To ask if you think there will be a second coming?

[LuluBellaBlue]

This is inspired by the new Netflix show Messiah, about a second coming.

I really hope this doesn’t upset or offend anyone and people can share their beliefs and thoughts openly and without prejudice or judgement as I know this can be very sensitive for some people.

Following on from —binge— watching this series I did a bit of googling and it seems both Christian and Muslim regions predict this. (Not researched if any others do yet)

I’m not very well informed about different regions but the concept of this programme has really interested me, I find it fascinating that this could, maybe? actually happen!

Do you think there could be a second coming?!

(And what would it actually mean for the world? A rise in consciousness? Mass healing???)

YABU - no don't be so daft!
YANBU - yes, this could happen, why not?!

I don't even think there has been a first coming.

This.

You said that two of the gospels are 'most likely written by eyewitnesses' - which ones ?

I consider myself to be religious - I was confirmed several years ago and I serve in my local church. I spoke with the vicar at the time of my confirmation as I have always had issues with the creed - specifically, born of the virgin Mary. She explained to me that words had different meanings back then - virgin would have meant young, unmarried woman rather than today's meaning of woman who has never had sex. this helped me when it came to making my vows.

As far as my beliefs go, I think there was a man called Jesus around at the time, historical records tell us this was the case however I think he may have just been a very talented person (magician, sleight of hand or doctor) and was able to 'cure' people who would otherwise have died. His teachings tell us to be kind to each other and happy with what we have rather than jealous of our neighbor which i think is just a nice way to live your life. You earn mega bucks then good for you, me Im happy with what I have (although if you want to bung me a tenner then yes please lol).

Its known that 'Christmas' was adopted by the church as a mix of the pagan winter festival and incorporating Jesus' birth. I don't know if historical records show that Jesus was born in Bethlehem. I have always questioned how we have a set date for his birth (25/12) but not for his death. No-one has been able to answer that one for me. I think if we question anything too deeply it starts to unravel and for me its just a nice story to believe in - it doesn't do me any harm. It's when religions hijack it for their own gain (extremists)

I believe in God in that i think there is a higher being looking over us all and making sure some things happen (greater good, fate whatever). For instance, if I hadn't have been offered a last minute place at a uni I hadn't even applied for i would never have moved to the town i now live in and met my husband. That could all be put down to chance but i truly believe everything happens for a reason, it may not be clear at the time and it may SUCK but it all becomes clear eventually. I do not think God sends us anything we cannot deal with.

Second coming, I'm not sure about. As PP have said, anyone claiming to be the son of god would be committed for insanity.

I do believe in heaven and hope that I will be reunited with all the family members i have lost over the years - though when i start thinking about form we will take (i.e do we stay the age we died at) my head starts to hurt

That could all be put down to chance but i truly believe everything happens for a reason,

Well, if God does exist and makes sure things happen, I've got some fucking hard questions for him to answer and if he is responsible for my illness, he can get fucked!

This is a pointless discussion. Faith is faith so it doesn't require evidence, just belief and the conviction that your belief is the correct one. Fact is fact. Evidence is required to establish it as such. The two can rarely combine.

There seems to be quite a lot of misunderstanding about the Second Coming where people say 'oh he would be sectioned'. It won't be just some bloke turning up and saying it, according to the Bible, whether you believe or not, it will be definite, it will be final, there will be no intervention by mortals. It will be the end of the world as we know it.

@LadyFlumpalot

That perfectly sums up the Bible!

No. But even if you do believe in a God, I’m genuinely baffled as to why and why you would want to follow him.

The God who is portrayed in the bible is one whose grace depends on your love for him on accepting him into your life, and only if you accept god into your heart will you receive the ever lasting life. The first commandment is about loving God and only god, and loving God above all else.

Can you imagine if this was a post on here from a person posting about how their parent insisted that they would only inherit if they loved them unconditionally above everything else and gave their life to them? People would say the parent was toxic and to cut them out. So if this isn’t acceptable for an earthly parent, then why should it be for a so-called heavenly one.

Personally I believe that most faith isn’t actually based on love, but on fear of what might happen if you don’t believe.

@AlternativePerspective very well put. In the eyes of MN that would be a controlling relationship and the advice would be to LTB after all ducks were put in a row.

You said that two of the gospels are 'most likely written by eyewitnesses' - which ones ?

Sorry, I missed this. too busy contemplating Robin Hood

I say 'most likely' because we cannot know for certain, but from very early on the names were associated with the gospels - and this doesn't change across thousands of copies in existence. There's no clear reason to think these names were attached later. The gospels of Matthew and John could well have been written by the apostles Matthew and John - Matthew, as a tax collector would have been educated to such a level as to be able to author this gospel, and his emphasis on OT prophecy and theology chimes with his status as a Jew. John is likely to have authored John, after a period of reflection on his experience with Jesus - his theology stands alone among the gospels as something a little more reflective. Mark was a companion of Peter, and Luke as a companion of Paul would have known a great many other witnesses to the events and took great pains to create a historically reliable account in his role as a historian. Mark was most probably written around AD 60, Mat/Luke between 60-70, and John 90. The first three at least well within the time of eyewitnesses to corroborate or to condemn as utter bollocks. The later dating of the gospel tends to come from scholars who won't accept earlier dating because Jesus' prediction of the fall of the temple in AD 70 would then have to be prophetic. Obviously it is only with caution I accept these dates, and I do not base my entire faith on them. I would not lose faith if I was proven to be misguided in the dating and authorship of the gospels, because faith is so much deeper than that - but I stand convinced that the evidence is there and is robust.

If you don't believe in God then you can hardly blame Him for all the bad and sickness in the world.

If you do believe in God then by default you also have to believe in Satan. Satan is the one giving you an illness, it's him who makes somebody murder.

If you do believe in God then by default you also have to believe in Satan. Satan is the one giving you an illness, it's him who makes somebody murder. except Christians say that the bad in the world is down to the fact that God gave us free will.

Also, if God is responsible for the good then he is also responsible for the bad. Amazing that when people go through hard times they say it’s all down to free choice/Satan/whatever other reason, but if good happens then it’s “hallelujah praise the lord!”

You can’t have it both ways. Either God is responsible for everything or *nothing.

Also, if God is all powerful then there wouldn’t be a Satan, because there wouldn’t have been the chance that a 3rd of the angels could have gone against him.

If God existed and wanted to defeat Satan, then he would. So I think that all throws the whole god exists argument out of the water tbh.

Satan is the one giving you an illness, it's him who makes somebody murder.

Alternatively, bad things happen and not for a specific reason and is not controlled by some "higher" being, be it as people refer to them, god or his mate Satan. As I've stated on here, I don't believe in god, so obviously don't believe in the other.

Yes, sickness happens for a reason, I asked the reason why mine did, medical professionals couldn't tell me the reason as they actually don't ultimately know why it happens. That for me is good enough, I have just been unlucky, end of, nothing I can do about it.

It just makes me laugh when challenged about why someone's god would do something, there is generally the response "ah he didn't do that". Well that's convenient isn't it?

@ PhilCornwall1 or the other one I’ve heard it’s that it’s a test of faith.

Fuck that.

I’ve also heard people say that if someone isn’t cured of an illness it’s because their belief in god wasn’t strong enough. Hideous.

I have respect for those who need to believe in stuff like that but I can live without it, not an atheist but just a non believer

Nothing but quiet respect for anyone who finds peace and comfort in a church or religion. Nothing but contempt for anyone who uses religion to attack or demonise those who believe differently.

Religion doesn't follow logic, that I can see. I'm a logical person, I like evidence, I like science, so from my perspective there'd need to be a proven first coming before there could be a second coming.

I’ve also heard people say that if someone isn’t cured of an illness it’s because their belief in god wasn’t strong enough. Hideous.

Completely agree. As a Christian I have sadly had this said to me too many times (I am disabled.) It doesn't represent my faith in the least. On the contrary I find great hope in the midst of my own pain, a depth of peace beyond anything I can explain, a sense of purpose despite some very dark days with it all. When people say that to me they get very short thrift and a swift Bible study too 😂

It won't be just some bloke turning up and saying it, according to the Bible, whether you believe or not, it will be definite, it will be final, there will be no intervention by mortals. It will be the end of the world as we know it.

I have had periods where I have been Agnostic, I believe in a second coming.

More people have a belief and moral code. Currently the UK has people who are all about beliefs in flat earth, Vaccinations, Vegan lifestyle, Scientists who believe Bodies that can change sex and souls that get trapped in bodies or owning two sexed/masculine/feminine clothed/toy souls that jump in and out of the body residing in space in between, Jeremy Corbynism, Extinction Rebellion, Various stances on Brexit, I could go on.

There are now many people believe and following the faith of charities who abandoned science and those they claim to represent, that have evolved into quasi religious lobbyists.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3785976-Tell-me-about-Stonewall-Allies-Training

I love the Messiah Netflix series. I've watched half of it already. I'm an atheist and I think Jesus was just a man who was maybe a good magician. I would love to be proved wrong. I would like to believe in something, but I can't without evidence. I can't lie to myself.

I’m enjoying it too mindproject
I was raised catholic but when I developed the ability to reason and question I stopped believing and stopped going to mass at the age of 12.
Most catholics I knew growing never questioned it , just went along with all the ceremonies because it was how they were raised.
Now if you question their belief, they will either say that they don’t really think about it or refuse to debate.
I respect people who belief but the majority of catholics I know do not believe in the second coming or any of it really. Being part of a community and conformity is what keeps them going along with it all.

A 21st Century repeat performance would yield similar results.

Isa, born into a poor Palestinian family in occupied Galilee, but with a father whose family once owned a lot of land locally, until it was taken by the occupying authorities.

Isa preaches a message of peace and reconcilliation, but falls foul of the Israeli occupation, the Palestinian authority and the Jihad-oriented preachers and scribes who he particularly criticises.

He heads for Jerusalem and is arrested and charged with breaches of security laws and branded a terrorist. Handed over to the Palestinian Authority who see him as a traitor, they nail him to a tree.

I think walking around claiming to be the messiah would be a quick route to hospital and various psychiatric medication.

I'm not a believer, not religious at all - but I have just binge watched "Messiah" and I found it riveting. I couldn't top watching it.

I notice it's been panned by the critics, but has high audience ratings - interesting when that happens.