you lost me at that part about the rapture.
With the millions of Christians who died for Christ in the last century, I find it absurd to think that affluent self styled “Born again” christians in the US will get a “deus ex machina” and escape pain, while the rest of us semi pious Christians will be stuck here to suffer.
If Christ suffered and died before he rose again, why should we, who are called by his name, expect to escape suffering?
And this interpretation of scripture ignores the millions of Christians living in Africa and Asia...
are you aware that there is a world wide revival of Christianity here? That ten percent of China is now Christian? That even in Saudi and the Middle East, Koreans are preaching about Jesus, and Filipinos are holding underground church services?
And in Africa, millions are converting to Christianity, which is no longer “tainted” by the colonialist past (i.e. where conversion might get you a job)...now Africans are converting out of love of Jesus, because he makes a difference in their lives...
Besides, the rapture was not a traditional reading of those verses of the Bible until 200 years ago...
Here's a study link on the Rapture of the Church
http://iftacklebox.blogspot.com/2009/11/rapture-of-church.html