By Lewis Loflin
Lewis Loflin here. The 2001 AP article below captures the apocalyptic fever sparked by 9/11, a moment when Islamic extremism jolted Christian end-times talk. I’ve long wrestled with Islam’s darker currents—think my Problem of Muslim Immigration and the Rise of Islamism, where I flag the Boston Marathon bombing as a wake-up call, or 3000 Foreign Jihadis to Terrorize Egyptian Opposition?, showing extremists crushing dissent. What grinds me is how good Muslims—decent folks—often take the hit for these fanatics yet rarely call them out. In my writings, I’ve noted this silence fuels the chaos, from terror attacks to cultural rifts. Post-9/11, as evangelists like Hal Lindsey saw Armageddon in the smoke, it’s clear: extremists thrive when moderates duck. In 2025, with Islamism still simmering, this piece remains a sharp lens on fear and faith colliding.
The Associated Press, October 6, 2001
End-of-the-world predictions have flopped for centuries, yet the 9/11 attacks on New York and Washington ignited fresh apocalyptic fervor, say experts tracking doomsday trends. “End-times obsessives never learn from history,” said Hank Hanegraaff of the Christian Research Institute. “They’re batting zero.”
Hal Lindsey, whose prophecy books like *The Late Great Planet Earth* sold millions, saw the attacks as America’s downfall kicking off. “The Battle of America has begun!” he wrote post-strike, later telling AP, “The decline has started.” San Antonio’s John Hagee preached the Four Horsemen nearing Armageddon. Paul Crouch of Trinity Broadcasting called it “the beginning of sorrows,” per Jesus’s end-times words. New York’s David Wilkerson warned of worse unless the city repents.
These views aren’t fringe—40% of adults and 71% of evangelical Protestants, per a 1999 *Newsweek* poll, expect Armageddon pitting Christ against the Antichrist. Lindsey says chaos drives people to seek answers: “They want to know where it’s headed.” Critics like Samuele Bacchiocchi, in *Hal Lindsey’s Prophetic Jigsaw Puzzle*, note Lindsey’s flops—like a 1988 nuclear clash prediction. Yet, Boston University’s Richard Landes says believers don’t quit; they await the next sign.
Catholic, Orthodox, and many Protestant churches dismiss literal end-times readings, citing Matthew 24:36—“no one knows the day or hour.” Bob Weldrep of Watchman Fellowship quips, “They’ll be right eventually—we’ll know after.” Hanegraaff warns failed prophecies make faith a joke: “Every miss looks more ridiculous.”
Acknowledgment: Thanks to Grok, an AI by xAI, for aiding this draft. Final edits are mine.
