re Seeashrink

You wrote:

"Personally I cannot look at the vastness of creation and deny intelligent design. It takes much more faith to believe in evolution that it does intelligent design."

Sure, in your world of measuring things by 'faith' it would probably be so. But evolution theory is not created, nor supported, by people using faith. They use intelligence, logic, reasoning, epistemology, observation, a welltested methodology and pragmatic evaluation. All of which ofcourse counts for nothing compared to your subjective wisdom.

But to return to the OP, in which I detect a humouristic option. The question of how to determine the precise nature and occurence of rapture.

A perspective 'Freedish' commented rather imprecisely on (quote: "The body cannot live without the soul. If God raptures Us the body will surely die and be left behind.") On a sidetrack leading to the conclusion, that animals should have souls, as their bodies live, but mainly and relating to topic:

1/ How does 'freedish' know, what keeps a body going.? According to less primitive maps of existence than the christian ones, a very popular and reasonable answer is, that all visible existence is a secondary manifestation of what basically is awareness. So maybe the concept of 'soul' is not necessary at all, but is only a christian fabulation.

2/ I have personally experienced people, who seemed so zombified, that it's a question of them having a soul (no matter how defined).

3/ And even if 'Freedish' postulate has any meaning at all, there will still be all the normal physically dead humans to account for. Are they 'raptured' or did they just die in the more common sense of the word.

PS I took the liberty of answering in spite of not being christian. There's always the option to disregard my post.

Originally posted by exo87
Nope, no such thing as god....
Why do so many people insist he/she exists? Yet anyone who openly believes in alien life or ufo's is tagged as a loony even though there is more proof of aliens and ufos then there is of "god"??????????

Surely, with your infinite wisdom and logic you have to admit if there are such things as Trolls there may also be a God. And you proved beyond doubt there are trolls about.

Why participate in a forum you don't believe in just to tell other people they are nuts? I don't get it.

I thank you other people for your explanations and opinions.

If there is a god, why would he let those who worship him, kill innocent people in his name??
Think back to the dark ages....
Religion is just another form of government, one that suppresses it's followers at that....

Originally posted by exo87
If there is a god, why would he let those who worship him, kill innocent people in his name??
Think back to the dark ages....
Religion is just another form of government, one that suppresses it's followers at that....

Even using the traditionally defined christian god, the answer to that would be free will.

saying "there is no god" is not very logical.

saying "there is no evidence or proof of god, so i have no belief in such a thing" is a much more rational line of thought.

making any conclusion whatsoever with zero evidence is jumping straight from rationale to bias. something the atheist/agnostic should be working to prevent by their very nature. not that im atheist or agnostic anyway

either way, i am interested to see more responses to the OP as this is also a point of curiosity for me.

The Rapture, many say, is for the elect.(Believers in Christ)
Pre-trib.? before Tribulation.
Mid-trib.?when Anti-Christ is revealed.( at the middle 3 1/2 year period of the 7 year Tribulation)
Post-trib.?After Tribulation.
This for America.

I have studied this for some years, and I've become
more and more doubtful over time. let me expand.
People in America believe that they will be saved from the horrors to come.
I doubt this,and this is why.They claim his name, but not his Ways.

All the disciples' died terrible deaths,because they were strong in faith.
millions of Christians have been killed in barbaric ways
through out history.All were killed because of their faith.( they would not renounce Jesus).

Now we come to this generation,in America ,can we say at the very least
they have fallen away? The Churches are full of False Prophets who prey
on the poor and the weak minded.and very many millions have been led astray ,
have they not ?(T.B.N.is the main culprit in this deception)

In my opinion, this American generation is not worthy to be saved. But a minute few. and small children.
because they have been led astray,none have really suffered in this Country.(yet)
If it does happen, It will be a non- event.

They have been given over to strong delusion.
rejecting Christ as the way,the Truth and ,the Light.
They believe there are many ways to Heaven.(as Opra teaches)
When Jesus himself said; no man can enter unto The Father,but Through the Son.
And yes, I am Christian.

Peace, BrainGarden.