What is The Rapture?

No need to book a summer holiday, this year we're going to Heaven!

An episode of 'American Dad' series 6 revolves around the belief held by some Christians concerning the second coming of Jesus and the subsequent battle with the Anti-Christ.  Who is the Anti-Christ?  Well, opinion is divided on this issue but if you are Ian Paisley, then the Anti-Christ is the Pope.  Other theories include the Emperor Nero.  Anyhoo, the only clip I can find of this episode is here and it explains the exciting bits of the Rapture in words and images even you can understand!  Enjoy!

When will Jesus return to Earth?

If you're too busy eating crisps and listening to gabba-gabba-grime-garage music to sit down and construct a vaguely scientific table of events that seems to predict the date for the second coming of Christ, then TODAY is YOUR LUCKY DAY because a man called Don Koenig has ALREADY DONE IT FOR YOU!  He even has the modesty to refer to it as 'Projecting A Fairly Realistic Date For The Second Coming of Jesus Christ'.  FAIRLY REALISTIC!  I like him already!

So, if YOU want a 'fairly realistic'* date for the Second Coming then click here and scroll down a bit.

*probably not realistic at all.  Quite the reverse, in fact.

Scientology Jihad!

'She's got a beard!'

If you can some spare time in your otherwise busy lives spent doing the twist at the local discotheque and riding mopeds around Rome whilst wearing hats and winking flirtatiously at members of the opposite/same sex then I suggest you watch 'Four Lions' which is an amusing comedy about four British jihadists and the 'Panorama' about Scientology.  Links below, obviously.

Four Lions

Panorama - Secrets of Scientology


Not a great deal of use to you, exam-wise, but good for your general cultural education.  Go on, do it!

Good news, the world isn't ending!

Pillocks across the world have been excitedly discussing the imminent demise of the planet thanks to a Mayan prophecy but experts are now starting to think the pillocks may have been wrong and we're safe to book holidays for summer 2013 after all!  Hooray!

KANT

Some links to resources for today's lesson...

1   2   3

Natural Law

There is a very good summary/handout on Natural Law here which I heartily recommend you use in your ceaseless quest for knowledge.

Thomas Aquinas was like the chief Christian boffin vis a vis Natural Law and there's an entertaining (and mercifully short) video here (and it's a cartoon!  Yay! It's like watching 'Toy Story' (but not as technically proficient) or Manga (but not as violent/perverted)!  Cartoons FTW!  LOL! ROFL! ETC!  ETC!)

Here's an essay I found on the internet that tells you all about NML:

Amy found it, I didn't. Sorry Amy, please don't call the Feds

Religion and Morality: The need for religious guidance in atheist China?

An article that argues that moral standards in China are falling due to lack of religious guidance.  A toddler was in a 'hit and run' incident and many people ignored her as she lay in the road.  The writer suggests this would not have happened if the atheist government changed its attitude to religion.

Read the article here, I advise against watching the video on the same page.


Another, more comprehensive, article on the subject here:

Again, I advise against watching the video on this page.

And one from the Guardian/Observer

Here