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cali Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Nov-16-08 02:01 PM
Original message
Fuck Newsweek: Is Obama the Antichrist?

The winning lottery number in Illinois was 666, which, as everyone knows, is the sign of the Beast.

On Nov. 5, Todd Strandberg was at his desk, fielding E-mails from around the world. As the editor and founder of RaptureReady.com, his job is to track current events and link them to biblical prophecy in hopes of maintaining his status as "the eBay of prophecy," the best source online for predictions and calculations concerning the end of the world. Already Barack Obama had drawn the attention of apocalypse watchers after an anonymous e-mail circulated among conservative Christians in October implying that he was the Antichrist. Former "Saturday Night Live" ingénue Victoria Jackson fueled the fire when, according to news reports, she wrote on her Web site that Obama "bears traits that resemble the anti-Christ." Now Strandberg was receiving up-to-the-minute news from his constituents in Illinois. One of the winning lottery numbers in the president-elect's home state was 666— which, as everyone knows, is the sign of the Beast (also known as the Antichrist). "It is very eerie, and I take it for a sign as to who he really is," wrote one of Strandberg's correspondents.

Ever since Jesus Christ was crucified and, according to the Gospels, rose again in glory, his followers have been anticipating the end of history—the time when their Lord will return to earth and reign for a thousand years. The question has always been when. Most Christians don't worry about the end too much; it's an abstract concept, a theological puzzle for late-night pondering. A few, however, have always believed that it is coming—and soon. Millennialist movements, as they're called, gain prominence especially when the world grows chaotic, during wars and at the turn of every century. According to a 2006 study by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life, a third of white evangelicals believe the world will end in their lifetimes. These mostly conservative Christians believe a great battle is imminent. After years of tribulation—natural disasters, other cataclysms (such as the collapse of financial markets)—God's armies will vanquish armies led by the Antichrist himself. He will be a sweet-talking world leader who gathers governments and economies under his command to further his own evil agenda. In this world view, "the spread of secular progressive ideas is a prelude to the enslavement of mankind," explains Richard Landes, former director of the Center for Millennial Studies at Boston University.

No wonder, then, that Obama triggers such fear in the hearts of America's millennialist Christians. Mat Staver, dean of Liberty University's law school, says he does not believe Obama is the Antichrist, but he can see how others might. Obama's own use of religious rhetoric belies his liberal positions on abortion and traditional marriage, Staver says, positions that "religious conservatives believe will threaten their freedom." The people who believe Obama is the Antichrist are perhaps jumping to conclusions, but they're not nuts: "They are expressing a concern and a fear that is widely shared," Staver says.


<snip>

http://www.newsweek.com/id/169192
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babylonsister Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Nov-16-08 02:04 PM
Response to Original message
1. Respond: webeditors@newsweek.com
nt
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City Lights Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Nov-16-08 02:41 PM
Response to Reply #1
34. Also: letters@newsweek.com ~nt~
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patrice Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Nov-16-08 03:32 PM
Response to Reply #34
51. Done.
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dem629 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Nov-17-08 12:31 PM
Response to Reply #1
107. Save yourself some time. Write the email, then send it to your own delete folder.
That's where it will end up at Newsweek (and every other media outlet) anyway.
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roguevalley Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Nov-17-08 03:39 PM
Response to Reply #1
115. this stuff is such crap and that fat little bint, victoria, is about as dumb
a person as you can find. I cannot believe how stupid she is in interviews.
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mcg Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Nov-18-08 12:58 AM
Response to Reply #1
119. and one can write a comment on that web page. nt
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BeyondGeography Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Nov-16-08 02:05 PM
Response to Original message
2. Jon "Center-Right" Meacham, their editor, is a bad little conservative
Fuck him, too.
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shanti Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Nov-16-08 02:16 PM
Response to Reply #2
15. was he the guy
on maher last friday?
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tishaLA Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Nov-16-08 02:23 PM
Response to Reply #15
20. Yes. And he's an idiot
He tried to appear reasonable on Maher, but it was just to ingratiate himself to the audience.
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shanti Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Nov-16-08 03:09 PM
Response to Reply #20
42. aha...
i noticed he was doing this with regard to weed. everyone knows that maher likes to smoke :smoke: now i'm thinking he was just being disingeneous. i can't remember...did they even talk about this antichrist issue on that show? i'll have to watch it again.
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liberalmuse Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Nov-16-08 02:05 PM
Response to Original message
3. Save us from these whackos.
WTF??? There are enough batshit crazy religious nuts in this country. It is irresponsible for a prominent magazine to feed their fears and delusions based on NOTHING. This country is fucking insane.
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cali Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Nov-16-08 02:08 PM
Response to Reply #3
8. exactly. this is totally and horribly irresponsible.
Can you imagine Newsweek asking if bush is the anti-christ?

I hate these pigs.
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piesRsquare Donating Member (960 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Nov-18-08 01:21 AM
Response to Reply #8
121. "Obama is antichrist" = Projective Identification
Pope fears Bush is antichrist, journalist contends
Catholic New Times May 18, 2003

WASHINGTON DC -- According to freelance journalist Wayne Madsden, "George W Bush's blood lust, his repeated commitment to Christian beliefs and his constant references to 'evil doers,' in the eyes of many devout Catholic leaders, bear all the hallmarks of the one warned about in the Book of Revelations--the anti-Christ."

Madsen, a Washington-based writer and columnist, who often writes for Counterpunch, says that people close to the pope claim that amid these concerns, the pontiff wishes he was younger and in better health to confront the possibility that Bush may represent the person prophesized in Revelations. John Paul II has always believed the world was on the precipice of the final confrontation between Good and Evil as foretold in the New Testament.

Before he became pope, Karol Cardinal Wojtyla said, "We are now standing in the face of the greatest historical confrontation humanity has gone through. I do not think that wide circles of the American society or wide circles of the Christian community realize this fully. We are now facing the final confrontation between the church and the anti-Church, of the Gospel versus the anti-Gospel."

The pope worked tirelessly to convince leaders of nations on the UN Security Council to oppose Bush's war resolution on Iraq. Vatican sources claim they had not seen the pope more animated and determined since he fell ill to Parkinson's Disease. In the end, the pope did convince the leaders of Mexico, Chile, Cameroon and Guinea to oppose the U.S. resolution.


http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0MKY/is_9_27/ai_108881880
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annabanana Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Nov-16-08 02:05 PM
Response to Original message
4. Wait.. wasn't the Anti-Christ supposed to hav e a blue turban, or something?
I didn't see a blue turban..
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cliffordu Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Nov-16-08 02:07 PM
Response to Reply #4
6. You don't see one YET.....
:rofl:
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Joe Bacon Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Nov-16-08 11:14 PM
Response to Reply #4
76. RONALD=6 WILSON=6 REAGAN=6
So the Antichrist was already here, packed up his bags and left!
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Pharaoh Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Nov-16-08 02:06 PM
Response to Original message
5. nutbags!
Newsweek should not fan the flames of this insanity!

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Danger Mouse Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Nov-16-08 02:07 PM
Response to Original message
7. DO PEOPLE EVEN READ THE FUCKING BIBLE?? THERE IS NO FUCKING ANTICHRIST!!
THERE IS NO FUCKING ANTICHRIST MENTIONED EVEN ONCE IN THE FUCKING BIBLE DO THESE FUCKING DROOLING MORONS EVEN KNOW THEIR OWN FUCKING RELIGIOUS TEXT????
ARERRRRRRRRGHHHDFHSJFJKKGSKHKJASD


:nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke:

Not only that, but WHAT THE FUCK IS NEWSWEEK DOING PUBLISHING THIS HORSE SHIT?
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cali Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Nov-16-08 02:08 PM
Response to Reply #7
10. that'sbeside the point. millions of wackjobs believe there is.
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Danger Mouse Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Nov-16-08 02:13 PM
Response to Reply #10
12. i know. that's infuriating to me. they fervently belive something that's not even in the damn bible.
yet somehow they think it is...hey, if a chain e-mail says it is...
i just love the one that says 'the anti-christ will be MUSLIM, according to the Bible'
it's like, how the hell is dumb enough to buy that crap? there ARE NO FUCKING REFERENCES TO MUSLIMS IN THE BIBLE. argh.
ARGH
AERERRGHDJLASJKLSKHJKFJKFJDKJSJH HULK SMASH
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Nevernose Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Nov-16-08 02:31 PM
Response to Reply #12
23. There's not even a rapture in the Bible
It was made up by a bunch of semi-literate weirdos in the 1800s, and is largely propagated to this day by similar semi-literates who wouldn't understand concepts like "context" or "figurative language" if Moses came down from heaven and personally gave each and every one of them a copy of the Little, Brown Handbook carved in fucking stone. Have any of the jackasses ever actually read the Bible and bothered trying to comprehend it? Of course not. Thessalonians in its entirety is obviously far too esoteric for a country in which the average citizen reads at a sixth grade level. Go outside sometime and look at your neighbors: half of them need pictures on the menu of the drive-through because they're unwilling to make the effort to read the phrase "10 pc McNugget."

I share your frustrations.
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Danger Mouse Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Nov-16-08 04:29 PM
Response to Reply #23
59. Those who insist on a literal interperatation of the Bible haven't read the Bible.
Otherwise they would shit nickels over the rules they have to follow according to Leviticus.
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Nevernose Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Nov-16-08 09:51 PM
Response to Reply #59
72. But Leviticus doesn't apply anymore, remember?
Unless it's the gay part, of course. Even Jews don't follow Leviticus exactly anymore, and it's part of their damned holy book.
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Ian David Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Nov-17-08 01:01 PM
Response to Reply #59
111. Actually, they would have to shit shekels. n/t
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LanternWaste Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Nov-17-08 01:02 PM
Response to Reply #59
113. Most of the strictures in Leviticus...
Most (about 3/4s) of the strictures and regulations in Leviticus apply only to the tribe of Levi (the Lawgivers) rather than the whole of the 12 Tribes. Some of the strictures apply to the 12 Tribes, and very few of them apply to humanity as a whole, as the book of Leviticus is primarily a set of priestly rituals and legal applications.
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Dr.Phool Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Nov-16-08 02:35 PM
Response to Reply #12
29. Wasn't Islam founded in something like 700 AD?
So, there couldn't even be a possible reference to "Muslim" in the bible.
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Ian David Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Nov-16-08 02:38 PM
Response to Reply #29
32. That is correct. n/t
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14thColony Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Nov-17-08 12:29 PM
Response to Reply #12
105. I saw that one too
The fact that Islam didn't exist until 600 years after Jesus' supposed death seems to be a point lost on many of these folks.
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Ian David Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Nov-16-08 02:34 PM
Response to Reply #7
28. Apparently, they believe Nostradamus was The 13th Disciple. n/t
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Ian David Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Nov-16-08 02:35 PM
Response to Reply #7
30. Actually, Wikipedia says there IS one in "The" Bible.
Edited on Sun Nov-16-08 02:37 PM by IanDB1
Antichrist
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

<snip>

The term itself appears 5 times in 1 John and 2 John of the New Testament — once in plural form and four times in the singular - and is popularly associated with the belief of a competing and assumed evil entity opposed to Jesus of Nazareth.<3>

Biblical references

The antichrist and antichrists appear in the First and Second Epistle of John.<4><5><6><7>

1 John chapter 2 refers to many antichrists present at the time while warning of one Antichrist that is coming.<8> The "many antichrists" belong to the same spirit as that of the one Antichrist.<6><8> John wrote that such antichrists deny "that Jesus is the Christ", "the Father and the Son", and would "not confess Jesus came in the flesh." Likewise, the one Antichrist denies the Father and the Son.<5>

This one Antichrist is spoken of in more detail by Paul in 2 Thessalonians chapter 2. <9> Paul uses the term man of sin to describe what John identifies as the Antichrist.<10> Paul writes that this Man of Sin (sometimes translated son of perdition) will possess a number of characteristics. These include "sitting in the temple", opposing himself against anything that is worshiped, claiming divine authority,<11> working all kinds of counterfeit miracles and signs,<12> and doing all kinds of evil.<13> Paul notes that "the mystery of lawlessness"<14> (though not the Man of Sin himself) was working in secret already during his day and will continue to function until being destroyed on the Last Day.<15> His identity is to be revealed after that which is restraining him is removed.<9><15>

The term is also often applied to prophecies regarding a "Little horn" power in Daniel 7,<16>. Daniel 9:27 mentions an "abomination that causes desolations" setting itself up in a "wing" or a "pinnacle" of the temple.<17>. Some scholars interpret this as referring to the Antichrist.<18> Some commentators also view the verses prior to this as referring to the Antichrist. <19> Jesus refers to the references about abomination from Daniel 9:27, 11:31,<20> and 12:11<21> in Matthew 24:15<22> and Mark 13:14 <23> when he warns about the destruction of Jerusalem. Daniel 11:36-37 <24> speaks of a self exalting king, considered by some to be the Antichrist.<25>

Antiochus Epiphanes attempted to replace worship of Yahweh with veneration of himself, and was referred to in the Daniel 8:32-25 prophecy.<26> His command to worship false gods and desecration of the temple is seen by many as prefiguring the Antichrist.

Some identify him as being in league with (or the same as) several figures in the Book of Revelation including the Dragon, the Beast, the False Prophet, and the Whore of Babylon.

More:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antichrist


See also:

#
SAB, 1 John 2
"It is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many ... He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son. ...
www.skepticsannotatedbible.com/1jn/2.html
#
SAB, 2 John
This is a deceiver and an antichrist. "This is a deceiver and an antichrist." Non-Christians are deceivers and antichrists. ...
www.skepticsannotatedbible.com/2jn/1.html
#
SAB, 1 John 4
"This is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; ... He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.--1 John 2:22.
www.skepticsannotatedbible.com/1jn/4.html


#
What the Bible says about non-Christians
This is a deceiver and an antichrist." -- 2 John 7. They should be shunned. Neither marry nor be friends with them. "Be ye not unequally yoked together with ...
www.skepticsannotatedbible.com/says_about/nonchristians.html
#
What the Bible says about the end of the world
"Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the ...
www.skepticsannotatedbible.com/says_about/end.html
#
Bible: Intolerance
Every non-Christian is liar and an antichrist. 2:22, 4:2-3. Christians are alive ; non-Christians are dead. 5:12. Christians are "of God;" everyone else is ...
www.skepticsannotatedbible.com/int/long.html
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Danger Mouse Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Nov-16-08 04:28 PM
Response to Reply #30
58. Yes, I know that, but it's not in the bible in the sense that these morons describe it.
Anti-christ refers to somebody who denies Christ. That's all.
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Stevepol Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Nov-17-08 04:45 AM
Response to Reply #58
84. Yes. You have the right idea. The term is in the Bible but
Edited on Mon Nov-17-08 04:46 AM by Stevepol
it refers to a SPIRIT. The fundamentalists can't wrap their minds around the idea of a "spirit" that is shared by many people. They have to find a single individual who embodies that spirit. So for them there is a single antichrist rather than a spirit that anybody can adopt or share.

This just goes to show that the fundamentalists are tied to the physical and literal in everything. This means that every IDEA becomes a threat and a reason for fear. The world of fundamentalism is Plato turned on his head.
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QueenOfCalifornia Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Nov-17-08 08:56 AM
Response to Reply #58
98. Biblical scholars
Edited on Mon Nov-17-08 08:57 AM by Gilligan
say an antichrist is one who actively speaks against Christ - which oddly enough does not fit into the warped image made up by the evangelical, born again, end of timers who believe that The Antichrist is one who hides in plain sight and lulls the masses with charismatic false prophesies... sort of like George W. Bush.
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Jane Austin Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Nov-16-08 05:50 PM
Response to Reply #30
65. "John" has Epistles?
Who knew?
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No Elephants Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Nov-17-08 02:38 AM
Response to Reply #30
78. Remember, there are many, many "translations" of the Bible. Each of them probably had an agenda.
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Ian David Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Nov-17-08 07:24 AM
Response to Reply #78
94. The Greek word for "Antichrist" also translates as "douchebag." n/t
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Yavapai Donating Member (554 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Nov-17-08 12:57 PM
Response to Reply #94
109. The Greek word for "Antichrist" also translates as "douchebag."???
Then maybe Bush is the antichrist.

I remember that the Fundies used to preach that the antichrist had to be a jew because the bible said something along the lines of "he forsake the god of his fathers".

Also why couldn't Muslims be mentioned in the bible, since it wasn't put together until the 800's?
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Ian David Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Nov-17-08 01:00 PM
Response to Reply #109
110. I made that up, but it has truthiness. n/t
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olegramps Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Nov-17-08 10:10 AM
Response to Reply #30
99. The early Christians believed that the end was imminent.
This was the theme repeated throughout the writings of Paul, John, etc. that drew many converts to the early church. Repent, the end is near. They were convinced that the second coming was at hand and when this did not take place there was widespread apostasy. Every generation since has its prophets foretelling the end of time. Well, it has been about 2,000 years and I believe He is little overdue.
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Ian David Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Nov-17-08 11:02 AM
Response to Reply #99
104. 2000 years is "near" for people who believe The Universe is only 5,000 years old. n/t
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rasputin1952 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Nov-16-08 02:54 PM
Response to Reply #7
40. They never read Jesus' 11th Commandment either...
"Love thy brother as thyself"...they only read the things that can foster fear and degradtion...:(
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patrice Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Nov-16-08 03:02 PM
Response to Reply #7
41. Man, I'm tellin' you, it's "Lord of the Flies" E-V-E-R-Y-W-H-E-R-E!
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Danger Mouse Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Nov-16-08 04:31 PM
Response to Reply #41
60. Piggy better watch his back, then
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Sebastian Doyle Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Nov-16-08 03:12 PM
Response to Reply #7
44. Actually that's not true.
The word "Antichrist" does not appear anywhere in the book of Revelation, but it does appear four times in the writings of John which are just before Revelation in the Bible (as it was officially compiled in the 4th century AD)

Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour. - 1 John 2:18

Who is the liar? It is the man who denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a man is the antichrist—he denies the Father and the Son. - 1 John 2:22

but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world. - 1 John 4:3

Many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist. - 2 John 1:7

Now of those 4 verses, only the first even suggests that there will be one man called "the antichrist". The other references is clearly a generic term applied to anyone who denies Christ. And in John's case, surrounded by Romans, and the majority of Jews who rejected JC, that would mean a whole lot of antichrists.

The placement of these books right before Revelation in the "official" Bible is probably what leads to the perception that the singular Antichrist John speaks of in 1 John 2:18 is one and the same with The Beast in the book of Revelation. But none of the above scriptures can be applied to Obama, as he's certainly never denied Christ.
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Danger Mouse Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Nov-16-08 04:26 PM
Response to Reply #44
57. I am aware of the use of 'antichrist' in thenew testament, however, as you point out...
no one specific antichrist is mentioned. Anti-christ here simply means somebody who denies Christ. It's not some evil devil king or something.
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genna Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Nov-16-08 06:07 PM
Response to Reply #7
67. I do read my Bible. I thought Revelations covered that. Besides what difference does
it make if you don't believe it matters.

I guess Newsweek is a rag now.


My Mom thought Reagan was the antiChrist.
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Danger Mouse Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Nov-16-08 06:21 PM
Response to Reply #67
70. It's not Revelations, it's Revelation. Also, Revelation does NOT cover it.
There is not ONE mention of an antichrist in the Book of Revelation. There are mentions of 'Anti-Christ' in other parts of the New Testament, but they are references to people who simply don't believe in Jesus. i'm not sure who came up with the idea of an evil 'shadow Jesus' but it quite simply is a concept that does not exist in the Bible.
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Enthusiast Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Nov-16-08 06:08 PM
Response to Reply #7
68. But, Elrond, these nuts think Tim
Lahaye's left behind series is a biblical supplement.
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QueenOfCalifornia Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Nov-17-08 08:51 AM
Response to Reply #7
97. Actually
Edited on Mon Nov-17-08 08:52 AM by Gilligan
there are 4 passages in the Bible that talk about the antichrist - and it is not some crazy interpretation of a word since it is a simple compound word from early Greek - anti + christ:

THE 4 BIBLE PASSAGES:

1 John 2:18-19 "Children, it is the last hour; and just as you heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have arisen; from this we know that it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, in order that it might be shown that they all are not of us."

1 John 2:22-23 "Who is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son. Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father; the one who confesses the Son has the Father also."

1 John 4:2-3 "By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God; and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God; and this is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming, and now it is already in the world."

2 John 1.7 "For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the antichrist."

:)
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Hekate Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Nov-18-08 03:21 AM
Response to Reply #7
124. No, or they would have figured out what a "jeremiad" is when Obama's former pastor gave one
Way too many American Christians don't actually read the Bible, they just take someone else's word for it. They might as well be illiterate Medieval peasants listening to their priest's homilies and not able to read a word of the Latin Bible chained to the pulpit.

As for Newsweek, they're going to make me sorry I subscribed if they keep this up.

Hekate


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panader0 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Nov-16-08 02:08 PM
Response to Original message
9. To contend that 666 is somehow bad is beyond stupid.
It's superstitious to the max. It might as well be 111 or ???. it's a fucking number you religious idiots!!111!!
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LittleApple81 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Nov-16-08 02:32 PM
Response to Reply #9
25. I taught a class and I numbered it "LetterPrefix"666... because I did not know about this crap.
It was approved, and my students asked me the first semester that I taught it why the number. They explained to me why they asked, and I said "I am glad that you knew before you registered what expected you in this class." That was the end of discussion and the class still has the same number even though now I am retired.
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shanti Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Nov-16-08 03:12 PM
Response to Reply #9
43. numerology
6+6+6 = 18
8+1 = 9

NUMBER NINE, NUMBER NINE, NUMBER NINE...(beatles song)

isn't the number nine supposed to mean "the end"?


or something like that, lol.
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TK421 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Nov-16-08 04:38 PM
Response to Reply #43
61. that is my social security number ....but jumbled
:scared:
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RedCloud Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Nov-16-08 05:10 PM
Response to Reply #9
63. A sexual number at that!
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struggle4progress Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Nov-17-08 04:53 AM
Response to Reply #9
86. 6-6-6 seems to be an unexpectedly frequent lottery number in Illinois
01/29/2005 Evening Pick 4 6-6-6-5
10/03/2005 Midday Pick 4 1-6-6-6
05/08/2006 Evening Pick 4 6-6-6-5
08/12/2006 Midday Pick 4 0-6-6-6
01/02/2007 Evening Pick 3 6-6-6
03/30/2007 Evening Pick 4 0-6-6-6
08/14/2007 Evening Pick 4 6-6-6-1
01/16/2008 Evening Pick 3 6-6-6
03/22/2008 Evening Pick 3 6-6-6
07/05/2008 Evening Pick 4 0-6-6-6
10/23/2008 Midday Pick 3 6-6-6
11/05/2008 Evening Pick 3 6-6-6

If the Midday and Evening Pick 3's were genuinely random, one might expect 6-6-6 to show up about 3 times every four years, but in the last four years 6-6-6 showed up 5 times, 4 of them this year. Similarly, if the Midday and Evening Pick 4's were genuinely random, one might expect 6-6-6-x or x-6-6-6 to show up about 5 times every four years, but in the last four years they've shown up 7 times; and, in particular, 0-6-6-6, which one might expect to see once every thirteen or fourteen years, showed up 3 times in the last four years, while 6-6-6-5, which one also expects to see about once every thirteen or fourteen years, showed up twice in the last four

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Captain Hilts Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Nov-16-08 02:09 PM
Response to Original message
11. I just LOVE stuff this thoroughly STOOOPID. nt
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nam78_two Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Nov-16-08 02:13 PM
Response to Original message
13. How irresponsible of them
Edited on Sun Nov-16-08 02:15 PM by nam78_two
The last thing this country (with our growing numbers of Joel's Army types, rapturists etc.) needs is a mainstream news source apparently validating this sort of absurd superstitious nonsense.
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OKNancy Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Nov-16-08 02:15 PM
Response to Original message
14. I think it needs reporting and I see nothing wrong with it
I just found out today that I person I know casually thinks all this stuff is true.
It's important for people to know what nutbags are saying.
I think it's about the same as when they reported about the 9-11 truth-kooks.
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shanti Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Nov-16-08 02:18 PM
Response to Reply #14
16. one of my
aunt/uncle believe this bullshit! they are rw nutjobs too. suffice to say, i don't communicate with them.
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pnwmom Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Nov-16-08 02:22 PM
Response to Reply #14
18. The problem with this article is that it doesn't clarify how far out of the
mainstream these believers are. This article is giving an uncritical look at the "nutbags", IMO.
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anigbrowl Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Nov-18-08 02:54 AM
Response to Reply #18
123. Don't agree...
I think it's perfectly obvious from the article that they're fruit loops.
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SemiCharmedQuark Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Nov-16-08 02:23 PM
Response to Reply #14
19. IMHO, there's a difference between an article entitled "Is Obama the Antichrist" and "Some groups
believe Obama to be the Antichrist".


They title it as though it's going to be a debate presenting both sides, and then cite only those that believe it.
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cali Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Nov-16-08 02:33 PM
Response to Reply #14
26. does it need the title "Is Obama the Anti-Christ"?
and no, they aren't reporting this as if it were a bunch of nutjobs.
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JohnnyLib2 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Nov-16-08 02:43 PM
Response to Reply #14
35. I pretty much agree.

No use pretending that this idea isn't alive in some quarters; might as well address it directly.
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pnwmom Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Nov-16-08 02:21 PM
Response to Original message
17. This whole article is based on the false premise that Jesus's followers
Edited on Sun Nov-16-08 02:26 PM by pnwmom
universally believe in the end times scenarios that Millennialists propose. Catholics, who make up half of all Christians, don't believe in a literal interpretation of the Book of Revelation (as if that were even possible, since most of it is poetic and its metaphors impenetrable), and neither do many other mainstream Christians.

Unfortunately, when Millennialists come into positions of power (like Sarah Palin threatened to), they are in a greater position to make their fantasies into reality -- to assist their vision of the end times along. That is what scares me.

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ecstatic Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Nov-16-08 02:24 PM
Response to Original message
21. The thought that anyone could vote for a black man is so outrageous to them
so they seek supernatural explanations. :eyes:
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Obamarama Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Nov-16-08 02:28 PM
Response to Original message
22. The Antichrist would reveal itself through a LOTTERY NUMBER?
Edited on Sun Nov-16-08 02:31 PM by KzooDem
This nebulous figment of rapturous Xtian's imaginations supposedly has the power to destroy the whole fucking world, and it reveals itself via the week's Illinois winning lottery numbers? Oh my GOD...what's next? Pretty soon Vanna White might reveal a satanic message when she flips the letters. And I'll bet if you play tapes of Oprah's shows backwards you'll hear demonic messages.

Really...this short of shit sounds like it came from Landover Baptist or something. What's frightening is that it didn't.

Are these people missing a chromosome? Do they have an extra one? They are obviously suffering from some sort of genetic flaw or chemical imbalance if they ACTUALLY BELIEVE THIS RIDICULOUS BULLSHIT!


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struggle4progress Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Nov-17-08 05:14 AM
Response to Reply #22
87. Of course! Let's look at other Illinois lottery 6-6-6 antichrist days this year!

01/16/2008 Evening Pick 3 6-6-6
Recipes by Cindy McCain ...
January 16, 2008
(In April, this recipe was found to have been taken from the Food Network Web site, as reported by the Huffington Post. John McCain's campaign subsequently pulled this recipe from its Web site.)
CINDY McCAIN'S PASSION FRUIT MOUSSE ... http://www.nysun.com/food-drink/recipes-by-cindy-mccain-michelle-obama/69649/

03/22/2008 Evening Pick 3 6-6-6
March 22, 2008, 1:11 pm
McCain’s Overseas Press Coverage
By Michael Cooper
PARIS – ... Mr. McCain, of Arizona, told The Times of London ... “... Mrs. McCain is intent on taking him shopping” ... And in Britain, The Guardian examined his family’s belief that they were descended from Robert the Bruce, the 14th century King of Scots, in an article headlined, “John McCain ... a descendant of Robert the Bruce? Baloney” ... http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/03/22/mccains-overseas-press-coverage/

07/05/2008 Evening Pick 4 0-6-6-6
McCain tells Mexico: Border security first
MEXICO CITY, July 5 (UPI) -- Presumptive Republican U.S. presidential nominee John McCain told Mexican leaders security at the border is a precondition of immigration reform. McCain ended a visit to Colombia and Mexico Thursday, The Arizona Republic reported ... http://www.upi.com/Top_News/2008/07/05/McCain_tells_Mexico_Border_security_first/UPI-92041215236047/

10/23/2008 Midday Pick 3 6-6-6
McCain Takes a 'Joe' Sprint Across Florida
Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, back to camera, touches Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain on the arm as they have breakfast with McCain's wife Cindy, right, and a group of small business owners during a stop at the Starlite Dinner in Daytona Beach, Fla., on Oct. 23, 2008. (Stephan Savoia/Associated Press)
By Michael Abramowitz
ORMOND BEACH, Fla. -- John McCain is taking "Joe the Plumber" on tour in Florida ...
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/10/23/mccain_takes_a_joe_sprint_acro.html


To summarize: On 16 Jan, the Illinois lottery comes up 6-6-6 and Cindy McCain's phony recipe is published in the New York Sun. On 22 Mar, the Illinois lottery comes up 6-6-6 and the Brits are exposing McCain's puffed-up ancestry claims. On 5 Jul, the Illinois lottery comes up 0-6-6-6, and John McCain has just finished trying to justify death squad government in Colombia and lecturing Mexico about US borders. On 23 Oct, the Illinois lottery comes up 6-6-6, and McCain is hyping "Joe the Plumber"

Could these really be coincidences? :D
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Ian David Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Nov-16-08 02:32 PM
Response to Original message
24. The "Real" Number of The Beast may actually be 616
Number of the Beast
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Number of the Beast is a concept from the Book of Revelation of the New Testament of the Christian Bible. The Number is 666 in most manuscripts of the New Testament, and in modern translations and critical editions of the Greek text. However, there is some doubt about the original reading, as modern studies have shown that the earliest known manuscript of the Book of Revelation, Papyrus 115, (from the 3rd century) used 616. This topic is a source of contention for many church groups and theologians.<1> Some scholars contend that the number 666 is a code for the Roman Emperor Nero,<2><3> others that 616 is a code for the Roman Emperor Caligula.<4>

<snip>

616

In May 2005, it was reported that scholars at Oxford University using advanced imaging techniques<11> had been able to read previously illegible portions of the earliest known record of the Book of Revelation, from the Oxyrhynchus site, Papyrus 115 or P115, dating to the mid to late third century. The fragment gives the Number of the Beast as 616 (chi, iota, stigma), rather than the majority text 666 (chi, xi, stigma).<1> In Eastern Greek 616 is chi-iota-stigma or XIC. Eastern forms of Greek used the Lunate Sigma (which resembles an upper case C) as seen on many ancient Christian religious artifacts. The other early witness Codex Ephraemi Rescriptus (C) has it written in full: hexakosiai deka hex (lit. six hundred sixteen).<12>

Significantly, P115 aligns with Codex Alexandrinus (A) and Codex Ephraemi Rescriptus (C) which are generally regarded as providing the best testimony to Revelation. Thus, P115 has superior testimony to that of P47 which aligns with Codex Sinaiticus and together form the second-best witness to the Book of Revelation. This has led some scholars to conclude that 616 is the original number of the beast.<13><14>

Dr. Paul Lewes in his book, A Key to Christian Origins (1932) wrote:

"The figure 616 is given in one of the two best manuscripts, C (Codex Ephraemi Rescriptus, Paris), by the Latin version of Tyconius (DCXVI, ed. Souter in the Journal of Theology, SE, April 1913), and by an ancient Armenian version (ed. Conybaere, 1907). Irenaeus knew about it , but did not adopt it (Haer. v.30,3), Jerome adopted it (De Monogramm., ed. Dom G Morin in the Rev. Benedictine, 1903). It is probably original. The number 666 has been substituted for 616 either by analogy with 888, the number of Jesus (Deissmann), or because it is a triangular number, the sum of the first 36 numbers (1+2+3+4+5+6...+36 = 666)".<15>

Professor David Parker, Professor of New Testament Textual Criticism and Paleography at the University of Birmingham, thinks that 616, although less memorable than 666, is the original. Dr. Ellen Aitken said, “Scholars have argued for a long time over this, and it now seems that 616 was the original number of the beast. It's probably about 100 years before any other version."<16>


Red arrow points to χιϛʹ (616) in P115 deciphered in May 2005.

More:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Number_of_the_Beast
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stopbush Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Nov-16-08 02:45 PM
Response to Reply #24
36. Yep. More arguing over the number of angels on a pinhead.
It's all a childish myth, isn't it?
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eridani Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Nov-17-08 02:29 AM
Response to Reply #36
77. The question of angels on pinheads is one of the deepest questions that human beings have ever asked
Newton and Leibnitz successfully answered it.
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ismnotwasm Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Nov-16-08 02:33 PM
Response to Original message
27. Late night I read all the pertinent parts of the bible
Relating to this bullshit.

I suffered through the book of Daniel and Revelations for instance. I'm not religious at all. I have no problem with people who are. But somebody starts saying something based on "the bible" I go look it up myself.


Yes, they are nuts, that "concern and belief" is part mass hysteria and part psychological damage from actually believing in a God who Rips. Shit. UP. (And part other things I don't want to contemplate right now) Taking the horrors in those books literally is NOT a healthy state of mind. I don't care what anybody says.
Seriously. God will fuck you up, as the song goes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cA-pWKRyyG8

And I agree with the poster above. This shit is irresponsible.
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booksenkatz Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Nov-16-08 02:37 PM
Response to Original message
31. Why do they fear the anti-Christ if it means Jesus is returning?
Everything else aside: why the fear? I don't get it. (But then, I don't get ANYTHING about religion.)
:shrug:
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Recursion Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Nov-16-08 02:40 PM
Response to Original message
33. The Beast in Revelation is not the Antichrist
Just like the serpent in the garden was not Satan, and neither of those are the Antichrist either.

It's amazing to me how self-proclaimed literalists out there show such fundamental ignorance of the bible...
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Cha Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Nov-16-08 02:49 PM
Response to Original message
37. No, bush is the fucking anti Christ and
our Country has rejected his EVIL.
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patrice Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Nov-16-08 02:50 PM
Response to Original message
38. If something is Real/True then it is related to all other things which are Real/True to the extent t
Edited on Sun Nov-16-08 02:58 PM by patrice
hat they all share Real-ness/True-ness. Ergo if Jesus is Real/True

He never "went" anywhere.

To the extent that he/we IS/ARE Real, he's always been right here and, to the extent that he/we is/are Real, he always will be here.

Look at Human History, "we" kill Jesus every day and we continue to do so.

The anti-Christ is a self-fulfilling prophecy that poses false cognitive dichotomies under various disguises for the purposes of acquiring power. Prophecies about the anti-Christ are naive/ignorant stories about the aggregate effect of these false dichotomies upon all of Earth's systems, which includes Human systems. The "return" of the Christ will be to recognize this BullShit for what it IS and re-orient ourselves to the organic unity of all things, to, thus, recognize how each and every one of us participates literally in killing Christ every day and to try to do something about that within our own individual selves, not to objectify and externalize it onto others and not to try once again to kill what is "wrong" by killing others.

This World IS what we have made it. There is no external boogie man fucking us up. We're doing the job quite effectively all by ourselves.
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Whalestoe Donating Member (928 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Nov-16-08 02:53 PM
Response to Original message
39. There is no Christ. There is no antichrist. These people are idiots.
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pnorman Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Nov-16-08 03:12 PM
Response to Original message
45. I'm currently 'listening to" Meacham's latest book about President Andrew Jackson, "American Lion".
I'm impressed so far (as was another DUer on another thread). Here's his Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jon_Meacham

I'll read that article very carefully before joining in the condemnation of him. Frankly, I see an awful lot of "school of minnow" reaction here lately. We can do better than that!

pnorman
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liberalmuse Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Nov-16-08 03:17 PM
Response to Original message
46. My letter to Newsweek...
At first, I was stunned to read an article at Newsweek, 'Is Obama the AntiChrist?' by Lisa Miller. Now I am disgusted and angry. This is tripe I expect to find at of those nutty conspiracy websites, not in a prominent news magazine.

The Secret Service is being kept very busy these days due to the amount of death threats President-Elect Obama has been receiving from far-right wing religious whackjobs and racists, I find it highly irresponsible that your publication would seek to further feed these people's already significant fears and delusions by publishing such warrantless fodder .

Ironically, the same people who are spreading vicious slander against a man who has never done them any harm, but on the contrary, has devoted his life to community and public service in order to ensure that those who don't always have a voice in this country are heard, are the very same people who voted for George W. Bush. Twice.

The latter is a man who lied to the American people and the world in order to start a war against a country that posed no threat to us, then released a bombing campaign his administration gloatingly referred to as, 'Shock and Awe', which killed and displaced millions of Iraqi civilians, along with thousands of our soldiers. At the same time, Bush and the Republican Congress dramatically cut veteran's benefits, leaving the men and women he sent to die in his needless war to struggle with their mental and physical injuries without the assistance they so desperately need.

George W. Bush is a man who considers himself above the law, upsurping laws clearly outlined by The Constitution in order to justify implementing a widespread policy of torture, detainment without due process and warrantless wire-tapping. Bush is man who took money from the middle class and the working poor and handed it over to his wealthy contributors, who are now idly watching as everyday Americans struggle to meet their basic needs while divying up $700 billion they plan to tax us amongst themselves.

I've read the Bible many times, and it seems that Jesus preached policies which are the exact opposite as those carried out by George W. Bush. If a man like Barack Obama can be considered 'evil' while a man like George W. Bush can be considered, 'Godly', somehow I don't think these people are fit to judge who or what is good and evil, and further, the Bible says that only God should be charged with that task. If those accusing our President-Elect of being the AntiChrist really want to know who the AntiChrist is, I suggest they look into a mirror.
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Whalestoe Donating Member (928 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Nov-16-08 03:19 PM
Response to Reply #46
48. Great letter!
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Colobo Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Nov-16-08 03:17 PM
Response to Original message
47. What the heck is this???
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Peacetrain Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Nov-16-08 03:27 PM
Response to Original message
49. Reagan beat him to it..He and Nancy moved to a house number of 666
not just some constituent in their state picking the number..

Ronald and Nancy Reagan retired to Beverly Hills in 1989, their house number was 666, which Nancy changed to 668

Newsweek is a day late and a dollar short on their antichrist pick
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Ichingcarpenter Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Nov-16-08 03:31 PM
Response to Original message
50. If he is or he isn't then he's still doing 'God's'' Will..... Unless
God has no control or plans over events. Its a paradox that fundies can't get their mind's around.
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patrice Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Nov-16-08 03:35 PM
Response to Original message
52. Here's my e-mail to Newsweek:
Until I see some means by which you re-establish your credibility to me, I promise you that I, in my wide, wide peregrinations amongst people, will always take whatever opportunities that present themselves to express my concerns about damaging examples, such as Newsweek, of socially ir-responsible media for profit. The article linked above will be a reference point for how Newsweek contributes to “The Lord of the Flies” mentality that is building in America today and puts the lie to any claims of Newsweek’s patriotism.

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Sebastian Doyle Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Nov-16-08 03:39 PM
Response to Original message
53. Perhaps the most disturbing fundie doctrine of all
is one pushed by John "Fat Bastard" Hagee, who claims that the borders of Israel will contain much more land than they currently do when Jesus returns.....

"Given these boundaries found in holy Scripture, we discover that Israel will have far more land when Messiah comes than she presently does. Israel's boundaries, established time and time again in the Old Testament, will include all of present day Israel, all of Lebanon, half of Syria, two thirds of Jordan, all of Iraq, and the northern portion of Saudi Arabia."


(Source: John Hagee - "The Beginning of the End - the Assassination of Yitzhak Rabin and the Coming Antichrist" Pg 23-24)

So now you know why the fundies don't care how many Iraqi children get killed. Or Iranian children, or Lebanese children, or Israeli children for that matter. Because it all "has to happen" before JC can plan His comeback tour.
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14thColony Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Nov-17-08 12:54 PM
Response to Reply #53
108. I'm sure the Israeli Army will be delighted
Occupying the Gaza Strip will look like Romper Room compared to trying to control all of that.

Plus the fun part about Israel occupying 'all of Iraq' but not all of Syria or Jordan. But Israel doesn't border Iraq, so that should be fun.

As with most of this bullshit, apply 1 molecule of common sense or logic and it all comes apart at the seams.
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ilrslr3 Donating Member (56 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Nov-16-08 03:42 PM
Response to Original message
54. The Anti-Christ is not mentioned
Edited on Sun Nov-16-08 03:55 PM by ilrslr3
in the Book of Revelations however it is mentioned in the Bible
the Antichrist is mentioned 5 times: Twice in 1John.2:18, once in 1John.2:22, 4:3, and 2John.7
1. They are many (1John.:2:18-19).He denies that Jesus is the Christ, he denies the Father and the Son, he does not acknowledge Jesus Christ has come in the flesh from God (1John.2:22, 4:2-3, 2John.7)
Obama being a Born again Christian believes in Jesus Christ and he also stated this on Rick Warren forum. According to this Scripture their are more than one Antichrists. (Bush & Cheney)

There are two kind of Antichrists in the Bible (Bush&Cheney)
1. The one of the Letters of John.(There are many which means more than one)Bush & Cheney
2. The one at the end of times, who will reign for 3½ years, the same time of the ministry of Christ!.

Though the rethugs try to find similarities to the Antichrist and Obama they really need to read the Bible, Obama is a Christian who believes in the Father, The Son and the Holy Spirit he speaks of his Christianity. To be the Antichrist you have to not believe in Jesus which we all know Obama believes in. You can not be a Christian and not believe in Christ. The word Christian comes from Christ.

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patrice Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Nov-16-08 04:16 PM
Response to Reply #54
56. Welcome to DU ilrslr3!
Thanks also for your expertise on this topic.

:hi:
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GoesTo11 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Nov-16-08 03:57 PM
Response to Original message
55. How about if everyone who thinks he's the anti-christ puts on special sneakers
and goes to the great spaceship in the sky.

Then in the morning if it turns out he's not the anti-christ, we can all have a big laugh at their expense.
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Sebastian Doyle Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Nov-16-08 04:39 PM
Response to Reply #55
62. Does that include Johnny Rotten?
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paparush Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Nov-16-08 05:28 PM
Response to Original message
64. These imbeciles are not Christians, they are Falwellians.
They share nothing in common with the man known as Christ.

Religion is for people afraid of going to hell. Spirituality is for people who've already been there.

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IndianaJohn Donating Member (142 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Nov-16-08 05:54 PM
Response to Original message
66. I grew up in a christian fundamentalist environment...
and since my ssn includes the no. 666, I had always suspected that I was the antichrist.

However, once I reached my upper teens I developed a mind of my own and dropped that nonsense.

If we had 16 fingers, 666 = 29A
If we had 12 fingers, 666 = 476
If we had 8 fingers, 666 = 1232
If we had 6 fingers, 666 = 3030
If we had 4 fingers, 666 = 22122
If we had 2 fingers, 666 = 1010011010

IDK, but the number seems a little arbitrary to me.
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AlinPA Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Nov-16-08 06:17 PM
Response to Original message
69. Newsweek=Fox "News".
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windy252 Donating Member (742 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Nov-16-08 08:26 PM
Response to Original message
71. This is getting ridiculous
Right now, I'm just irritated so I don't know what I'll do but I may well cancel my subscription I was able to tolerate the predictable "centrism is teh hawt!" (thanks Daily Kos), but this is getting to be too much.
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Radical Activist Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Nov-16-08 10:20 PM
Response to Original message
73. Is Newsweek good enough to wipe my rear with?
Probably not.
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TrogL Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Nov-16-08 10:29 PM
Response to Original message
74. WILL YOU PEOPLE GET OVER IT - I AM THE ANTI-CHRIST
All these other people, including Obama, are pretenders.

Most of people's information about the Anti-Christ is NOT from the Bible. It's only mentioned briefly in the book of John.

Most of the rest comes from Nostradomus, which is heresy.
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zulchzulu Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Nov-16-08 10:37 PM
Response to Original message
75. All those who think Obama is the Anti-Christ are correct... now just do these things...
... yunno...

If anyone thinks Obama is the Anti-Christ, that means the burning fires of hell and the end of the World is near. If all that is true, I would suggest those that believe:
  • See everything they have and move to Guyana
  • Be prepared to have the Rapture occur, which means don't use your computer, don't vote, don't listen to radio, don't go to restaurants... get out of the fucking way
  • Dig a big hole and bury yourself to wait for the Rapture to come

    It's that easy!

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    No Elephants Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Nov-17-08 02:47 AM
    Response to Original message
    79. There is supposedly a leader who takes over the world, but he is to come out of Rome and the 666 is
    supposed to be on his forehead. (The mark of the Beast.) Disregarding the 666 on the forehead bit, Mel Gibson's religion, a breakaway from Catholicism, thought the Pope was the Beast. And, in the end times, we stop using money and just use the number of the Beast, which is on our hands. As I interpret this, it means "Stay out of credit card debt." So, obviously, Suzy Orman is the Anti Christ.

    Gee, this stuff is fun.
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    KakistocracyHater Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Nov-17-08 03:07 AM
    Response to Original message
    80. 616=Palin number of votes she won for Mayor
    I think. Astrotheology is a good place to start looking, as well as www.jesusneverexisted.com & the book "The Christ Conspiracy" by Acharya S & the documentary "The God That Wasn't There". The fact that AMEN IS an EGYPTIAN GOD & was copied & pasted wholesale into the 'new religion', the Catholic Church claims a title of Jesus-Agape, that was VENUS' TITLE=LOVE FEAST. They also say Jesus is "Living Water" THAT IS EGYPTIAN (mw< nh) & (<nh nwy)"Living Waters/Life of Water. In Egyptian(or Kometian)hsi=praised drowned person Greek=HOSIO=HOSANNA! Ancient languages had no vowels written down, & during 2000BC long a turned to long o In Egypt & Canaan, in Turkey & N Levant long a changed to to long e; look at this word mnr do you see menorah? Or Amen-Re, Egyptian RAM GOD?:evilgrin:




    http://jesusastrotheology.netfirms.com/
    http://covenantbride.wordpress.com/2007/04/15/the-church-and-easter-the-queen-of-heaven/
    the above is somewhat shocking & loony
    http://www.christian-faith.com/forjesus/jezebel-spirit this 1 is not very nice-they HATE the Queen of Heaven, so be warned
    http://www.ewtn.com/expert/answers/mother.htm here is a much kinder view of Mary
    http://www.scripturecatholic.com/honor_your_mother.html This says the Ark of the Covenant was foreshadowing MARY as the ARK of JESUS, it's quite nice
    http://ourladystears.blogspot.com/2008/08/queen-of-heaven.html another friendly to Mary

    I must point out that INANNA was the FIRST to DIE & RESURRECT & was called Queen of Heaven & Earth & descended(& died) in an effort to become Queen of ROSETTA, which is merely the EGYPTIAN NAME for the UNDERWORLD.
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    TheBigotBasher Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Nov-17-08 03:10 AM
    Response to Original message
    81. So in America you can get paid for writing this rubbish?
    Wow so not only is there an all seeing, all creating Giant Spaghetti Monster in the sky, that giant spaghetti monster has a horrible enemy who does not like his bastard son. He lives in the ground of a small planet called Earth, part of the giant Universe that these spaghetti monsters control.

    Bad Spaghetti Monster tired of yang, decides he is going to Earth to become President of one random Country in the World. As Spaghetti Monster number one went to the Middle East, number two decides he will go to America. He becomes Reagan, Bush, Obama / whichever President you care to attach some 6s to.

    I guess you have to at least to pretend to believe this rubbish.
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    KakistocracyHater Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Nov-17-08 03:14 AM
    Response to Original message
    82. another smack-down of Fish-Madness
    http://www.sullivan-county.com/nf0/y2k/ccon.htm

    "Christian Confusion On End-Times Nonsense

    "People who are obsessed with end times have never learned from history. They've been 100 percent wrong, 100 percent of the time."

    Hank Hanegraaff, CRI "....

    "Christianity has never been immune from error in apocalyptic teachings that have continually led Christians astray. These errors of understanding have continually made a fool of Christian expectations, especially in this century. These errors have become so rooted into much Christian thinking on the End Time as to constitute an effective delusion in the church that undermines the credibility of real biblical Christianity before the world! Like it or not, the Second coming was a failed first century prophecy and just wont happen. With the events of September 11 the craze is on again. Will they continue to turn Jesus into a joke?"....

    1654

    "HAHA!!!

    Archbishop Ussher of Armagh fixes the date of Creation as 4004 BC (26th October at 9 AM), and the End as 1997 AD (6000 AM of the Great Week) when the Millennium begins. This idiot also claimed to know when the earth was created (4004 BC) and is still quoted by fundamentalists today.
    1733 Sir Isaac Newton thinks the Coming of Christ to be about 2000 AD.

    1774 Ann Lee (tongues-speaking Quaker) founds the United Society of Believers in Christ's Second Appearing (Shakers) as the Millennial church in America (promoting celibacy). She declares herself to be the reincarnation of Christ and female aspect of God's dual nature. The Shakers win the admiration of many for their inventiveness (the circular saw, screw propeller, rotary harrow, etc.), model farms and their orderly prosperous communities.

    1800 The Millennium does not arrive. New prophecy nuts come out in droves.

    1802

    HAHA!!!

    Prophetess Joanna Southcott in England begins 'sealing' the '144 000' elect for the End. Her thousands of followers include some Anglican clergy.
    1825

    HAHA!!!

    Britain's Rev Edward Irving predicts that Christ will return in 1864 (the Irvingites are the origin of the Catholic Apostolic Church, and today's New Apostolic Church. The Old Apostolic Church is a South African break-away from this group).
    See http://users.iafrica.com/l/ll/lloyd/6-EndTimeIssues/Predictions.htm

    Adventists off shoots
    http://www.jmahoney.com/adventis.htm

    Armageddon and All That Jazz
    1826

    HAHA!!!

    Edward Irving begins his "school of the prophets" focusing on end time issues.
    1829-1833

    HAHA!!!

    Edward Irving, Henry Drummond, and John Nelson Darby develop the 'pre-Tribulation Rapture' theory of Christ's Return. Darby (Plymouth Brethren) promotes the idea as part of a dispensational division of history. Through the Bible notes of a lawyer, C.I. Scofield, the Irving-Drummond-Darby 'pre-Tribulation Rapture' theory spreads among Christians to become the dominant End Time view in Christian circles in the 20th century.
    1832

    HAHA!!!

    Latter Day Saints (Mormonism) founder, Joseph Smith of America, says:
    "I was once praying very earnestly to know the time of the coming of the Son of Man, when I heard a voice repeat the following: Joseph, my son, if thou livest until thou art eighty-five years old, thou shalt see the face of the Son of Man; therefore let this suffice, and trouble me no more on this matter." (Doctrine & Covenants 130:14-15).
    Joseph Smith declared: "I prophesy in the name of the Lord God, and let it be written--the Son of Man will not come in the clouds of heaven till I am eighty-five years old." (History of the Church, Vol.5, pp.336-37).
    1844

    HAHA!!!

    Joseph Smith dies without seeing the Lord's Return or his 85th birthday.
    March 21st : William Miller, encouraged by some clergy, calculates this date as Christ's Return. It fails and is recalculated as -
    October 22nd: The Return of Christ predicted by Miller's Adventists (numbering about 100 000) fails again.
    1845

    HAHA!!!

    The 'Seventh-day' Adventist movement, helped by Mrs Ellen G White as prophetess, develops the doctrine of the 'mark of the Beast' as Sunday-worship by a papal Antichrist in explanation of Christ's so-called 'delayed' Return.
    1864

    HAHA!!!

    Rev. Edward Irving's predicted Return of Christ fails. (See 1825).

    Adventists off shoots
    http://www.jmahoney.com/adventis.htm

    Armageddon and All That Jazz
    1888 In France, General Boulanger is denounced by an un-named prophet from England as the Antichrist, claiming that his name in Greek has the numeric value of 666, and pedicts that Christ will return at 3 PM on March 5 that year.
    1889

    HAHA!!!

    Rev. Michael Baxter, editor of the Christian Herald, announces in his book The End of This Age about the End of This Century that 1896 would witness the Rapture of 144 000 devout Christians, and that the world would end in 1901.
    1896

    HAHA!!!

    Baxter's Rapture does not happen. (See 1889).

    1901 Baxter's Millennium does not come. (See 1889).

    1914

    HAHA!!!

    Jehovah's Witnesses' predicted return of Christ fails, but they now change their teaching to an invisible Coming known only to true believers.
    1917
    May 13th: Three small children claim to have seen the Virgin Mary standing in an oak tree. On the 13th of each subsequent month until October crowds gather to see the vision but only the children claim to see her. They also claim that three prophecies are given, two revealed and a third kept secret in the Vatican. (See May 13, 2000).

    1959 April 22nd: hundreds of 'Davidians' (a break-away Seventh-day Adventist sect) at their 77 acre compound at Waco, Texas, await the Return of Christ, watched by a large crowd and the media. The expectation is broadcast across the United States - and fails. (See 1993, February 28th).

    1965
    July: self-styled prophet, William Branham, declares in response to California earthquake: "The Scripture reader or even a--a believer knows that we are now at the end of the history of the world. There will be no use of writing it, because there won't be anybody to read it. It's at the end of the time. ..."
    1973

    HAHA!!!

    This idiot is still at it!

    Hal Lindsey publishes in his best-selling book 'Late Great Planet Earth' that there will be only one generation between Israel's new statehood and the End Time. Although he does not state the date he provides many of the arguments upon which the date 1988 is based.
    April: Rev. David Wilkerson claims a supernatural vision of imminent world-wide disaster of unprecedented proportions, economic collapse, famine, earthquakes, etc., in 'this generation', leading to Christ's sudden evacuation of Christians and the rise of Antichrist. 'More than one-third of the United States will be designated a disaster area within the next few years'.
    Roman Catholic Sister Agnes Katsuko at Akito, Japan, receives a message from the Virgin Mary, saying 'Father God will inflict a punishment greater than the Deluge ... Fire will fall from the sky and will wipe out a great part of humanity, sparing neither priests nor the faithful. The survivors will find themselves so desolate that they will envy the dead.'

    In anticipation of the year 2000. (TW Petrisko, Call of the Ages, Queenship, 1995, p.xxi)
    1978 November 18th: 'Disciple's of Christ' church, 'Peoples Temple', Jonestown, Guyana, conducts a mass suicide of its 900 members (one third were under 18 years and so some probably murdered) because of a Federal investigation (they practised suicide procedures several times over the years as a sign of loyalty to the church). Pastor Jim Jones had warned his followers that a disastrous period of fascism, race war, and nuclear holocaust was coming. In the year of the suicide 'Peoples Temple' was the highest contributing church to their denomination.

    1980s Edgar Whisenant (former NASA engineer) publishes his book, 88 Reasons Why the Rapture Will Be in 1988.
    Hal Lindsey (of 'The Late Great Planet Earth') writes concerning the so-called 'Jupiter Effect' - 'what we can expect in 1982 is the largest outbreak of killer quakes ever seen in the history of planet earth along with radical changes in climate'.
    1982

    HAHA!!!

    Hal Lindsey's 'Jupiter Effect' prediction fails. Should have seen Pat Robertson quoting this nut on TV!

    1988 Charles Taylor, American prophecy teacher, advertises a Holy Land tour with the incentive that by staying in a hotel on the Mount of Olives, 'if this is the year of our Lord's return, as we anticipate, you may even ascend to Glory from within a few feet of His ascension.'
    September 11/12 is expected as the date of the Rapture by Trinity Broadcasting Network, who cancel their regular programs and run videotapes instructing non-believers what to do if their families suddenly shoot up into the sky.
    September 29/30 is published by Hart Armstrong (chairman of 'Christian Communications') as a Rapture Alert date in his publications.
    October: Return of Christ as predicted by many Christian evangelicals fails (40 years (a 'generation') + 1948 (Israel's statehood) = 1988).

    Christian evangelist George Curle predicts God's judgement on Antichrist in 1999, the Tribulation in 2002, and Christ's Return and the millennium of Israel in 2005: 'the third Exodus for Israel and believing Gentiles will be accomplished in 2005 AD'.

    1991 Cape Town's Rev. J.S. Malan predicts the beginning of the great Tribulation 'op die laaste' by September 1995 and Christ's Return by 2002.

    1992 The Tami Church based in Seoul, South Korea, under pastor Lee Jang Rim, distributes the visions and prophecies of it's world-wide membership indicating the Rapture will happen 28th October 1992. (the Millennium will begin 7 years later in 2000 AD).

    October 28th: 20 000 members of the 'Mission for the Coming Days' (Tami Church), spend the afternoon waiting for the Rapture, resulting in great public humiliation to Christians and the amusement of the world.

    1993 February 28th: Four American Federal Agents investigating illegal weapons are killed, 16 wounded, by 'Davidians' at Waco, Texas, thus initiating a siege of the premises (see 1959). The Davidians believe they are living in the days of the book of Revelation.
    March 11th: President Clinton is appealed to jointly by Revd's Dunn (Baptist Joint Committee) and Kelley (National Council of Churches) to urgently demilitarized the Waco siege, as the 'Davidian' apocalyptic mentality would see it as 'validation of their fondest prophecies ... Whether it explodes or implodes, the result will be tragic for all'.
    April 19th: 6.00 AM Tear gassing of the Waco compound begins. Davidians fire at Federal Agents.
    12.05 PM The Waco Davidian compound bursts into flame accompanied by explosions and gunfire. 74 Davidians are found dead, including 21 children (10 under five years old).

    1995 Roman Catholic newspaper 'Queen of Peace' (Pittsburgh Centre for Peace, Spring, 1995) announces concerning the nearing third millennium, 'The time has arrived' ... the long awaited 'Era of Peace' predicted at Fatima in 1917 is said to be about to occur. ... The Virgin's words indicate the face of the earth will be transformed. Like the ancient cities of Sodom or Gomorrah, some nations will even vanish. Others, like Russia, are promised to blossom with new splendour. Peace will rule and the Church will reign, Evil will be paralysed, and like an old well, it will dry up and almost vanish from the face of the earth.'
    September: Rev. Malan's predicted start of the Tribulation and world rule of Anti-Christ fails (see 1991).

    1997 Marilyn J. Agee, with much Christian support, publishes her so-called Bible-based predictions, as:
    1998 'most likely May' Pre-Tribulation Rapture of the Bride of Christ
    2007 September 12 The end of this Age (Elul 29, 5767)
    September 13 The 2300th day of the Shortened Tribulation, Pre-Wrath Rapture of Tribulation Saints
    All Israel born-again in a day (who will live on into the Millennium) (Tishri 1, 5768).

    2008 April 6: the Return of our Lord Jesus Christ with His saints, first day of Jewish Regnal Year (Nisan 1, 5768).

    2008 May 30: Armageddon lasts 40 days and 40 nights, ends Friday (Iyar 25, 5768).

    2008 May 31: true world peace, the Millennium, begins (Iyar 26, 5768).
    November 6: Archbishop Ussher's prediction fails (see 1654).
    But, Dr James McKeever (editor of the End Times News Digest) declares that the 6000 years of the Great Week could end 'sometime between now and the year 2030'.

    1998 May: Marilyn Agee's prediction of the Rapture of Christians fails!
    August 16: Samuel Doctorian announces to Christians at a Prayer Retreat on Patmos an encounter he had with the "five angels of the five continents" in his room on the island at 3:50 AM on Saturday June 20 1998 who revealed to him a program of world destruction starting immediately, during which the Christian church will be preserved. Financial crisis, nuclear holocaust, earthquakes over Asia killing millions, Australia will split and "a great part will go under the ocean". Nuclear weapons used in general war throughout the whole Middle East (which he describes as a continent) causes huge loss of life. In Europe earthquakes and flooding, "millions drown", Eiffel tower collapses, a "great part of Germany destroyed", etc. In Africa, from Cape to Cairo, earthquakes to change river flow and drown many. "There shall be a trembling of the earth like has not been seen since the creation. None shall escape the sword of the Lord". Millions die. "The final day has come. Judgement day is here." In the Americas millions die, the Atlantic and the Pacific join together, "the Amazon river turning into a great sea". "The angel said, 'It is our message. You are the instrument, the channel. What a privilege that God has chosen you to give this message to the nations.' I said, 'Lord, Thy will be done'."
    What a pity that this ultimate message was entrusted to someone with such limited communication skills, so that it was only announced 57 days later (more than eight weeks!). It could have helped many Christian pensioners to avoid loosing their life savings in the slide of many stock markets following the East Asian financial crisis of this year. Amazing!
    September 20: Robert Blake 'This could see the start of the Final War, Armageddon, followed by the establishment of the Millennium in the year 2000.'

    1999 January 4th, The Interior Ministry of Israel orders the deportation of 11 members of an apocalyptic Christian cult under suspicion that they were planning to commit violent acts in Jerusalem at the close of 1999, Israel Radio, 'Kol Yisrael', reports. Three additional cult members will remain in Israel for questioning. The 'Jerusalem Post' reports that the Denver-based apocalyptic cult intended to provoke a shoot-out by opening fire on policemen, an act they believed would hasten the second coming of JESUS. A police statement said that "The arrests were carried out to protect certain sectors of the Israeli population and members of the cult themselves, who blindly follow" a leader who is now overseas. According to Israeli authorities, the leader, identified as Monte Kim Miller, has claimed that he is one of the final 'two witnesses' prophesied in the New Testament in Chapter 11 of the Book of Revelation, and is said to have told his followers that he would die in Jerusalem in December 1999 and be resurrected three days later.

    July-August: A note on Nostradamus (Michel de Notredame)
    Recent publications of Nostradamus' 'prophecies' as applied to whatever is the current public concern are largely inventions of the various commentators/publishers and bear little relation to his 1555 and 1558 Centuries. (The title 'Centuries' merely refers to the grouping of his rhyming quatrains and has no reference to time).

    Evangelist Curle's predictions begin to fail. (see 1988).
    July 7: Eileen Lakes - The pole-shift in July 1999 will immerse the world in the Water Baptism.(?) At 7 am GMT, according to Eileen, the world will turn 90 degrees to the right 'very instantly'. Perhaps her own surname inspired her.
    August 24: Adrian Gilbert's astrological calculation of the End fails.
    September 27: H.J. Hoekstra - The date of the Rapture! - Really?
    'Rosh Hashanah' - Jack Van Impe's date "...when this generation that lives to see 'all these things' comes to a glorious conclusion." Van Impe then, in an attempt to avoid justified criticism, says "We're not setting dates" (although it has the same effect), "but one has to admit - it's interesting!" (Playing with words, Dr Jack, does not excuse misleading God's people). (See 2001).
    2000
    April, Friday 17, Uganda: Leaders of a dissident Catholic apocalyptic sect ('Restoration of the Ten Commandments of God') burn 470 followers to death. The subsequent investigation exposes several mass murders by the sect's priests, bring the total victims to above 900, and indicating that financial gain by the priests may have been the motive.
    May: Astrologists' predicted apocalyptic disasters arising from a so-called "alignment" of the planets does not happen.
    Saturday 13, Rome: The Papacy announces the content of the third and secret 'prophecy' of Fatima, being one of danger to the pope amidst a field of corpses. (see 1917).

    September 6: Daniel Adam Millar - The peace accord between Israel and Palestine on September 13, 1993 marked the beginning of the seven-year tribulation. On September 6, 2000, the Antichrist will proclaim himself God, and begin the battle of Armageddon. (This Tribulation really needs to be renamed!).

    September 13: The House of Yahweh - The last seven years of human history began on September 13, 1993. Presumably, the final war will then begin sometime about September 13, 2000. (ditto).
    Another widely predicted Return of Christ fails (Sir Isaac Newton, et al).
    2001
    Jack Van Impe - This year will see the start of the Great Tribulation. Political chaos, natural disasters, nuclear war and the world-wide rise of Islam will usher in mankind's final hour. (Apart from nuclear war, what's new?). This is about as accurate as his Rosh Hashanah 1999 speculation!

    2002 Rev. Malan's predicted Return of Christ is to fail. (see 1991).

    2007 Another predicted Return of Christ is to fail. (Based on the 40 years, a supposed 'generation', after the 'Six Day War' of 1967 which brought the ancient Temple site under Israeli political control).

    2013
    An asteroid larger than Jupiter will strike the earth. (If its an "asteroid" its in our solar system. If its as large as Jupiter how-come its invisible?). And so on ..."


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    eridani Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Nov-17-08 03:38 AM
    Response to Original message
    83. Another letter--
    http://www.newsweek.com/id/169192

    Isn't Newsweek supposed to be a weekly newsmagazine for adults? That is not the impression I got from your "Antichrist" article. A sober discussion of the beliefs of delusional inbred sociopaths has just taken Newsweek out of the realm of serious discussion and into that of the promotion of childish revenge fantasies.

    Rapture Ready crackpots are in no real sense Christian. If you ripped the entire New Testament out of their Bibles except for Revelation and a couple of epistles with anti-homosexual comments, they'd never notice. "Believing in" the Bible appears to preclude actually reading it.

    This End Times nonsense isn't even an actual religion; it's just "faith" as a "get out of jail free" card for anything its adherents hapoen to feel like doing. The moral difference between them and Ted Bundy is that they are willing (at least so far) to leave their cruel, bloody hatred up to God to enact only in fantasy.

    They have successfully waged war agaisnt science, reason and the very notion that there is such a thing as the public good for the last eight years, creating a lot of very serious and dangerous messes. Isn't it about time to put the angry screaming children in the corner for awhile so t
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    No Elephants Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Nov-17-08 04:51 AM
    Response to Original message
    85. letters@newsweek.com Keep writing!
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    Liberal Dose Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Nov-17-08 06:19 AM
    Response to Original message
    88. Makes me think of Nick Perry. Every time I hear that the daily number was 666 I first think of scam
    and Nick Perry, then I am reminded of the daily number being 666 on the day Reagan was elected.
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    BR_Parkway Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Nov-17-08 06:37 AM
    Response to Original message
    89. "fear in the hearts of America's millennialist Christians" - what a betrayal
    of their so called faith. To claim on one hand that God is all powerful, all knowing and to be operating according to some plan - and to be fearful of it at the same time?

    I'm amazed at the number of folks who routinely shoot down their own statements of faith, including my own family members who constantly forward me all these "we must stop......" type emails - I just hit reply all and ask them why their so worried if it's all "part of God's plan"
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    tblue37 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Nov-17-08 06:46 AM
    Response to Original message
    90. OMG! This is the sort of crap that gets the crazies riled up enough to make threats--
    and follow through on them! This is even worse than what McCain and Palin were doing!
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    obiwan Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Nov-17-08 06:47 AM
    Response to Original message
    91. This would scare a knuckle-dragging troglodyte all right.
    Fuck Newsweek.
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    tbyg52 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Nov-17-08 06:51 AM
    Response to Original message
    92. They already lost me when they gave Rove a platform. nt
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    14thColony Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Nov-17-08 06:57 AM
    Response to Original message
    93. It isn't even 100 percent sure what "The Number of the Beast" is
    Papyrus 115 contains the oldest known fragment of that part of Revelations. In P115 the 'Number of the Beast' is 616, not 666. 666 may therefore be a copyist's mistake that proliferated across the Christian world for all anyone knows.

    Here's fun site detailing the thousands of 'the end is near' pronouncements, going back over a thousand years, even into pre-Christian times. It appears we humans have a need to believe that the end is upon us.
    http://www.geocities.com/Athens/oracle/9941/
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    66 dmhlt Donating Member (935 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Nov-17-08 08:45 AM
    Response to Original message
    95. Ronnie Reagan was the REAL Antichrist - and I can PROVE it
    Ronald - 6 letters
    Wilson - 6 letters
    Reagan - 6 letters

    That makes as much sense as the crap that Lisa Miller's "Belief Watch" column spews out on a regular basis.

    I'm canceling my subscription because Newsweek under Meacham has become a willing shill for republicans - and particularly for christianists of the rabid religious radical right-wing fundamentalist type.
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    niceypoo Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Nov-17-08 08:47 AM
    Response to Original message
    96. Sounds like the loonies at work
    I just laugh at them. I ask them, 'why do republicans always run off a cliff and act like whiney little brats when they lose an election?'

    The 'anti-christ' meme is their, "he sucks no matter how good he is," fallback position.

    Let them say/think whatever they want, I really dont care. They are screwed for at least two solid years (midterms) and hopefully longer.
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    olegramps Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Nov-17-08 10:35 AM
    Response to Original message
    100. The meaning of 666
    In the Bible God is associated with the number 7 which was considered to be the perfect number and 777 representative of God. Man is associated with the number 6. Therefore the perfect man, combination of three, would be 666. He would be therefore wholly secular in nature. Numerology was an important aspect of the superstition that prevailed during this period.
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    paulk Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Nov-17-08 10:40 AM
    Response to Original message
    101. I don't understand the "fuck Newsweek" bit
    It's important to understand the mindset of these whackjobs, the article does us a service.
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    cali Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Nov-17-08 10:41 AM
    Response to Reply #101
    102. because the title of the article is wholly irresponsible and misleading
    lending legitimacy to the whackjobs. And the article itself is very poor indeed.
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    paulk Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Nov-17-08 01:02 PM
    Response to Reply #102
    112. I don't think so
    Yes, it's provocative, but it got me to read it. That's just modern journalism.

    I'm glad to know that there are people out there who are thinking crazy shit like this.

    I don't see how it "legitimizes" them.

    I think you're getting upset over nothing. Or maybe you just enjoy being upset.
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    onehandle Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Nov-17-08 10:48 AM
    Response to Original message
    103. I'm the Antichrist!
    I really wish people would stop these stupid claims.

    They are so going to suffer under my rule.


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    marshall Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Nov-17-08 12:31 PM
    Response to Original message
    106. I remember people saying Jimmy Carter was the antichrist
    Something about his initials JC.
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    JuniperLea Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Nov-17-08 02:36 PM
    Response to Original message
    114. I'm so tired of mythology
    But I'm more tired of others trying to force their mythology upon me. We're supposed to have the right to choose our own church, and our own beliefs. And we are also supposed to have the right to NOT practice or believe in any religion at all. And still, in 2008 almost 2009, we are still bickering about religion and we are still having religious beliefs thrust upon us.

    Sickening.



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    Canuckistanian Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Nov-17-08 06:57 PM
    Response to Original message
    116. You've got to be joking
    Newsweek? I thought they were supposed to be a SERIOUS news organization.

    What's all this BULLSHIT?

    And you know what? A lot of people will take this seriously because it has statistics, quotes from someone at a University and some cutesy anecdotes from your friendly neighborhood whacko.

    Look like it's from the same people who brought us "Hillary hangs condoms on the Xmas tree" or "Bill Clinton was a drug dealer".
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    1Hippiechick Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Nov-17-08 08:46 PM
    Response to Original message
    117. BS. They held the ticket upside down! The number was 999, but of course if one subtracts 666 from
    that number, it becomes 333 which many would think represents the Trinity - the Three in One - THE ONE!

    :hide:
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    Maru Kitteh Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Nov-17-08 10:25 PM
    Response to Original message
    118. Obvious insanity aside - how the hell does it "threaten their freedooms?"
    I really wannna know.
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    VPStoltz Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Nov-18-08 01:07 AM
    Response to Original message
    120. Simple question...
    Why the fuck are these insane people news?
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    piesRsquare Donating Member (960 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Nov-18-08 01:27 AM
    Response to Original message
    122. dupe
    Edited on Tue Nov-18-08 01:36 AM by piesRsquare
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