Can end times theology lead to … religious trauma? That’s the claim essentially being made by some sources who recently spoke with CNN.
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A supposed phenomenon known as “rapture anxiety” is purportedly an end-times inspired “type of religious trauma” being experienced among people who have left — or are questioning — their faith.
Titled, “For some Christians, ‘rapture anxiety’ can take a lifetime to heal,” the CNN article in question starts by detailing the apparently traumatic experience of a woman named April, who recalled fearing as a young teen that she had been left behind.
“[She] had a sense something wasn’t right. It was quiet in her Dallas house. Too quiet. Her brothers were gone. Her parents were gone. On her parents’ bed, a pile of her mother’s clothes signaled something terrifying,” the article explained. “[Her] mind began churning, trying to remember, trying to make plans. When was the last time she had sinned? Should she refuse the mark of the beast? At least, she thought, if she was put to the guillotine during the time of tribulation, it would be a quick death.”
As many Christians know, the rapture is the belief Jesus will take believers up into the skies before the terrors of the end times kick into high gear. It’s seen as a biblical rescue plan for Christians, sparing them from many of the prophetic events and happenings detailed in the book of Revelation.
According to experts quoted by CNN, April isn’t alone in her experience of being left in fear over the rapture. At least one expert quoted by the outlet said this is a genuine issue for many.
“This is a real thing. It’s a chronic problem,” Darren Slade, president and CEO of the Global Center for Religious Research, told the outlet. “This is a new area of study, but, in general, our research has revealed that religious trauma leads to an increase of anxiety, depression, paranoia and even some OCD-like behaviors: ‘I need to say this prayer of salvation so many times,’ ‘I need to confess my sins so often.'”
Slade, a former Baptist preacher who reportedly left the Christian faith, now spends his time researching such issues. He questioned the impact rapture theology — in light of the eternal implications — could have on a teenager who has had sex outside of marriage or uses the Lord’s name in vain, among other issues.
CNN went on to report April’s experience of fearing the rapture is “very common among communities of religious trauma survivors.”
The problem is so pervasive, according to Slade, that some people who have this purported trauma have noted fear of heights as they imagine ascending.
There are a number of issues worth pointing out.
First and foremost: not everyone believes in a pre-tribulation rapture, though this is the most common view among American pastors today. Some believe the rapture will transpire in the middle of the so-called tribulation period (mid-tribulation rapture) and some believe it will happen after the tribulation (post-tribulation rapture).
Some in this latter group might contend the rapture isn’t really an event at all, or that it’s one and the same with Christ’s second coming. The views are more complex and multifaceted than that, but it’s important to at least note those marked differences.
Beyond that, though, there’s another issue that must be explored: regardless of where Christians stand on the rapture, those who embrace a pre-tribulation escape aren’t necessarily living in fear; many of them see the event as a hopeful occasion.
And securing a place in the rapture isn’t seen as some sort of reward for praying for salvation repeatedly or confessing sins obsessively. Those who embrace the rapture would contend that living authentic Christian lives with Christ at the center is what qualifies a person — not actions or repetitive recitations.
Third, the article mentions the fact the word “rapture” isn’t mentioned in Scripture. Though true, anyone making such a point in an effort to discredit the concept would also need to address other words also not explicitly mentioned by name in the Old and New Testaments.
This includes words like: Bible, trinity, Great Commission, and monotheism, among others. And yet these ideas are all widely embraced within the church today. Sometimes, a term is crafted to describe a truth in Scripture — this is how many view the rapture today.
It’s true the rapture and end times eschatology are important elements in many Christian circles. After all, prophecy is a substantial portion of Scripture, though these sentiments aren’t the centerpiece of the Christian faith; faith in Jesus is the core of the faith.
All this aside, one of the most intriguing elements of the CNN article are the claims made by some that the trauma of pondering what would happen to friends, loved ones, or even pets after the rapture led some people to cry themselves to sleep.
Whether or not there’s a rapture, though, wouldn’t these same worries take root for a Christian concerned about friends’ or loved ones’ eternal positioning?
The rapture seems inconsequential when evaluating the more general and pertinent separation from God that, through a biblical lens, is eternal for those who reject Christ.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, could it be possible the purported trauma being attributed to rapture beliefs is more appropriately the result of people increasingly rejecting truth and faith, living for themselves, and struggling with the internal battles that unfold as a result?
At the least, this seems highly plausible.
Christian author and “Prophecy Pros” podcast host Todd Hampson told the Christian Post it’s feasible someone could take end-times teaching out of context, but that “trauma” seems like an “extreme” way of framing the end result.
“I think if it’s taken out of context or taught to young kids without the full context of what Jesus promised, what our hope is as believers … it can be a little scary,” he said. “I don’t know if I’d call it trauma. That’s probably a pretty extreme word. I haven’t heard it put that way before.”
Read the original CNN article for more about the claims surrounding “rapture anxiety,” and decide for yourself.
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