{"id":8034,"date":"2006-07-26T11:10:19","date_gmt":"2006-07-26T15:10:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thecarpetbaggerreport.com\/archives\/8034.html"},"modified":"2006-07-26T11:10:19","modified_gmt":"2006-07-26T15:10:19","slug":"serious-media-speculation-about-the-end-times","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stevebenen.com\/thecarpetbaggerreport\/serious-media-speculation-about-the-end-times\/","title":{"rendered":"Serious media speculation about the ‘end times’"},"content":{"rendered":"

A couple of weeks ago, Cursor<\/a> noted a “[tag]Rapture[\/tag] Ready” online message board featuring some cautiously-optimistic evangelicals who believe events in the Middle East may be part of a [tag]Biblical[\/tag] [tag]end-times[\/tag] [tag]prophecy[\/tag]. As one person asked, “Is it times to get excited?<\/a>”<\/p>\n

Of course, it was just random speculation on a largely-unknown message board. We wouldn’t find similar talk on major TV news outlets, would we? Take a wild guess<\/a>.<\/p>\n

In recent days, some members of the conservative media have seen signs of the Apocalypse in the escalated conflicts in the Middle East and Asia. While some, like Christian Broadcasting Network’s The 700 Club host Pat Robertson, consider the possibility and seem to reject it; others see early signs; still others, including WorldNetDaily.com columnist and author Hal Lindsey, simply assert: “Now [tag]Armageddon[\/tag] looms large before us.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

It’s hardly a major surprise, but far-right religious media figures have devoted an usually large amount of time to the subject lately. Janet Parshall described the conflict in the Middle East as “a Sunday school lesson playing out before us.” Jerry Falwell told his supporters, “It is apparent, in light of the rebirth of the state of Israel, that the present-day events in the Holy Land may very well serve as a prelude or forerunner to the future Battle of Armageddon and the glorious return of Jesus Christ.” Jack Van Impe told Trinity Broadcasting Network’s audience, “Yes, Armageddon is coming,” adding that “[b]illions are going to be there to meet Christ after the conflict is ended.”<\/p>\n

When these ideas are bandied about among religious-right leaders and their followers, it it’s odd, but predictable. It’s far more disconcerting, however, when the same ideas gain legitimacy on CNN.
\n
\nOn Monday, for example, CNN’s Paula Zahn asked<\/a> viewers to consider, “[I]s the crisis in the Middle East predicted by the Bible? Next in our top story coverage, what does the Book of Revelation tell us about what’s happening right now in the Middle East? Are we really approaching the end of the world?”<\/p>\n

It wasn’t an isolated incident. On July 12, CNN Headline News’ Glenn Beck described recent events as evidence that “it is the end of days” and an “impending apocalypse.” Beck returned to the subject a few days later, saying the “end of days is approaching quickly,” and asking viewers, “How far away from the plague of locusts are we?” This week, Beck announced an upcoming series “on the coming of the messiah.”<\/p>\n

And just yesterday, CNN faith-and-values correspondent Delia Gallagher did a report on Armageddon with the words “[tag]Apocalypse[\/tag] Now?” on screen.<\/p>\n

Are events in the Middle East not quite disturbing enough for these guys, so [tag]CNN[\/tag] decided to try to literally put the fear of God into its audience? Is it unreasonable to expect the “legitimate” cable news network to be slightly more responsible?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A couple of weeks ago, Cursor noted a “[tag]Rapture[\/tag] Ready” online message board featuring some cautiously-optimistic evangelicals who believe events in the Middle East may be part of a [tag]Biblical[\/tag] [tag]end-times[\/tag] [tag]prophecy[\/tag]. As one person asked, “Is it times to get excited?” Of course, it was just random speculation on a largely-unknown message board. We […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[617],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8034","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-general"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/stevebenen.com\/thecarpetbaggerreport\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8034","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/stevebenen.com\/thecarpetbaggerreport\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/stevebenen.com\/thecarpetbaggerreport\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stevebenen.com\/thecarpetbaggerreport\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stevebenen.com\/thecarpetbaggerreport\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8034"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/stevebenen.com\/thecarpetbaggerreport\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8034\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/stevebenen.com\/thecarpetbaggerreport\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8034"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stevebenen.com\/thecarpetbaggerreport\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8034"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stevebenen.com\/thecarpetbaggerreport\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8034"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}