'Bible Prophecy Is Meant to Be Comforting': End Times Expert Reacts to CNN Claim Christians Suffer From 'Rapture Anxiety'

End times author and expert Jeff Kinley rejected CNN’s coverage of so-called “rapture anxiety,” arguing he’s never encountered the term before and believes there are some deep misconceptions about the eschatological belief system.

Listen to the latest episode of CBN’s Quick Start podcast:

As Faithwire previously reported, CNN recently published an article, “For some Christians, ‘rapture anxiety’ can take a lifetime to heal,” a piece covering a supposed end-times inspired “type of religious trauma” being experienced among people who have left — or are questioning — their faith.

“The first thing I thought was, ‘Really? You’re making up this whole idea of the fact that people all over the place are just so filled with anxiety about the rapture, which I’ve rarely encountered.’ That’s one thing,” Kinley told CBN’s Faithwire. “The flip side of it was the irony. The rapture is really designed to bring comfort, not anxiety. It’s the complete opposite.”

Watch Kinley’s reaction:

The author, who has penned countless books on the rapture and end times, said he was left pondering where the contents of CNN’s article were coming from.

“I see how Bible prophecy and the rapture is meant to be the most comforting thing for a believer … it’s the bride of Christ,” Kinley said. “And she gets to be rescued, and so why should she be anxious about that?”

***DON'T FORGET to download the CBN News app to keep receiving the latest news from a distinctly Christian perspective.***

He said the only way a person would be living in fear as a result of rapture theology would be if it’s “taught improperly or with poor motives or improper motives.” Taught correctly, Kinley said the rapture should bring comfort and hope.

He did note some have used the rapture as a scare tactic but that this isn’t the mainstream or prominent reasoning or approach for its theological usage.

“The rapture has been used as a scare tactic … against people in the past to try to get them saved or that type of thing. So, I get that,” he said. “I also get the fact that, sometimes in portrayals of the rapture, it is very sensational.”

But Kinley said the event itself is “sensational,” underscoring why depictions sometimes look the way they do.

As Faithwire previously reported, CNN said “rapture anxiety” is a phenomenon some former Christians — and those questioning their faith — struggle with.

“This is a real thing. It’s a chronic problem,” Darren Slade, president and CEO of the Global Center for Religious Research, told the outlet. “This is a new area of study, but, in general, our research has revealed that religious trauma leads to an increase of anxiety, depression, paranoia, and even some OCD-like behaviors: ‘I need to say this prayer of salvation so many times,’ ‘I need to confess my sins so often.’”

Read the original story here.

***As the number of voices facing big-tech censorship continues to grow, please sign up for Faithwire’s daily newsletter and download the CBN News app, developed by our parent company, to stay up-to-date with the latest news from a distinctly Christian perspective.***