
So I guess it's finally about time we addressed the subject of Christianity on these pages.
After all, the header does list "Jesus and Christianity" as being among the subjects discussed here.
So before we begin, let's get one thing straight for the record:
Just in case there was any doubt out there, the answer is Yes.
I Am A Christian
What that means is that I DO believe Jesus Christ to be the living Son Of God and that He paid the price for my sins, and those of everyone else
who has ever lived or who will ever live, when He died on the cross.And further, that by believing in Him and in that fact alone, my future eternal reward in Heaven is absolutely secure.
Not because of what I have done, or what I haven't done in this life. Certainly not because of who I voted (or didn't vote for) in the last presidential election, as some of my umm, "Republican friends" would like people to believe.
And not because my CD collection is stocked by titles from the likes of Bruce Springsteen, Radiohead, and Public Enemy (to name a few), while sorely lacking in more "Christian Music" like Amy Grant or the Bill Gaither Trio.
Nope.

For me, it's all summed up quite nicely in the one Bible verse I can actually quote with all the confidence of a biblical scholar. The one my Mama taught me as a boy:
For God So Loved the World, that He Gave His Only Begotten Son; That Who shallever believe in Him, should not Perish, but Have eternal life"-John 3:16
For me that says it all....And can I get an Amen on that by the way? Thank You.
Even though that verse has resonated with me throughout my life since my beloved Mama first taught it to me, I never fully understood it until, as a young adult in the mid-seventies, I read a best seller by Hal Lindsey called The Late Great Planet Earth (pictured above).
In that book, and several others which followed, Lindsey made the case that we are the Terminal Generation that will see the fullfillment of biblical prophecies regarding the End of Days. It is a subject that not only has fascinated me ever since I first read it, but was clearly years ahead of it's time.
In the
post 9/11 world we live in, the subjects of things like Armageddon, The Rapture, and especially The Antichrist have become imbedded into both modern culture and the collective subconscious. All things Lindsey talked about in great detail in his landmark book way back in the seventies...years before the so-called "Left Behind" generation of today.
So if we truly are that generation...as many believe...than surely the AntiChrist must walk among us, right? Strictly scriptually speaking (and how's that for a tongue twister?), it's not a guessing game Christians are really supposed to play. But many still do...and I personally have to admit to some degree of fascination speculating myself.
So, and strictly in the interest of, umm, "science and research" here are some of the popular "candidates" for the dreaded Beast of the Apocalypse.
It's time to Play Pin The Tail On The AntiChrist
Richer than God Himself. Inventor of the Windows Operating system destined to enslave the world. Nerd For All Seasons.
Antichrist factor: Next...

President George W. Bush
I'll give Bush points on his ability to "deceive the elect" (meaning sincere Bible believing Christians) into believing the bill of goods he has sold much of America on for sure. Not to mention his past membership in the infamous (and occultic) secret Skull and Bones fraternity. But at the end of the day, The Beast of Rome, besides presiding over Rome for one thing, is simply gonna have to be a sharper knife in the proverbial drawer than our beloved President
Antichrist factor: Marginal
Speaking of Rome...
Here is the guy to watch. Note the picture to your right, the one with representatives of The Quartet (that would be the UN; The USA: Russia; and the European Union) trying to hammer out a Mideast Peace solution. Note also the 666 logo behind them (the biblical number of the beast...not that I have to remind anyone). Condy looks kind of cute there doesn't she?I grabbed this picture off of a fascinating site by a guy named Herb Peters. Check it out at http://www.fulfilledprophecy.com

Herb never really comes out and says it outright. But his basic contention is that the current European Union, headed up by a guy nobody has heard of yet...but who is a major player on the world stage...is basically the revived Roman Empire prophesied in the Biblical Book Of Revelation. The guys name is Javier Solana. And the number 666 comes up in association with Solana so often it's actually pretty scary. If you've got the time and the interest to actually plow through Peters meticulously researched data, it's definitely worth a look.
Antichrist Factor: Off the Charts

Finally, we have the also-rans.
Osama? Well okay, this guy was basically AntiChrist Superstar for a minute there because of 9/11. From what I understand, his name also somehow matches up with the Nostradamus prophecy for an Antichrist named Mabus if ya hold it up to a mirror or something (although, come to think of it, I think the name "Bush" works better under that criteria). Problem is, speaking of Bush...when our President responded to 9/11 by going after Saddam Hussein in Iraq (rather than Osama himself), Osama's "star" began to dim considerably. Antichrist factor: Fading
But then, we have Matrieya
A hugely popular choice for Mister AC among Internet conspiracy theorists and apocalypse watchers in the nineties, Matrieya's legend was somewhat legendary. It has faded pretty much completely off the map since.He is rumored to have appeared to thousands out of thin air somewhere in Africa. He also promises to deliver his teachings to save humanity to the entire world sometime in the near future via a worldwide TV broadcast. This will be delivered through his personal mouthpiece, the otherwise quite proper English gentleman Benjamin Creme. Plus he looks a whole lot like Osama....
Antichrist factor: Needs a new publicist
Finally if we are going to go with Osama Bin Laden lookalikes?
Need we look any further than the former guitarist for Seattle grunge rock pioneers Soundgarden? Kim Thayil definitely has the look, not to mention the rock an
d roll pedigree. Plus he has been suspiciously "missing in action" since that band's breakup back in the nineties.Antichrist Factor: One To Watch
Oh, and Kim, if you are reading this, I realize it's been a few years since we've hung out. But if it turns out you are actually the AntiChrist, I reserve the right to revoke our friendship permanently.
Sorry dude, but I've got that eternal reward to consider.
posted by Glen Boyd @ 12:57 AM,
2 Comments:
- At 9:46 PM, Dave Bussard said...
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Okay, you made me laugh a few times. And Herb Peters has quite the web site, eh? Not sure what to think of it yet, but he certainly has done his homework.
- At 12:25 AM, Vblast said...
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I was extremely upset and diss apointed to see that I was not even in the running for AntiChrist. Lord knows I have tried. Do I not kick puppies and laugh at the disabled. Dammit man, why do you taunt me like this?!!!!!! After being witness to all my hateful comments and inherent ugliness you could at least rate me as a runner up, or an honourable mention or something. Cmon man, give me a bone here willya?










