At the Center for Millennial Studies, Richard Landes refers to this as being "semiotically aroused."
Gorenberg review of Left Behind series:
"Millennialists, to use historian Landes' apt phrase, are "semiotically aroused": Everything has meaning and everything fits. The world is a novel in which every detail is part of the plot -- precisely the perspective of the conspiracy theorist, who ties every headline to shadowy rogues. The conspiracy's existence shows that one villain is behind every crime in the detective story that is human history."
http://www.prospect.org/print/V13/17/gorenberg-g.html
See Landes essay:
:-)
-Chip
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From: lbo-talk-bounces at lbo-talk.org on behalf of B. Sent: Tue 7/18/2006 1:52 AM To: LBO Talk Subject: [lbo-talk] Happocalypse!
http://www.rr-bb.com/forumdisplay.php?f=20
[Excited messages spotted on the "End Times Chat" conservative Xtian board, about Israeli/Lebanese attacks. -B.]
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"This is so exciting....I'm having a hard time believing this is 'real'!"
[...]
"This is the busiest I've ever seen this website in a few years! I have been having rapture dreams and I can't believe that this is really it! We are on the edge of eternity!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
[...]
"Praise God! We are chosen to be in these times and also watch and spread the word. Something inside me is exploding to get out, and I don't know what it is. Its kind of like I want to do cartwheels around the neighborhood."
[...]
"Whoa! I can sure feel the glory bumps after reading this thread!"
[...]
"Gosh!!! Things are happening at break neck speed it seems! Here we are making plans to move to the east coast and we might not even have to move after all. I say, come quickly Lord!!!!"
[...]
"Got that dancing feeling on the inside of me."
[...]
"I am excited beyond words that the struggle of this life may be over soon and I can finally be FREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!"
[...]
"I too am soooo excited!! I get goose bumps, literally, when I watch what's going on in the M.E.!! And Watcherboy, you were so right when saying it was quite a day yesterday, in the world news, and I add in local news here in the Boston area!! Tunnel ceiling collapsed on a car and killed a woman of faith, and we had the most terrifying storms I have ever seen here!! But, yes, oh happy day, like in your screen name , it is most indeed a time to be happy and excited, right there with ya!!"
[...]
"A question just popped in my head. Do you think children of around say 7 or 8 (but before the age of accountability) that have been indoctrinated up until that time by their parents religious beliefs will be raptured? (Was that a run on sentence )For example, would a 7 year old muslim be raptured? I know G-d will do right but I was just wondering everyone's thoughts. I hate to think of kids being left here."
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