Lately I've heard by the conservative grapevine that Obama is the Anti-Christ, meaning that the Great Rapture is just around the corner, and even perhaps the end of the world.
Some folks like to label those they don't like an the Anti-Christ. Golly, I even considered Ronald Reagan as such nearly 30 years ago!
Nevertheless, when nearly half of the USA thinks that the End is Near, why do anything to try improve the world? That means the rest of us have to even work harder!
In a recent letter to the editor in my hometown newspaper, I am told that "Christians must reject the spirit of Anti-Christ."
But then I read more. Who are the so-called Spirit(s) of the Anti-Christ?
Simple. I'm told the spirit of the Anti-Christ is Islam, even though many well-intended people are members of that faith. So I guess we could lump in there the Buddhists, Jews, Hindus....everyone but us Christians who believe in Jesus as the Son of God and in the power of the cross. But let's not stop there!
Also in the spirit of the anti-christ are the Cessationists, those who believe that the miracles and other spiritual gifts are no longer part of God's plan. But golly, I haven't seen any of God's ministers raising folks from the dead lately like Jesus did when he walked the earth.
Lastly, those nasty liberals Christians are added to the Spirit of the Anti-Christ, too. We don't take the Bible literally all the time and we often prefer concepts of divine and human tolerance.
Sounds good to me. Guess I'm helping out the Anti-Christ.
Ironically, I'm also currently reading a book called "The Heart of Christianity," by Marcus Borg, who looks at the last book of the New Testament where the Anti-Christ is mentioned, the Book of Revelation, attributed to the Apostle John.
He sees that book as describing The Empire (Rome at that time) as the Anti-Christ. The early Christians were living under a very oppressive government, and John wrote the Book of Revelation to give them hope and comfort during a time of extreme injustices. The book shows them as victorious and saved by the Wrath of God.
So when the Book of Revelation was written, it was the empire that was the Anti-Christ, not liberals, not other faiths. What is the closest to empire today? I know that many from other countries consider our country, the good ole' USA as the Great Empire. If we see something we need from another country, such as rubber and oil, we just go in and take it, much like Rome did 2000 years ago. True Christians have a responsibility to fight against empires, not liberals or Buddhists or even Moslems.
What do you think?