Originally posted by KellyJayYou might find this an interesting take.
I used to think the "Anti-Christ" would be someone claiming to be Christian
or was Jewish. Now I'm wondering if that is not the case. For those that
believe in there is going to be an end times and there will be the "Anti-Christ"
what are your thoughts? Others welcome to put in their ideas, but if you do
not believe in either, what does it matter since for you it is an unreal event
and person?
I don't think the Bible identifies a particular individual as "the anti-Christ", but instead it has to do with what Paul calls the "mystery of iniquity" which is made up of the collective of all those that oppose the will of God.
That person that appears on the scene in fulfillment of prophecy is first identified as the man of sin, then when he sits on the throne in the temple and calls himself God he is then identified as the son of perdition.
2 Thessalonians 2
Originally posted by josephwAn interesting thought or take on it, but I do believe one is coming and he
You might find this an interesting take.
I don't think the Bible identifies a particular individual as "the anti-Christ", but instead it has to do with what Paul calls the "mystery of iniquity" which is made up of the collective of all those that oppose the will of God.
That person that appears on the scene in fulfillment of prophecy is first identifie ...[text shortened]... temple and calls himself God he is then identified as the son of perdition.
2 Thessalonians 2
will be just like everyone thought Jesus should have been instead of who
He was. He will rule, take credit, win, and so on, and he will kill many.
Originally posted by KellyJayWhy do you think this person is coming in your lifetime?
An interesting thought or take on it, but I do believe one is coming and he
will be just like everyone thought Jesus should have been instead of who
He was. He will rule, take credit, win, and so on, and he will kill many.
05 Apr 15
Originally posted by josephwDoesn't the Bible talk about many "anti-Christ's"?
You might find this an interesting take.
I don't think the Bible identifies a particular individual as "the anti-Christ", but instead it has to do with what Paul calls the "mystery of iniquity" which is made up of the collective of all those that oppose the will of God.
That person that appears on the scene in fulfillment of prophecy is first identifie ...[text shortened]... temple and calls himself God he is then identified as the son of perdition.
2 Thessalonians 2
Originally posted by SuzianneSound familiar? Not in the slightest.
I share the view that the 'Mark' is coming, and coming fast.
'Chipping'? I'm not so sure on this, it could be as KJ said, just a tattoo that, in the future, could be made with imbedded electronics that make it act like a computer chip. Kind of like a 'barcode on steroids'. But right now, with available technology, a computer chip seems likely. OTOH, ...[text shortened]... you access to goods and services without it, but ultimately, you must choose.
Sound familiar?
05 Apr 15
Originally posted by SuzianneA 'central tenet of atheism'? I didn't realise there was anything more to atheism than - I don't believe in God(s).
Of course, in some ways, QoL in the third-world is getting better because poorer nations are getting dragged into the 21st century along with everyone else. As technology gets cheaper, even the poorest live better as a result. But I'm not sure if you can see the degradation of QoL that the middle class is seeing in America these days. Even in the third wo ...[text shortened]... ell for you, since no one seems to call you out on it, but it's become tiresome in the extreme.)
I find two things interesting about this thread:
1. Several theists are seeing signs that the rest of us just don't see. Are they just sheltered from world news, poorly educated in history, or are they just seeing what they want to see? I suspect the latter as the moment they are questioned about one of the signs instead of defending their claims they move on to other signs and say 'what about all these ones?'.
2. Nobody is willing to discuss the possibility that the 'mark of the beast' is something they have already accepted such as a credit card or smart phone. Essentially they claim they believe the end times are near, but they won't actually be inconvenienced by their beliefs. Nobody is willing to place an actual bet on it.
Originally posted by KellyJayI see. So to clarify, you believe that in the very near future, in your lifetime, after a financial crash governments of the world will start to put electronic chipping devices into the populace?
Do not know, I imagine as many as they can get since God makes a great
deal about it in the book of Revelation.
Have you ever thought about writing a science fiction book?
Originally posted by twhiteheadThe ingredients, perhaps not all of which have to be present but several seem to be features of the 'end is nigh' pessimism and misanthropy, are apparently as follows:
I find two things interesting about this thread:
1. Several theists are seeing signs that the rest of us just don't see. Are they just sheltered from world news, poorly educated in history, or are they just seeing what they want to see?
1. Paranoia ~ fuelled by things like Personal Reality Distortion, Selective Perception and Confirmation Bias: inconvenient facts are simply discounted or ignored. The key egocentric aspect of it seems to be "It's going to happen now, most likely while I am alive" and the admissibility of all evidence is weighed according to whether it fits this.
2. A sense of Political Impotence and maybe Defeatism and Victimhood too; a sense of Enhanced Self-Esteem gained from telling people about this great cataclysm that they foresee and that others don't. Even the fact that people are unconvinced and criticize the predictions/analysis sometimes get re-framed as a kind of gotcha evidence that it's "true" and the dissent is "as predicted" or even "evil".
3. Mumbo Jumbo and Ancient Mythology onto which pretty much anyone can project whatever they want and where 'believers' can debate the details as if it were all an intellectual process of some kind. The internalized mumbo jumbo is often brandished as if it's evidence of independent thought or a maverick spirit but it comes across as groupist duckspeak nevertheless.
4. Absolute and Impervious Certainty (even if the details or the evidence supporting it can shift, disappear, be replaced seemingly without much thought or justification).
5. At best Parochialism, and at worst a kind of Bumpkinism, all rooted in a psychological mish-mash comprising various degrees of 1 to 4 above.
Originally posted by FMFWhy do people have such a high pessimism and misanthropy?
The ingredients, perhaps not all of which have to be present but several seem to be features of the 'end is nigh' pessimism and misanthropy, are apparently as follows:
1. [b]Paranoia ~ fuelled by things like Personal Reality Distortion, Selective Perception and Confirmation Bias: inconvenient facts are simply discounted or ignored. The key e ...[text shortened]... pkinism[/b], all rooted in a psychological mish-mash comprising various degrees of 1 to 4 above.[/b]
I think that Christians actually believe that things will ultimately get better, even though they may get worse at first.
My question to you is, based upon what we know of recorded human history, which is very dark indeed, why do you think things will not get worse? In fact, what makes you think things will get better?
My guess is that you hope that perhaps democracy will save us? Will it be technological enlightenment? Will it be to poo poo religious thought? How will we change human nature from what we have so far witnessed?
I have listed how I think these events will transpire. The statist never rests, for they continually seek to empower a collective entity to "fix" all of the evils within society. And since there is no end to "evils" within society, it leads to a never ending empowerment of such a collective entity.
This is exactly the road we see ourselves on now, so what will make us deviate from it I wonder?
And lastly, we see the spread of Islam. Tell me, if Islam continues to spread as it is today and projected to spread in the future, how bright will our future be? Try googling statistics on happiness in countries around the globe, and you will find Islamic ones are at the bottom of the list.
Originally posted by whodeyIt has been discussed here many times in great detail but you've only ever been facetious and facile and blathered on about Obama and stuff like that. So I will leave it to someone else to indulge you. 😉
My question to you is, based upon what we know of recorded human history, which is very dark indeed, why do you think things will not get worse? In fact, what makes you think things will get better?
Originally posted by whodeyIf I had to choose a couple of things, they they would be the spread of the recognition and enforcement of human rights around the world ~ which has created a situation that is very, very different from 20, 30, 50, 100, 200, 2000 years ago. Linked to this is the growth and emboldening of civil society that we have seen since the end of the Cold War [and the dismantling of many of the US and USSR-backed national security states] ~ and since 1998 here in Indonesia. Both of these things have, directly and indirectly, contributed to the improving demographic indicators that give reason to be optimistic and not to be misanthropic about mankind's resilience and ingenuity in the face of its challenges.
My guess is that you hope that perhaps democracy will save us?
Originally posted by whodeyYou asking me this in response to the post you were responding to suggests that you did not actually read the post of mine you were responding to. The entire post of mine was an answer to the question: "Why do people have such a high pessimism and misanthropy?"
Why do people have such a high pessimism and misanthropy?