If A Quote Seems Crazy . . .

[Now that the political season is upon us (is it ever off) I thought I would bring this post over from Street Prophets]

. . . it just might be.

I find myself combating a lot of what I consider craziness about conservative evangelicals, and fundamentalists, especially lately about those that believe in a pre-tribulation rapture of the church [I do not know what I think about this] and their supposed disdain for the ecology, etc.

In fact, some of them [in most comments this feels like "all" - but isn't] are attributed with desiring death, destruction, and ecological disaster to speed on the coming return of Christ. This is something I have never heard out of the mouth, or seen in the writings, of a theologically conservative Christian. I see it stated about conservative Christians by liberal Christians, and liberals in general - but really have no clue where it comes from.

In the diary "Religious Groups Want... Apocalypse Now!" another example of the spread of "urban legends" and flatout falsehoods reared its head.

Since we [Street Prophets] are a website about "faith and politics" we seem to have a desire among ourselves to avoid attributing to people we are around here ideas and beliefs they do not hold. That is a good thing.

Now, when I challenged a quoted Moyer speech because the end-times scenario he quoted was held by no group I can imagine - it illicited these comments:

Because he's actually done research and investigated these cultural groups in-depth and you haven't?

and

Bill Moyers is an ordained minister who was educated at seminary, I do believe. He knows theology -- and is an able critic.

and finally, the one one that sent me to a search engine:

But with all due respect, I don't think you read carefully -- because the information is there. Did you see the quote from James Watt in one of my own blockquoted comments? . . .

Ah, the James Watt quote from 1981:

"after the last tree is felled, Christ will come back."

Watt never said it, Grist and Moyers both apologized for it - over a year ago - but here it is again.

Look at the search I linked: In the summary of the fourth 5th link down it says Watt never said it.

So, I invite folks who believe that any significant number of Christians of any type believe this - pardon my french - shit to read what James Watt had to say as part of this, and this, comment in the . . . Apocalypse Now! diary:

If such a body of belief exists, I would totally reject it, as would all of my friends. When asked who believed such error, where adherents to this "false gospel" might be found, the NCC turned to its theological sources, Moyers and a magazine called Grist, which had also apologized to me. I then contacted the chairman of the NCC task force and asked him about the "some people" who believe this false gospel and the "proud preachers" advancing this false gospel. He could not name such persons.

Bill Moyers, in the speech in question:

warned his audience about people blinded by their ideology and religious beliefs. The combination, he said, can make one "oblivious to the facts."

And, it can make us not realize that if a quote is too crazy to be true, it might not be.