Can an atheist or agnostic worship the anti-christ?

[cynatnite]

This has been bugging me the last couple of days. Everyone on the planet, except for the 'believers of god', will worship or wind up believing the anti-christ. He/she will be be the next best thing since the wheel.

Non-believers will be killed, tortured or whatever else someone can think up.

I've read a lot of posts from atheists and believers of other religions. They are thoughtful and have a lot of insight. It just seems to me that it would be too big of a stretch to think it's even possible.

If the anti-christ were to arise and do some miraculous wonder many here would be looking for logical explanations or even illogical ones. I can't see them or most people here falling down to their knees to a figure such as this.

This is purely speculative if one believes in the bible and the possible predictions of armageddon and all that.

[IdaBriggs]

1. Only if they vote Republican. :) nt

[Alizaryn]

2. It would be kinda a double negative I'd think.

[vi5]

3. I'm an atheist. I don't believe in anything like that....

Don't believe in god OR the devil, don't believe in Christ OR anti-christ.

Obviously if I should on the off chance find myself staring either the christ or the anti-christ and forced to reckon with that then I will re-think my position.

[cynatnite]

7. You'd apply critical thinking

That's the difference I'm seeing. You and many others wouldn't take it at just face value.

[vi5]

27. I'll admit I'm confused as to what you are getting at.

Seeing something with my own 2 eyes isn't exactly critical thinking.

[LiberalVoice]

16. Neither do I.

Then again if I stood face to face with the anti-christ then one would have to assume there is an actual Christ on the other end.

[BrainRants]

4. You can, but you can't get a tax exemption.

:)

[RagAss]

5. If Napolean had F-16s .. would he have beaten Russia ???

...no disrespect intended. I'm just illustrating how an atheist might
respond to your question.

[Canuckistanian]

6. Atheists don't worship anything. That's the point.

Just because there is an absence of belief in a God doesn't mean they'll believe in an "anti-God".

[Kraklen]

8. Only Christians believe in an anti-Christ.

Pissed off a fundie with that once.

[sui generis]

9. even that's subject to nuance

if you think of the "anti-christ" as a metaphor for any individual who does not accept christ (or god) as the ultimate authority.

Therefore the "anti-christ" rising is actually an allusion to a set of ideas that spurn the idea of christ.

Of course they would find that evil.

[BiggJawn]

19. Ooooh! I'm the "Anti-Christ" then....

Watch me turn an old Yugo into a Rolls Royce.......Nope, didn't work...Well, I'll trying curing my OWN diabetes, then.......
Nope, still sweet...

Gonna be hard to come up with a magic routine that'll get the world sending ME their money instead of Benny hinn, when I can't do anything....

[stray cat]

10. How about buying into financial success and greed?

Most of us have something that gets us engaged and extremists can come in many flavors. I think the American "god" today has more today with greed or self-righteousness than any religion.

[sui generis]

14. financial success and greed are not the same thing

and the definition of financial success varies by individual.

[spindoctor]

11. An atheist by definition does not believe in any god, good or bad.

An agnostic, again by definition, does not believe in anything that cannot be proven.
In order for an agnostic to believe in the anti-christ, there would have to be some undisputable evidence. In proving the existence of the anti-christ, one lilely proves the existence of Christ as well. Subsequently agnostics would be left with a choice and it is safe to assume that the majority would choose good over evil.

humbug.

[Warren DeMontague]

12. That's like telling people who don't watch baseball

they have to be either Yankees or Mets fans.

[blondeatlast]

23. Best explanation yet. I can't top that, so I won't try. nt

[wli]

13. eschatology is dubious in numerous respects

Even supposing military domination of the entire planet and a policy of extermination of non-believers, the planet is a big place, and they can't read people's minds.

At the rate things are going, though, I don't really expect to survive the BFEE. Half the dems are Rethug moles and the elections are rigged. It won't be long before they go from "eliminationist rhetoric" to genocide.

[ret5hd]

15. well, i guess i --COULD-- ...

but my heart (and mind) wouldn't be in it.

[BiggJawn]

17. You've GOT to be joking!

That's pretty damn simplistic, isn't it? I mean "You don't believe in Christ, so you must believe in the ANTI-Christ..." is the most INFANTILE thing I've read all day.

No, and I don't "worship Satan", either. Satan, LIKE the Anti-Christ, is an invention of the Christian Myth-Believers. as a Pagan told me once, "We don't believe in the existence of Jesus OR his twin brother, Satan..."

"Everyone on the planet, except for the 'believers of god', will worship or wind up believing the anti-christ. He/she will be be the next best thing since the wheel."

I seriously doubt that. I for one, won't. I imagine OTHER Curmudgeons will have a healthy skepticism as well.

"If the anti-christ were to arise and do some miraculous wonder many here would be looking for logical explanations ..."

Bet on it! and "MAGIC" ain't the explanation.

[cynatnite]

20. Sorry I didn't word it better for you.

What I'm saying here is that because many don't believe in god, what makes rw christians think they'll fall to their knees over their 'anti-christ'.

Thanks for the 'compliment'. :eyes:

[BiggJawn]

24. Ah! Sorry.

I misunderstood you the first time.
You're right. What DOES make them think we'll fall for "The Dark Side".

[mark11727]

18. After the impeachment proceedings in 2006, it will be a moot point.

Just sayin'.

[hobbit709]

21. You have to believe in one

to believe in the other. They are two sides of the same coin.

[Shoeempress]

22. I'm an atheist and don't believe in any type of, what I will call for lack

of a better word, magic. (No disrespect meant to believers) No miracles, prayers, visions, apparitions, or ghosts, much less the anti christ. However, this administration may yet make me believe in the anti-christ.

[heidler1]

25. First off this will not happen IMO. But, say it did happen wouldn't it be

better question to have DUers guess what percent of the believers would forsake their faith to keep from dying? Also what percent of Atheists would wilt under the awesome power and claim belief?

[Patty Diana]

26. Those born again fundies don't worship God, they worship people

ever listen to them, they worship at shrubs alter. They keep quoting all those Televangelists, who pretend they're gods. They NEVER quote the bible, they only repeat the lies, hate ,death and destruction foaming from the televangelists_what a bunch of ignorant fucks!!!