A Theif In The Night

[FinallyFree]

I was subjected to this movie at the age of 5 or so. It horrified and traumatized me. I am now nearly 27 years old, and although I have disregarded christianity, I am still struggling with the fears this movie has ingrained in me.

 

Has anyone else seen this movie? Thoughts? Comments?

 

If you haven't this movie, it is available on youtube in a few parts - watch it if you dare.

[ilovemybrain]

I saw it as a teen, in youth group. I think at the time I was already "saved" so I didn't let it bother me too much, and it didn't worm its way into my psyche. But seeing it when you are 5? That's terrifying. I was traumatized by The Exorcist, however, when I was about 12. And for a long time I had a fear of being possessed.

[Overcame Faith]

I had never seen this movie, but I just watched a few minutes of it. What a terrible movie to subject a child to. It seems to be the "typical" scenario that some Christians believe will happen. The opening scene was of a young woman who was left all alone in her home after family members were missing and presumably raptured. No doubt such a scenario would scare any child because perhaps a child's biggest nightmare would be to be left or abandoned by her family.

 

But none of that will ever happen. Even some Christian theologians do not believe in the rapture or anything even close to it. It is a made-up doctrine pieced together from several Bible verses none of which directly teach that there will be a rapture. The desire for a rapture by some Christians meets a psychological need to be taken away from earthly troubles - and if anyone has lived long enough they have troubles that would be nice to escape from. But it's all balderdash.

[SilentLoner]

Hadn't heard of it before but I looked it up. Ugh, what messed up BS xtian propaganda. If I had seen that as a kid I'd have been scared out of my wits.

[Midnight-mindwanderings]

my mom had the same reaction to that movie when she was a kid. Its why she never taught us about the rapture or any of that. We learned about the second coming in church of course, but she always made sure to reassure us. She remembered the pangs of terror she felt when she didn't know where her parents were, afraid they were raptured. She's still mad about it.

[Wade]

I was subjected to this movie at the age of 5 or so. It horrified and traumatized me. I am now nearly 27 years old, and although I have disregarded christianity, I am still struggling with the fears this movie has ingrained in me.

 

Has anyone else seen this movie? Thoughts? Comments?

 

If you haven't this movie, it is available on youtube in a few parts - watch it if you dare.

 

 

I remember being shown a movie called "Image of the Beast" when I was younger. I believe it was made by the same people. We used to have "lock ins" that were no more than all night brainwashing sessions. This is one of the movies they would make us watch in an effort to scare us, and as a kid it worked.

 

I look back at all the effort put in to scaring kids about hell and the rapture and it sickens me.

[renoliz]

I watched Psycho when I was like 18. I don't like horror movies because they give me a visceral reaction. I wish I had never watched the movie Psycho. Anyway, I'm not at the Bates Hotel and this guy doesn't live anywhere near me.

 

Same with this film. It isn't real. I really wish that Christians would understand that exposing children to hell and the rapture is scary to children and is a form of abuse.

 

Having said that. The movie is really cheesy. People are agreeing to get marks on their foreheads which hasn't happened yet. It just isn't real. When I was afraid of hell I just kept reminding myself that it isn't real. Took a little while but it worked. Stay with reality. There are no monsters under the bed either.

 

I used to believe there were monsters in the basement where I slept but there really weren't. It was just kind of dark with pale light coming through the windows and illuminating any clothes that were on the indoor clothesline.

 

ave you watched the movie recently?

 

I thought it was actually very laughable in that it was kind of the horror version of the Brady bunch. Maybe you could see the humor in it?

 

Don't feel bad because lots of people have fears from there childhood but do keep telling yourself that is just silly and superstitious.

[Vomit Comet]

my mom had the same reaction to that movie when she was a kid. Its why she never taught us about the rapture or any of that. We learned about the second coming in church of course, but she always made sure to reassure us. She remembered the pangs of terror she felt when she didn't know where her parents were, afraid they were raptured. She's still mad about it.

 

My old senior pastor said he had an afternoon of sheer terror, thinking his parents had been raptured and that he'd been left behind. But then he found them and all was right again. But he told it like it was a cutesy little story about his faithful Christian childhood.

 

Man, that guy had a way of sugarcoating the most fucked up stories. Like the time his 6 year old son flew into screaming hysterics because he didn't want his best friend from across the street to go to hell. "Now why can't we all be as passionate about the Gospel as my sweet little 6 year old boy?"

[Freedom from Guilt]

I was around 9 or 10 when I saw this movie and it did scare me too. I often called people when I was alone because I was afraid I had missed the rapture. That was a terrifying fear for me growing up. I think the scariest part was once you missed the rapture, you were without hope unless someone beheaded you for not taking the sign of the beast. I know as I got older, I even learned that there was absolutely NO HOPE for you, if you missed the rapture. Ugh.

[FinallyFree]

 

ave you watched the movie recently?

 

 

I have not seen it a second time because I've been so petrified - but I probably try to make myself watch it again to try to get rid of some of the fear.

 

I think the problem is that its not necessarily the movie itself that terrifies me, but more so the whole idea of it. I think I need to do like you and others have said - just reprogram my brain. Change my thought processes.

 

Thank you everyone for your replies

 

It's nice to know that I'm not alone - like I was when I was a christian.

 

 

 

[Japedo]

I was subjected to this movie at the age of 5 or so. It horrified and traumatized me. I am now nearly 27 years old, and although I have disregarded christianity, I am still struggling with the fears this movie has ingrained in me.

 

Has anyone else seen this movie? Thoughts? Comments?

 

If you haven't this movie, it is available on youtube in a few parts - watch it if you dare.

 

 

This movie had a huge impact on me when I was a child, probably helped contribute to my panic disorder, which I got help for. Sheer Terror, fear of being left behind, fear of death, fear of the end times fear about living. Fear of my 'unsaved loved ones' being left to burn in hell.

 

I knew as a child I would get the number before I'd volunteer to have my head cut off, and I was horrified people were rejoicing at the thought of being murdered. I remember coming in from being outside one day and my family was no where to be found, I had a terror attack pleading with god why he left me behind. It's child abuse that can cause ungodly trauma on ones mind.

[renoliz]

my mom had the same reaction to that movie when she was a kid. Its why she never taught us about the rapture or any of that. We learned about the second coming in church of course, but she always made sure to reassure us. She remembered the pangs of terror she felt when she didn't know where her parents were, afraid they were raptured. She's still mad about it.

 

My old senior pastor said he had an afternoon of sheer terror, thinking his parents had been raptured and that he'd been left behind. But then he found them and all was right again. But he told it like it was a cutesy little story about his faithful Christian childhood.

 

Man, that guy had a way of sugarcoating the most fucked up stories. Like the time his 6 year old son flew into screaming hysterics because he didn't want his best friend from across the street to go to hell. "Now why can't we all be as passionate about the Gospel as my sweet little 6 year old boy?"

 

That pastor sounds like he really had no grasp on reality, no empathy at all to what others were feeling. It is heartwarming stories about fucked up Christians like these that make me want to get rid of that horrible religion. Christianity helps create unfeeling monsters for human beings.

[Brigit Branwyn]

I was subjected to this movie at the age of 5 or so. It horrified and traumatized me. I am now nearly 27 years old, and although I have disregarded christianity, I am still struggling with the fears this movie has ingrained in me.

 

Has anyone else seen this movie? Thoughts? Comments?

 

If you haven't this movie, it is available on youtube in a few parts - watch it if you dare.

 

 

I saw it for the first time at five years old. Alone in a pew... it was very traumatic. I am an unbeliever now, but it still bothers me a lot. My husband saw it with me the first time when we were 14. He has been able to shake it off. I think that the reason he has had an easier time is that, at 14, he was already capable of abstract thought and his brain recorded it differently than mine did. I was still thinking only in black and white at five--if that high. I know now that none of it is true, but that doesn't change the mid-brain fear response.

[Overcame Faith]

I have not seen it a second time because I've been so petrified - but I probably try to make myself watch it again to try to get rid of some of the fear.

 

FinallyFree, don't push yourself if you don't feel comfortable watching that movie again. You are not alone in a fear of end-times issues. There many people on this website who share in this. All you have to do is read some of the posts by people who, as adults like you, still have a real fear of end-time events. Each person has to deal with it in their own way. My suggestion if you would rather not watch the movie again (and there is certainly no absolute need for you to watch it) is rather to begin by coming to terms with what the Bible really is. The Bible is a book of fables and mythology and nothing more and that goes double for the alleged return of Jesus and all the supposed horrors that supposedly accompany that. Once you really begin to see this and understand why this is so, then you will be better able to deal with the parts of it that cause you fear. Once you achieve this, then you may want to watch the movie again if you think that will help you.

 

Let's begin with this simple fact: the Bible predicted that Jesus' return was imminent during the lives of his disciples.

 

32 “Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. 33 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

 

Luke 21:32

 

"This generation" obviously referred to those who were then listening to Jesus speak. Modern day apologists like to argue that "this generation" refers to the generation that will be alive when all the events supposedly foretold happen. But that is just an excuse for Jesus' failed prophecy.

 

What is more, Jesus' alleged end-time prophecies were actually about the Roman destruction of Jerusalem and the temple which happened in the year 70 a.d. That is why Jesus said:

 

5 Some of his disciples were remarking about how the temple was adorned with beautiful stones and with gifts dedicated to God. But Jesus said, 6 “As for what you see here, the time will come when not one stone will be left on another; every one of them will be thrown down.”

 

Luke 21:5-6

 

The temple had already been destroyed when these words were written, but the authors, wanting readers to think Jesus had prophesied it, wrote it as if it were a future event. There was nothing supernatural about it, it was just history disguised as a prophetic event.

[SirPhoenix]

I never saw this one. I got plenty of indoctrination about the rapture when I was young though. For some reason, it never really scared me. I guess as a kid, I just figured I was going to heaven, so if I was still here, the rapture hadn't happened yet. I suppose there are advantages to thinking the world revolves around you when you're a kid.

[Redeye_Reprisal]

I maintain that "Pamela's Prayer" is still the most horrifying piece of christian film ever produced

 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjoGfjNXb_c&feature=related

[Deva]

Looks like a nasty movie even 2 minutes into it. I don't remember seeing it although I am surprised the church didn't show it. It was Independent Baptist hellfire & brimstone rapture crap.

 

I don't care to revisit the rapture too much though. I was always thinking my parents weren't going to come home. Scared me for a year or two, until I realized it wasn't going to happen anytime soon.

 

Yeah, I suppose I was never very secure in my salvation.

[noob]

I maintain that "Pamela's Prayer" is still the most horrifying piece of christian film ever produced

 

 

That is creepy as hell!

[Deva]

Yeah, Pamela's Prayer was truly creepy.

[HRDWarrior]

I watched Thief as a kid - not sure what age. I think it still resides in my mind, but not something that scares or bothers me - just every now and then when I can't reach someone or something in more of a joke than anything I'll wonder if the rapture's happened. Never saw that Pamela's Prayer - one of the few my family missed! Don't think I missed out on anything though

[Vomit Comet]

I maintain that "Pamela's Prayer" is still the most horrifying piece of christian film ever produced

 

Guahhhhh!!! I made it about 56 seconds in before nearly losing my lunch.

[renoliz]

Pamela' Prayer was totally creepy. And can you imagine the absolute guilt that Pamela would have had if she had so much as pecked a guy of the cheek?

[Godless Dave]

But none of that will ever happen. Even some Christian theologians do not believe in the rapture or anything even close to it. It is a made-up doctrine pieced together from several Bible verses none of which directly teach that there will be a rapture.

 

I'd say most Christian theologians don't believe in the rapture. It's mostly an American evangelical Protestant thing.

[Redeye_Reprisal]

I maintain that "Pamela's Prayer" is still the most horrifying piece of christian film ever produced

 

Guahhhhh!!! I made it about 56 seconds in before nearly losing my lunch.

 

I don't think I could sit through a conversation about my "wedding bed" without laughing hysterically

[Dagan]

I saw that Thief in the night movie when I was a kid and it scared the shit out of me. A couple years ago the Christian bookstore gave away all its VHS videos and we watched it (we were still church youth group leaders) and laughed at it. Man it's fucking terrible.

 

Questioning that dispensationalist trash helped start me down the road to deconversion. I realized there is NO biblical basis for any of it. From there it didn't take me long to see how flawed the bible really is... and well the rest is history.

 

Films like that are definitely horror though and should not be shown to kids. Or anyone. It's awful how they screwed up so many people!