A close friend of mine who is a Christian claims that the USA's government is in cahoots with the European Comunity and plans to change the USA into a third world country to set up for the rule of the Anti Christ. He says it is in Bible prophecy(sp?). Is it really true that there are ZERO canidates that really wants restore the middle class to its former glory? Even if I do well financially or do well in some stock trading which I plan to do I am worried there won't be a middle class left within my lifetime and everyone except the top 1% would NOT have enough money to go to theme parks! Than places like Holiday World, WDW, and Cedar Point may become a thing of the past! :-(

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The Voyage is the WORLD'S GREATEST ride and that is a FACT!!!

Stop scaring yourself. It's not happening. :rolleyes:

Thank you for being the tool to spread overzealous sensationalism.

To be honest, there hasn't been a superpower in history that can stand the test of time. The United States is the only real military superpower, which also has the benefit of being an economical superpower. I am begining to sense strong corruption in our political system. It boggles my mind how trivial how the presidential election has got. It's no longer who's best for the position. It's who can impress the average american the most. The national debt is at astronomical proportion. If you layed our debt in $1 bills end on end, you could lay them out on earths orbit around the sun with some overlap. I wouldn't doubt that America as it exists today, won't last too much longer.

I've personally read the bible more thoroughly than 90% of christians. It is to the most part, outdated and based on a completely different political system than exists in America. The 70's had it's "end of the world" scare. Guess what, I'm still here. I've seen plenty of videos from back then depicting the begining of the end.

The whole book of revelations is full of all kinds of such crap. To paraphrase that book " The whole world is coming to an end, everyone is going to die and be tortured for eternity. The exception are those who have a place in heaven that will live in a huge city with transparent gold streets, thick jewel walls and foundations, and fruit of life..."

^There is no such thing as a book of the Bible called "revalations." There is a "revalation," however.

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So then, If I don't beleive in the Christian bible, I won't have to believe any of this hooplah is actually going to happen. Heh, loophole.

[QUOTE=PINK FLOYD FANA]He says it is in Bible prophecy(sp?). [/QUOTE]

I don't know what Bible he's reading, but my Bible never mentions America. There's only one vague prophecy that you might could say is about America but nothing to do with what he is thinking.

The only way America could become a 3rd world country is if our economoy collapsed and that ain't going to happen any time soon.

Don't believe everything you hear.

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Intimidator Coming in 2010 to Carowinds!

Yes, like posted above. There is no way it will happen. If it did we all wouldnt be alive by the time if even took action. Also about the bible like posted above I dont know what one your reading, if you think about how long ago it was written there wasnt America back then, unless nostradamus wrote it then there was no way of predicting America.

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Never regret!

Well I believe the Bible...and here's my opinion from what I know...

No one honestly knows how the end of the world will happen. It may be that the US gets completely abolished by nukes, or it may be exactly the same as it is today...just with a leader that doesn't like to get involved.

One other option is some kind of world government that takes power.(Which, if were to happen, we wouldn't see it for another 100 years or so.)

Just my 2 pennies.

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Ok, as a Christian and a minister, let me simply say, sorry, wrong. Bzzzzzz. Major misreading and mishandling of Scripture, as well as a complete misunderstanding of prophecy and what it says.

While there are some out there that believe the Bible says that, they're inserting things that aren't said in Scripture, and adding in symbolism to say what they want rather than take it for what it says.

Quite simply, no one is really sure exactly how what is talked about in Revelation is going to play out. Shoot, there are even some firmly convinced that it already happened hundreds of years ago (though I do disagree with them) America won't become a third world country. If anything, it may become a victim of it's own arrogance all the way around, along with it's own infighting among the people. But as others have said, the US and America aren't even mentioned in the Bible, outside of some very iffy and not very accurate attempts to put a symbol for it in the Bible.

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Have you read my number 1 best seller? There will be a test! ~God
Life with God is one thrill ride you'll never want to get off of.
My park & coaster photos: Sir Willow's Smugmug pictures

Prophecy is one of the most fascinating subjects in the Bible to study. It's not all in Revelation, either.

As a Christian, I frequently hear other Christians comparing current events to end times prophecy. There are certainly some events going on these days that fit very well into the end times prophecy.

But, what I remind myself (and them) is that if you take any historical era, and look at the events of the time closely, you can find things that fit. For example, during his rise, Hitler had a lot of characterisitics that is is foretold will be present in antichrist.

I'm not saying that what we're seeing now aren't portents of end times- they might be. The point is: We don't know. We can't be sure, because that's the way God designed it.

And of course, there are many who don't believe in Bible prophecy, anyway. (at least not yet)

For those who have interest, I recommend the "Left behind" series of books by Tim LaHaie and Jerry Johnston. They are a good read, even if you're not a believer. Please note that the books are not telling us how things will happen, they're telling us how things COULD happen. The story fits scriptural prophecy, but it is a fictional account of one of a myriad of ways that things could happen.

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ThrillNetwork Lead Moderator
My neighbor got a big new house, and all I got was his lousy payments

I personally see the prophecy and visions of the coming revelations in the book "the revelation" as to be highly targeted for subjective translation and understanding.

To understand the intentions of scripture, it is of upmost importance to view it objectively. To view it subjectively is to essentially buy a blank bible and write your own.

Often the most powerful statements are the least understood. For instance, Einstein's theory of reletivity can be written in very compact notation. Over 98% of people cannot get any understanding of it untill it's expanded. If you download a zip file, your computer can't use it untill it is unzipped or expanded. The scripture protrayed in the bible is compact and can also be expanded. An example of that is the Left Behind series.

In these days and ages, words can be used to portray a different image while being 100% correct for practical purposes in general manipulation. In the past, the U.S. government used the phrase "neutralization of soft targets." One could deduce that phrase to have many many meanings, pretty much the worst was the truth. It was used when anti-personnel bombs were dropped on large groups of people. Millions of dollars were spent to find the best way to phrase justifications of the war on Iraq. For instance, to produce the most negative thoughts on groups who oppose the United States they are called terrorist groups or regimes. Another example is that the evacuees of New Orleans were called refugees. While completely true, it's using the word for manipulation purposes. The simple fact is that the word refugee has been used frequently for years desensitizing it's meaning. In a realistic sense, the only way I see them as refugees was in the way they were and are being treated. The more accurate description for them are victims.

Anyone who cannot provide a full translation of scripture objectively and and without altering the meaning behind, cannot provide an accurate translation. Taking the scripture out of context is translating it inaccurately.

The first post in the thread is a product of scripture taken out of context.

This is stupid, you can make the bible say whatever you want it to.

And I hate to burst some people's bubbles, but when the bible was written (I'm mostly the new testament), the authors weren't thinking about America in the 21st century, the were thinking of the struggles and problems faced by first century christians. Many people have created really *******ed up stories from the gospels and the letters of paul, and are obviously too dense to think of the bible in the historical context...

Oh, and Pink Floyd Fana, it would probably be best to discount most of what your friend says about religion.

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The book of Revelation is not about our times today. It was full of terms used by early christians to communicate under fear of persecution from Rome. Yes it does invovle some prophecy, but most of what you will read in that book has already happend in the first few centuries.

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"Ok, fat ***, we've just traveled 2,460 miles just for a little Roy Wally entertainment. The moose says you're closed. I say you're open!"

This pretty much sums it up.

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Intimidator Coming in 2010 to Carowinds!

^Those signs...they're everywhere...CC...TN... :eek:

The end [b]IS[/b] near!

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[QUOTE=bgwfreak]This pretty much sums it up.[/QUOTE]

haha...I always knew we'd be the downfall of civilization! Time to bring out the tin foil hats and cover our cornholes!

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Bryan Wood Thrillnetwork Database Admin and review writer extraordinare

while we're off topic, let's also discuss the super volcano under yellowstone, or the astroid that might hit in 2020, and for kicks, how about global warming?

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VF count - a lot SFGam count - 2 CP count - 1

MUSE = Amazing band = WIN!

Yeah, global warming. If only it actually existed.

[Yawn]....I'm bored. Next topic.

This is silly. This thread wasn't even started in a serious manner as I see it and we're discussing it for real???

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YOUR HATRED AMUSES ME

[QUOTE=xbadx1233]while we're off topic, let's also discuss the super volcano under yellowstone, or the astroid that might hit in 2020, and for kicks, how about global warming?[/QUOTE]

Or the fact that the Moon does not exist.

Or that there are snakes under Superman.

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Intimidator Coming in 2010 to Carowinds!

[QUOTE]Yeah, global warming. If only it actually existed.[/QUOTE]

[url="http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20050928/sc_nm/environment_alaska_dc"]http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20050928/sc_nm/environment_alaska_dc[/url]

Dude, your an ignorant, brainwashed conservative. Global warming is happening; we can only debate 'why.'

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I believe that global warming is happening, but it's not moving fast enough to make any difference. Why? Because in 200 years, the ocean will have raised 9 inches, that's not even as wide as your computer monitor. In 200 years we will be way past oil and natural gas. The first Hydrogen car is going to be on the market in '07, and its only exhaust is water.

I'm sure we will be way past unrenewable resources in 150 years...look how far we've come since say...1950?

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[QUOTE=Cephas][url="http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20050928/sc_nm/environment_alaska_dc"]http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20050928/sc_nm/environment_alaska_dc[/url]

Dude, your an ignorant, brainwashed conservative. Global warming is happening; we can only debate 'why.'[/QUOTE]

I guess I get to call you an ignorant, brainwashed tree-hugger then, because I've read plently of independent studies that have led me to believe "global warming" was created by money hungry research scientists and a fearmongering media.:sun:

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TV/Event Guide Editor

^ Exactly.

Not that I think poluting the atmosphere is really great or anything but look back at a few high temp records and you might be surprised...

Whenever I see things like 1880 had the highest temperature on record in Charlotte I think to myself. Hmmm... well that seems to blow global warming out the water, at least in this case.

In 1880 there were no cars, there were no "green house gases". So what caused it to get so hot?

My opinion is that yes there is something to global warming (to an extent). But you also need to realize that the Earth goes through cycles.

It goes through cycles when it produces a ton of hurricanes, then usually there is a lull. Then it comes back, etc.

I hate to make sweaping statements like polution is going to cause the earth to be flooded in 200 years when the science hasn't really backed it up in my opinion.

But we're off topic. Oh wait, is there a topic to this thread?

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Intimidator Coming in 2010 to Carowinds!

^^Global warming is supported by solid evidence, I believe you may be doubting the greenhouse effect...

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Global warming is also refuted by solid evidence.

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TV/Event Guide Editor

Of course we are going through a slight warming trend, but when I think of Global Warming I think of all that BS about greenhouse gases. Saying humans are causing this rise is the same as saying that the ice age was humans fault. I've heard many enviromentalists that have said humans have much less to do with the change in climate then the media will have us beleive. Global Warming is not a real problem. All it is is a slight warming trend that we are having. I'm not gonna let the liberals (the liberal biased media to be exact) brainwash me into believing all this crap, along with all the other BS they put out there.

Yeah if it was going to keep going up then it would be like 120 for the average high now.

I can remember back in 1985 or so there was a stringe of 105+ days in Charlotte (which is unheard of except for this summer).

Hmm... Maybe it's just when we have Live Aide/8 concerts!!!

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Intimidator Coming in 2010 to Carowinds!

[QUOTE=Cephas][url="http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20050928/sc_nm/environment_alaska_dc"]http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20050928/sc_nm/environment_alaska_dc[/url]

Dude, your an ignorant, brainwashed conservative. Global warming is happening; we can only debate 'why.'[/QUOTE]In an excavation in I believe the southern part of the U.S. scientists have discovered proof of global warming that happened millions of years ago. Long before planes, cars or even man was around. This supports the thought that nature has a way of balancing itself out. In nature the earth has a tendancy to do different things to balance itself out. When there was alot of seismic (sp) activity and volcanic eruptions the atmosphere was littered with ash and other sediments that created a reverse "greenhouse effect" the earth then fell into an ice age rectifying this situation. This is only 1 theory on the earths past and untill Bill and Ted go on their time traveling journey we will never know the truth...[img]http://www.thrillnetwork.com/boards/images/icons/icon7.gif[/img]

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[QUOTE]
[b]Global warming[/b] describes an increase in the [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historical_temperature_record"]average temperature[/url] of the [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth%27s_atmosphere"]Earth's atmosphere[/url] and [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ocean"]oceans[/url].

-Wilkipedia[/QUOTE]

As I said in my first post in this thread, the temperature of the earth is rising, whether its long term/short term, or natural/our fault, we don't really know.

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