>Er, the person who believes in armageddon does not regard it as an
>end. It is a beginning.
This is only in theory. Believing in Armageddon could as easily be fueled by a fascination with a horrible end as with some glorious new beginnning. Like George C. Scott in Dr. Strangelove.
Your late developed interest in religion leads to some simplistic interpretations of what people believe in and what drives their beliefs. There's more often than not a huge gap between doctrine and interpretation.