3 – It’s the End of the World as We Know It
27 March 2021
Do you remember the buzz, the fear, and the strange excitement surrounding end-times prophecies? For many who grew up in fundamentalist Christian environments, it was more than just a theological concept; it was a lens through which the world was interpreted.
I was a Teenage Fundamentalist. An Exvangelical podcast explores this very topic in its third episode, diving into the world of last days, end-of-the-world scenarios, and prophecy. T and B, the hosts, share their experiences and unpack the impact these beliefs had on their lives.
Before entering the church, B connected with prophecy through books on unexplained mysteries, including Nostradamus. “Nostradamus was frightening but exciting,” B recalls, “because all these things that were happening in my life… was seen through this lens of what Nostradamus had predicted”. The Cold War anxieties and the threat of nuclear war were fertile ground for such interpretations. This created fear but also, as T points out, “made you sort of think okay, but there’s a bigger plan, there’s something bigger than what we’re experiencing so there’s you know, dare I say God, but at least something beyond us that’s sort of in control”.
The podcast then steers into how end-times theology was used within certain church circles. T shares his experience with a group called the Revival Centres, which he identifies as a cult. This group heavily emphasised nuclear war, quoting verses from the Book of Joel about “blood fire and pillars of smoke” to paint a picture of impending doom. T recalls how they would interpret scripture to fit their narrative, even twisting the meaning of words. One example was the verse about people running “to and fro” on the earth, which they interpreted as a prophecy of modern mass transit. “I was like hold on, it doesn’t say planes, trains and automobiles, it just says men running,” T noted.
B reflects on how easily people can be drawn to generalised messages, a phenomenon he connects with the Barnum effect. “It’s very much about that generalised message that people can hook onto and apply it quite easily,” B explains. This susceptibility, coupled with the fear of missing out on salvation, was a powerful tool for conversion.
Both T and B discuss how the Book of Revelation served as a “road map” for navigating the end times. However, interpretations varied, and within fundamentalism, it was often taken very literally. This literal approach led to specific predictions, such as the infamous “mark of the beast,” which morphed from barcodes to ATM cards to microchips implanted under the skin.
T remembers the paranoia surrounding barcodes: “Everyone was going look, everything’s got a barcode on it now, you’re next”. The podcast hosts highlight the constant revisions and adjustments to these stories as old predictions failed to materialise. As T notes, regarding one end-times preacher Barry Smith, “he was constantly saying the imminence, ‘the imminence, the imminence. It’s about to happen, it’s about to happen,’ and then two or three years later he’s publishing another book”. With the fall of the Soviet Union, the focus shifted from communism to economic anxieties, the cashless society, and the “New World Order”.
The conversation touches on the Evangelical need for an enemy, a concept rooted in a dualistic worldview. This “us versus them” mentality often leads to the demonisation of other groups, such as Muslims, as T observes: “everything is seen as an us and them rather than extending grace”.
The COVID-19 pandemic has provided new fodder for conspiracy theories, with some evangelicals linking the vaccine to government control and nano-chipping. However, as B points out, this paranoia is not new. T recalls books about vitamin and cable TV conspiracies that were sold at a Christian bookstore. “There will always be something,” B says, “and I mean if you look back through history, we’ve been talking about the end times for nearly 2000 years”.
Ultimately, the hosts question the imminence of the end times, considering the repeated failed prophecies throughout history. T shares a pivotal moment in his deconversion: “I said, ‘You say you’re coming soon but you said that 2000 years ago’… actually he’s a no-show”. He reflects on how the New Testament itself suggests that the end was expected in the first century.
If you’re navigating the complexities of leaving fundamentalism, you’re not alone. I was a Teenage Fundamentalist. An Exvangelical podcast offers a space to explore these experiences with humour, honesty, and critical thinking.
The world didn’t end. The constant fear and anxiety surrounding end-times prophecies can be replaced with a more nuanced understanding of the world and our place in it. It’s okay to question, to doubt, and to find your own path forward. Continue to explore this blog and podcast for more conversations and insights into the journey of leaving fundamentalism.