I don't know where you got the idea that it is mostly "the wackos" that believe in "the rapture" (unless you consider all Christians to be wackos). It is a major part of the Christian doctrine and is taught as an important Christian belief (or at least the major ones like Baptist, Methodist, etc.).

As far as the show goes...it was better than the pilot but still pretty weak. I am going to give it a couple more episodes before I dump it (if I had dumped Rome after the first three episodes...as I had considered at the time...I would have been very disappointed).

The rapture isn't part of all Christian beliefs. I am a Christian and was dumbfounded when I read Left Behind. The whole thing seemed alien to me. While it is prevalent among many Baptists, speaking to the few Methodists I do know, they are about 50-50 believers.

Watching Christians argue over things like whether the Rapture is "real" or not reminds me of this Emo Phillips joke:

Once I saw this guy on a bridge about to jump. I said, "Don't do it!" He said, "Nobody loves me." I said, "God loves you. Do you believe in God?"

He said, "Yes." I said, "Are you a Christian or a Jew?" He said, "A Christian." I said, "Me, too! Protestant or Catholic?" He said, "Protestant." I said, "Me, too! What franchise?" He said, "Baptist." I said, "Me, too! Northern Baptist or Southern Baptist?" He said, "Northern Baptist." I said, "Me, too! Northern Conservative Baptist or Northern Liberal Baptist?"

He said, "Northern Conservative Baptist." I said, "Me, too! Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region, or Northern Conservative Baptist Eastern Region?" He said, "Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region." I said, "Me, too!"

Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region Council of 1879, or Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region Council of 1912?" He said, "Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region Council of 1912." I said, "Die, heretic!" And I pushed him over.

Since i've found the cold opening video on NBC's website, I've watched it like 10 times. The damn tune is way too catchy.

I remember watching a concert of his a long time ago with that one. I don't think humor taking so long to get the point really flies quite as well these days.

If by "rapture" you mean only Christ's eventual return, then you're correct. If you mean anything else, then you're way wrong.

The word "rapture" or anything like it is NOT in the Bible, and therefore not a part of Catholic or most Protestant doctrine. It has no scriptural basis - ask any theology proffessor.

I suggest you read some of these articles on it:

http://www.presbyweb.com/2005/Viewpo...te-Rapture.htm

http://www.catholicherald.com/gospel/04gc/gc041125.htm

http://www.cresourcei.org/secondcoming.html

Jason F...great joke!

I probably enjoyed reading it better than having to listen to Emo's voice and likely awful delivery.

Slop101...I thought it meant when they go up in the spaceship. (by the way...the best laugh I got all night on this episode)

True. I can't imagine him telling such a long joke and not fumbling over the words.

Guys, could you spend a little more time talking about the actual show and a little less on the tangent of the rapture? If you want to discuss the aspects of religion, starting a new thread in the Other forum would be more appropriate.

that's Gilbert and Sullivan for ya. I really liked the song and thought it was hilarious (even though it was slowed down considerably from how fast Modern Major General goes, or at least how fast it was in the film version of Pirates of Penzance I caught on tv a few weeks ago. I had never seen it before.)

but this is definitely my favorite new show. It's so reminiscent of Sports Night which I totally love. I could never get into the West Wing. It was just always too dull for me. I probably hated it even more because my roommate loved it so much and would watch it for hours straight when Bravo would show all those marathons. It was painful.