Drinking the Kool Aid

 Drinking the Kool Aid

By Richard P. Joseph

Back when I was 18 years old in 1978 american news was flooded with images and stories about a cult leader named Jim Jones.  Jones was a bisexual communist who used religion to gain control over the masses.  In his attempt to establish a closed community of faithful dumbed down followers he relocated to South America and established a commune.  Jones often used Apocalyptic end-times sermons to gain full control over his flock.  Because of rumors of abuse, congressman Leo Ryan took a trip to Guyana to inspect the commune.  As he and his entourage was leaving, Jone’s personal bodyguards fired on the group killing Ryan and injuring others.  Jones then commenced to force the entire encampment to drink a poisoned concoction resulting in over 900 deaths.  

This same type of scenario could be found in the Waco incident where, in 1992, Vernon Howell (aka David Koresh) led his band of followers to resist an illegal invasion by the FBI resulting in the death of 4 agents and multiple members of the Branch Davidians.  Howell also was a preacher of “End-Times” prophecies and also took pleasure in sexual favors from his followers just as Jones did.   

On a lesser scale, faulty theology also entered the picture at Ruby Ridge.  Again, the wife of Randy Weaver was a heavy believer in End-Times prophecy which skewed  the way they viewed the world.  Instead of following solid scripture, they were led astray by faulty theology.  The family, however, was leading a happy life living the homestead lifestyle when the father made a few mistakes and was targeted and set up by our over-reaching FBI once again.  The stand-off at Ruby Ridge, which was totally uncalled for, resulted in the death of Vicki and her son Sammy.  So what does all of this have to do with preterism?

A lot.  Preterism can’t stop our corrupt government from attacking any citizen it disagrees with but it might help people to not fall for faulty theology that puts them in harm's way.  All cults and man made religions are a result of not knowing and not understanding scripture.  Even in preterism there is faulty theology.  David Curtis, one of the best teachers I have ever listened to, is a staunch proponent of the idiotic flat earth cult.  Even though nothing in the bible teaches it, he believes it.  These are the kinds of things that lead people into dangerous territory.  Strict conservative preterism keeps people on the straight and narrow.  We don’t need to worry about the earth ending or Satan winning or anything about the Jews, we just carry on and fight the good fight.  We don’t stop fighting, we just know which battles to fight.  We don’t follow doomsday preachers because, there is no doomsday.  There are, however, battles to fight but the war was already won and Satan was defeated forever.  People still follow the fallen Satan but he and they are already defeated.  We don’t have to help the rabbinical Jews build a temple because that is not biblical.  We don’t have to wait for Jesus to come because he already came.  We don’t have to withhold having a family because we are commanded to be fruitful and multiply.  We don’t have to live in a commune because that would be unfruitful.  And most of all, we do not have to fear, for Jesus Christ is victorious over all.  So don’t drink the kool-Aid, drink the scripture.