My sister is a very active Democrat, with very liberal views, including a healthy hatred of ignorance-based right-wing bigotry. Our parents, sadly, are not this way. My father's wife, who seems like a relatively intelligent woman, forwarded my sister some crap meme email that's going around among the illiberal chain email circuit -- some horseshit about Obama being the anti-christ or something, based on the book of Revelations.
Normally getting a dimwitted forward from your dad's wife isn't something to get steamed about. We just delete and move on. But, the fact that Dad's Wife should thouroughly understand my sister's views about this presidential race, and yet forwarded the mail anyway, is beyond thoughtless.
Sis crafted a wonderful (and withering!) response. This is the real deal, right here...
Update: as pointed out in comments, Snopes has this covered. Not that that matters to those who forward crap like this.
First the intolerant, and incorrect garbage that's making the rounds.
On Wed, Oct 29, 2008 at 10:16 PM, DadsWife <xyzpdq@smalltown.isp> wrote:
Subject: Re: Revelations Chapter 13...time to re-think
PLEASE READ AND PRAY THAT GOD'S WILL BE DONE (NOT OURS).
This will make you re-think: A Trivia question in Sunday School: How long is the beast allowed to have authority in Revelations?
Revelations Chapter 13 tells us it is 42 months, and you know what that is. Almost a four-year term of a Presidency.
All I can say is 'Lord, Have mercy on us!'
According to The Book of Revelations the anti-Christ is: The anti-Christ will be a man, in his 40's, of MUSLIM descent, who will deceive the nations with Persuasive language, and have a MASSIVE Christ-like appeal....the prophecy says that people will flock to him and he will promise false hope and world peace, And when he is in power, will destroy everything..
Do we recognize this description??
I STRONGLY URGE each one of you to post this as many times as You can! Each opportunity that you have to send it to a friend or media outlet..do it! I refuse to take a chance on this unknown candidate who came out of nowhere.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dear Friends,
As I was listening to a news program last night, I watched in horror as Barack Obama made the statement with pride. . .'we are no longer a Christian nation; we are now a nation of Christians, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, .. . ..' As with so many other statements I've heard him (and his wife) make, I never thought I'd see the day that I'd hear something like that from a presidential candidate in this nation. To think our forefathers fought and died for the right for our nation to be a Christian nation--and to have this man say with pride that we are no longer that. How far this nation has come from what our founding fathers intended it to be.
I hope that each of you will do what I'm doing now--send your concerns, written simply and sincerely, to the Christians on your email list. With God's help, and He is still in control of this nation and all else, we can show this man and the world in November that we are, indeed, still a Christian nation!
Please pray for our nation!
We all probably have cousins who are trading this crap via email. My thought, is that we trade the tough and thoughtful response just as thouroughly to our own friends and neighbors.
My sister's sincere reply:
You know. I usually just ignore these emails from people. But this one from you makes me angry.
First and foremost, I'd think that by now, you'd know that while our beliefs don't agree, at least I'm a person who is thoughtful about my beliefs. Surely you know I'm supporting Obama--would you expect anything else? So why send this to me? Why try to change my position on a candidate. I'd never try to change yours. It's almost as you think less of me because I don't think just like you.
Also, this chain email that you've decided to send is not even close to the truth--it's designed to scare people into not looking closely at the candidates before voting. If you'd done your research before sending, you'd know that Barack Obama is NOT a Muslim (http://www.barackobama.com/...). If we doubt his word, do we also get to doubt that McCain is really the Christian he says he is?
If you pause to think about the line on the beast having authority, perhaps it's Bush who is the Beast--he's been around for 42 month and more! The actual text of Revelations says that the Beast will MAKE WAR for 42 months--doesn't that sound far more like Bush than Obama? Ooo, maybe we're in the end time already?
Now, let's stop talking in rumos. If we want to get factual instead let's look a what Revelations 13 really says. Your email twists the text to suit the fear-mongering stance of the author.
Revelations
Chapter 13
(if you want King James, here's a link to that version:http://www.sacred-texts.com/...)
13:1 Then I stood on the sand of the sea. I saw a beast coming up out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads. On his horns were ten crowns, and on his heads, blasphemous names.
13:2 The beast which I saw was like a leopard, and his feet were like those of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority.
13:3 One of his heads looked like it had been wounded fatally. His fatal wound was healed, and the whole earth marveled at the beast.
13:4 They worshiped the dragon, because he gave his authority to the beast, and they worshiped the beast, saying, "Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?"
13:5 A mouth speaking great things and blasphemy was given to him. Authority to make war for forty-two months was given to him.
13:6 He opened his mouth for blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his dwelling, those who dwell in heaven.
13:7 It was given to him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them. Authority over every tribe, people, language, and nation was given to him.
13:8 All who dwell on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been killed.
13:9 If anyone has an ear, let him hear.
13:10 If anyone has captivity, he will go. If anyone is with the sword, he must be killed. Here is the endurance and the faith of the saints.
13:11 I saw another beast coming up out of the earth. He had two horns like a lamb, and he spoke like a dragon.
13:12 He exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence. He makes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose fatal wound was healed.
13:13 He performs great signs, even making fire come down out of the sky to the earth in the sight of people.
13:14 He deceives my own people who dwell on the earth because of the signs he was granted to do in front of the beast; saying to those who dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast who had the sword wound and lived.
13:15 It was given to him to give breath to it, to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause as many as wouldn't worship the image of the beast to be killed.
13:16 He causes all, the small and the great, the rich and the poor, and the free and the slave, to be given marks on their right hands, or on their foreheads;
13:17 and that no one would be able to buy or to sell, unless he has that mark, the name of the beast or the number of his name.
13:18 Here is wisdom. He who has understanding, let him calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. His number is six hundred sixty-six.
It make ZERO reference to the anti-Christ being Muslim or in his 40's. It says the beast will have 10 horns and 7 heads. Clearly, this does not describe Obama or McCain or Bush for that matter.
If you want as a counter point, here's a link to an actual speech (read FACT) that Barack Obama made (not an email designed to scare people) regarding how he'll use his CHRISTIAN faith to be a good leader. Read it or not. http://www.sojo.net/...
In general, please do your research before sending things to me in the future--if you must send this garbage, please be sure it's factual before sending. In general, respect the person I am and think before sending me stuff that completely disrespects decisons I've made in my life.
Sis