What If The Antichrist Was A Christian Fundie?

[leliel]

Now, keep in mind that while I am an atheist-or at least an agnostic with humanistic tenancies-I occasionally like to peruse the annals of eschatology, just to laugh at people who take "prophecies" seriously.

Such is the case with ye olde son of the devil, the Antichrist.

Now, a long time ago I realized that many of the qualities the Rapturites assign to him-charisma, amorality, selfishness, hubris-is exactly what they look for in a leader (no matter how much they deny it). So, I began to wonder:

Could the Antichrist be an American fundamentalist Christian, and how would his worshipers react if they were told in no uncertain terms by the actual prophets of god that he is, in fact, a son of the devil?

[carole]

Nov 9, 2010 10:51:58 GMT -5 leliel said:

Now, keep in mind that while I am an atheist-or at least an agnostic with humanistic tenancies-I occasionally like to peruse the annals of eschatology, just to laugh at people who take "prophecies" seriously.

Such is the case with ye olde son of the devil, the Antichrist.

Now, a long time ago I realized that many of the qualities the Rapturites assign to him-charisma, amorality, selfishness, hubris-is exactly what they look for in a leader (no matter how much they deny it). So, I began to wonder:

Could the Antichrist be an American fundamentalist Christian, and how would his worshipers react if they were told in no uncertain terms by the actual prophets of god that he is, in fact, a son of the devil?

If there is such a thing as the anti-christ I totally think he will be a religious person. He will be seen as the great leader they have all been looking for to take religion back to what it used to be. Somehow however he will be able to reach out to other religions without offending the fundies (good luck on that one). The bible says he will be a great leader and uniter able to solve the world's problems. I think the fundies will totally love him and will be outraged if anybody said the things about him/her that the fundies theirself have no trouble saying about Obama and other's they don't agree with.

[Art Vandelay]

Well, the antichrist would have to believe in the Christian deity so he'd certainly be a Christian. But yeah, I know what you mean and I do agree.

Although it is interesting to note that in the bible "the antichrist" is only ever mentioned in referrence to anyone who isn't Christian. The whole antichrist in the rapture sense was only made up later on (much like the rapture for that matter), so that would mean I can call myself the antichrist and it would be correct.

Isn't it amazing how many people claim to believe the bible, yet they've never even read it?

[Meshakhad]

I once theorized that the antichrist was Jesus.

[Her3tiK]

How could the anticrhist be anything but?

[Mlle Antéchrist]

Well, if Jesus is god, and god is the alpha and omega -- meaning that he is everything, the be-all-end-all, the absolute of absolutes -- then I guess Jesus is the antichrist.

The idea of a fundamentalist Muslim or Catholic antichrist/one-world-religion actually kind of makes sense from a fundie point-of-view, given the popularity of both religions and the Abrahamic god, and the fact that they've been around for long enough to not be seen as a cult (by most people).

The sad thing is that the biblical end-times scenario, staying true to what's in the bible, would make for a kick-ass book series... and instead, we ended up with Left Behind. Those books could have been bloody awesome if the authors were talented, and not fundies with an agenda.

[Art Vandelay]

Nov 9, 2010 12:20:40 GMT -5 Mlle Antéchrist said:

The sad thing is that the biblical end-times scenario, staying true to what's in the bible, would make for a kick-ass book series... and instead, we ended up with Left Behind. Those books could have been bloody awesome if the authors were talented, and not fundies with an agenda.

Have you read revelations? Seriously, a biblically correct end times books series would make watching surrealist films while on acid seem tame by comparison.

However, what I'd love to see are biblically-correct angels. Humans in white robes with wings and halos, they most certainly are not. ;D

[Iosa the Invincible]

Nov 9, 2010 12:29:48 GMT -5 Art Vandelay said:

However, what I'd love to see are biblically-correct angels. Humans in white robes with wings and halos, they most certainly are not. ;D

We need more flaming wheels made of eyes.

[worlder]

You can blame the Renaissance. Resurgence of Roman style mixed with Christian subjects.

[Haseen]

I wouldn't mind if they represented angels like this:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNkKQ_ANV3Y (possibly nsfw)

[twingle93]

I once theorized that the antichrist was Jesus

Not difficult to see that. If I were a 1st century Jewish person and I was given a vision of what Christianity would eventually become, I would believe that too.

Let's see, in Christianity the worship of Yahweh has been largely been replaced by the worship of Jesus, whose image now hangs in all the places of worship. Isn't the antichrist supposed to construct idols of himself?

Jesus did away with most of the laws of the Old Testament, which is something that to a Jew would never happen, regardless of who did it. The antichrist was supposed to change times and structures.

The antichrist was supposed to conquer the world, and kill those who don't worship him. Jesus might not have done this, but his followers certainly have in various forms.

[Admiral Lithp]

@iosa: "Whatever this thing is, we're pretty sure it can see."

[gadfly]

Nov 9, 2010 10:51:58 GMT -5 leliel said:

Could the Antichrist be an American fundamentalist Christian ...?

I don't know, but I would consider any sort of Antichrist that's portrayed as having more than one dimension as being something of a pleasant novelty in Christian fiction. From the Left Behind series to James F. David's Judgment Day novel, the Antichrist has always been portrayed as unremittedly evil, and that fact has been pounded in with all the subtlety of a sledgehammer.

You'd think that watching Der Untergang or, hell, reading Paradise Lost would give fundies some clue as to how to effectively portray a villain, but no.

Actually, I'd consider it far more interesting if the Antichrist starts out being 'good'... trying to be a good person, but through pride and personal failings, eventually sliding into being the most horrible person ever, with us watching his downfall. I think that would actually be far more chilling, horrifying, and affecting than the gourmet of bullshit that was served to us on crackers with the Left Behind prequel novels, where Nicolae Carpathia is conceived with the DNA of two gay men, raised by an international cabal of Satanists (who bankrolled his conception, also), and even ends up assassinating his mother.

Oh, and he also has a sucky nickname. Jetty. Because it was dark outside when he was born. I shit you not.

TL;DR: there's so many interesting things that one could do with the idea of a character that's as evil as the Antichrist, but no one ever seems to do them.

[Old Viking]

For the sake of accuracy we should use the plural, Antichrists. By actual fundy count, 17,402 of them have been working diligently in this decade alone.

[devilschaplain2]

I also wonder what the reaction of fundamentalists would be if the Anti-Christ were revealed to have been a fundamentalist Christian himself.

The looks on their faces would be priceless

I also wonder if this conversation is making us sound like the people on RR

Oh well, I'll try to enjoy the role reversal