Yes! I like several things about this post. Two stand out:
(1) A non-partisan view of the Antichrist. The root issue is whether the church is able read history as a whole through an apocalyptic lens or is captive to reading Revelation (and the rest of Scripture) through a partisan lens.
(2) The call for consistency. It seems to me the standard inconsistency is a symptom, and the diagnosis is an implication of your statement early in the post that "end times beliefs are often just religiously-inflected conspiracy theories." I would extend the function of conspiracy theories in this analysis to a broader class of existentially motivated beliefs, including much of political propaganda. In other words, I want to tighten the analogy by noting that end times beliefs are often just religiously inflected partisanship. So the inconsistency manifests in the same way that flat-earthers cling to their theory in the face of overwhelming evidence *and* in the same way that never-Trumpers claimed a few months ago that Trump would use the military to jail political opponents once in office and will never, ever admit that was an absurd claim in retrospect.
My point is not only that crass political allegiance motivates propaganda, and theology is often a form of propaganda, but also that ideology and theology are both manifestations of truly held assumptions built on tacitly held presuppositions that serve to screen out evidence to the contrary. This is so for everyone to varying degrees, but there are egregious examples on display in this conversation. The result is extreme difficulty in prioritizing consistency (an external standard indifferent to the validation of the belief system) over internal coherence.
The Biden administration was way over the top. His fiery Hitler like speech was unbelievable. Trump had to win. Can’t you see that? Now, Trump says he has a mandate by God himself.
And after all the evilness if the Biden administration. The people are cheering him on. The people was so demoralized that they just want what was taken away from them. Normal. The people want normal. The people want the left to leave their kids alone.
No, Trump is not the Antichrist. Maybe Elon is. Dark MAGA Elon. Or it could be JD Vance. Vance seems like a dark MAGA too.
Dr Beck, you are a voice of sanity and wisdom. Thank you.
Yes! I like several things about this post. Two stand out:
(1) A non-partisan view of the Antichrist. The root issue is whether the church is able read history as a whole through an apocalyptic lens or is captive to reading Revelation (and the rest of Scripture) through a partisan lens.
(2) The call for consistency. It seems to me the standard inconsistency is a symptom, and the diagnosis is an implication of your statement early in the post that "end times beliefs are often just religiously-inflected conspiracy theories." I would extend the function of conspiracy theories in this analysis to a broader class of existentially motivated beliefs, including much of political propaganda. In other words, I want to tighten the analogy by noting that end times beliefs are often just religiously inflected partisanship. So the inconsistency manifests in the same way that flat-earthers cling to their theory in the face of overwhelming evidence *and* in the same way that never-Trumpers claimed a few months ago that Trump would use the military to jail political opponents once in office and will never, ever admit that was an absurd claim in retrospect.
My point is not only that crass political allegiance motivates propaganda, and theology is often a form of propaganda, but also that ideology and theology are both manifestations of truly held assumptions built on tacitly held presuppositions that serve to screen out evidence to the contrary. This is so for everyone to varying degrees, but there are egregious examples on display in this conversation. The result is extreme difficulty in prioritizing consistency (an external standard indifferent to the validation of the belief system) over internal coherence.
There it is. I hadn’t put that together. Thanks
Folks need to read the Bible. Trump isn’t the Antichrist. That person hasn’t showed up yet.
But, Trump is a Mason 666 all that.
Look no further than Trump Tower. Right in our faces. Complete with the 7 towers of babal, and the upside down triangle with a grove.
https://youtu.be/m-F3FOkZsog?si=P8jRN-1EwF_SRtGX
The Biden administration was way over the top. His fiery Hitler like speech was unbelievable. Trump had to win. Can’t you see that? Now, Trump says he has a mandate by God himself.
And after all the evilness if the Biden administration. The people are cheering him on. The people was so demoralized that they just want what was taken away from them. Normal. The people want normal. The people want the left to leave their kids alone.
No, Trump is not the Antichrist. Maybe Elon is. Dark MAGA Elon. Or it could be JD Vance. Vance seems like a dark MAGA too.