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| Adam Lee |
In fact, evangelicals today still insist that the glorious apocalypse is closer than ever.
Why haven’t they lost hope? Why haven’t they gotten discouraged by the number of accumulated prophetic failures? Why don’t they take a dose of humility from all these previous generations who lived, aged, grayed up and died out while continuously predicting that the Rapture would happen to them?
When optimism becomes toxic
The enduring appeal of religion is that it provides comfort in a chaotic world. It promises believers that they’ll triumph, no matter the circumstances. When a faith is downtrodden and oppressed, it promises its members that God will enact justice on the oppressors. When a faith is powerful and dominant, it reassures its members that they’ll be on top forever because God loves them best.
We all have an optimism bias. we all want to believe that things will work out for us. It’s a built-in part of human psychology. By itself, there’s nothing wrong with that. In fact, I’d argue that optimism is essential. It’s what gives us the strength to persevere when times are hard.
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