It's the end of the world as we know it



I had the most surreal experience this morning that I felt compelled to post a blog entry about it. Earlier today I got a knock at the door. When I answered the sweetest looking elderly lady was standing at my door step. She reminded me of Aunt Bee from the Andy Griffin show. She had a nice smile and was terribly pleasant.

I could see right away that she had some religious material with her but, since I could tell it wasn't Mormon or Jehovah's Witness, I decided to cut her some slack. Now, I don't go door to door telling people how silly I think it is that they believe in miracles, but I guess it is ok if people knock on mine to tell me the contrary.

I figured Aunt Bee was there to tell me about her Church, and I was quite happy to stand there politely and not be rude, or unpleasant about it in any way. Aunt Bee did start by talking about her Christian faith but, abruptly, started talking about 'these end times' that we are entering....

I couldn't believe what I was hearing and, as nicely as I could while being dumbfounded, I gave a smile and said (and I quote) 'Hon, I don't believe in that stuff.' ..and closed the door'.

Now, I could have handled that situation in a whole lot of different ways, but I'm pretty happy with how I dealt with it. Aunt Bee didn't want a lecture from me any more than I wanted a lecture from her so I simply decided to let her wander off to annoy my other neighbors.

What is going on here?

I live in an upper middle class community where people spend most of their time thinking about boating and getting their kids on the ski team, boy scouts, and soccer league.

How bizarre is it that someone can walk up to your front door and casually discuss the 'end times' like, of course, we all know that is what is coming.

This was the most twilight zone moment I have had in my own community in quite some time. Now, if I lived out somewhere rural, where the Pentecostal and other evangelicals hang out, I wouldn't have been so surprised.

How prevalent is this delusion? How strong is this eschatological mania sweeping our culture?

I never cease to be amazed at the extent of the mind boggling delusional thinking of the average person in American culture.

Sometimes I think I'm the only rational person left in the world and, realize, that *I* believe in UFOs and ghosts!

Comments

Anonymous said…
John, people have been predicting "The End" for generations. It hasn't happened yet.

The woman who knocked on your door may have sincerely spoken of her Messianic, Relevation-inspired beliefs. But we, as Freemasons, are reminded in the ceremonies of our own personal demise, of which "the best and wisest of us knows not how soon" and of the kind of behaviour we should exhibit in this life to prepare for that moment.

Justa Mason
3:52 AM
Greg Stewart said…
You mean to tel me that is isn't the end times? Dude...

I had a visiting pair of breakaway Korean Christian church kids come to my door a while back. I was in an open minded mood that Sunday, and actually talked to them for a while, genuinely interested in what they had to say. Some thing came up, and I had to dash, but strangely said I would be back later...

Needless to say, they took me up on it and came back with lots to tell me. We talked for a bit, then I said that I have some beliefs in Gnosticism and Hermeticism and they both looked at me like they had No idea what I was talkign about. So I spent about 20 minutes telling them about those traditions, and they both thanked me hastily and beat a quick retreat.

Strangely, I never saw them again...
8:00 PM
Tom Accuosti said…
So I spent about 20 minutes telling them about those traditions, and they both thanked me hastily and beat a quick retreat.

Heh heh - this works for me, as well. I used to get lots of visits from the Mormons and JWs until I joined the lodge and began talking to them about alternative Xian views.
8:54 AM
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