the push for Armageddon

* aravosis is reading suskind:

"So, that makes George Bush the closest thing to the al Qaeda candidate, and it makes anyone who wants US troops to remain in Iraq the next best thing to al Qaeda enablers."

* kathleen reardon:

Within the context of this background, I've been mulling over the push for Armageddon. More than hints of it have been around for some time, of course. But it used to be more easily categorized as a religious view than a political doctrine.
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Now listen, if something different from my beliefs - which are more questions than answers -- and relatively harmless brings comfort, I'm not going to cast aspersions. There's room for all of us. We're all a work in progress, as they say. I learned that early. But, what I saw perpetrated upon my aging mother was dangerous enough. Allowing it to be the underlying reason for death and destruction in distant lands and some pretty bizarre actions at home is more than both religious and nonreligious people ought to tolerate. So many Americans are indignantly, and with good reason, expecting peaceful Muslims to stand up against the radicals in their midst. Well, where are the Christians who think hijacking their religion is not part of God's plan either? Where's the courage and call for introspection on that front? What's all this blaming others without a thought about some perverse, pernicious stuff happening at home?

Most people, including myself, prefer not to touch the subject of religion. Yet, this is precisely why so many charlatans and really vile people, to be found in all of them, can run amuck. Most of us were taught that religion is a personal thing and not to be discussed. It's simply impolite. But, this point in time requires an exception to that rule. Too much is at stake. Impoliteness is the least of our problems. And religious extremism isn't just something going on over "there somewhere." If you're going to fight it over there, you need to know it when you see it here.

One thing I know for sure is that if mothers and fathers whose children are serving in the military, and ones who anticipate theirs will, thought for a moment that the call those young people answer is not patriotism and defense of their country but some warped "artificial timetable" notion of channeling God's intentions for a man-made push to mass exit from this earth led by the presumed ready, the next election just might be a landslide for candidates respectful but admittedly less sure they're in touch with Him. While I surely have no direct line, I can't help but think that He, having had His name used far too often in self-serving ways, might just welcome this kind of outcome too. And when the God I learned about arrives, it will be on His schedule and He'll be visiting with and smiling at a whole different set of people than the ones who seem to think He's coming to take them home.