Posted on 11/05/2008 11:12:52 AM PST by FRFirstTimer
I'm new to FR, and I've encountered some posts that I'm having a hard time understanding. I figured I'd go right to the source and try to get some clarification. The problem I'm having relates to those posters who are concerned that Obama is the anti-christ, which, if I'm understanding correctly, is an evil leader who ushers in the end of the world. I also understand that when the world is getting ready to end, evangelical Christians believe that the faithful among them will be sucked up into heaven by god to spend eternity by his side.
My question is this: everyone posting about Obama being the anti-christ seems very concerned about the idea, yet one would assume that if they literally believe that such a thing is possible, then they're fairly confident they'll be raptured up as soon as all the trouble starts. After all, no one picks a religion that has them losing in the end (except possibly Norse polytheism.) Why are you / they so worried about it? If you're going to be raptured, what's the issue? I'm not a fundamentalist Christian, so this seems sort of counter-intuitive to me. One would think anyone who believes in the rapture would be VERY excited for it, as they get to spend the rest of eternity in heaven.
Lastly, due to the...hostility...sometimes encountered here, let me clarify. I'm NOT trolling, I'm just curious. If I've somehow offended you, just ignore the post instead of getting butthurt in the comments. Finally, for the inevitable questions of my patriotism, I'm an Army paratrooper with two combat tours to Afghanistan, so before you mouth off about how I'm a bad American, go fight in Afghanistan for a few years. That said, don't ignore the topic, explain what I'm missing: if you're going to be raptured, why be concerned about the antichrist?
Actually the pretribulation (before the trouble starts) rapture is only believed in the US. Around the world, Christians are already being martyred and know they won’t be out of here before the trouble starts. Pre-wrath rapture is what I believe.
shilohouse.org
So why don't you get your ass to an Evangelical Church and find out?
I'd like that answered myself....
Ask yourself why that might be.
“...I’m NOT trolling, I’m just curious. If I’ve somehow offended you, just ignore the post instead of getting butthurt in the comments..”
Wow. That just inspires such confidence.
Viking Kitties.
“Really? What outfit?”
Bravo Sierra Project Runway
Without seeing what you read I can tell you that Barry Obama is a socialist and could destroy America, by making us vulnerable to our enemies and also financially. Some believe in the end times Israel will stand alone. For that to happen, the US has to be destroyed in some way. And Barry is no friend of Israel.
Secondly, The anti-christ worries Christians because no one knows WHEN the rapture will happen. Before the Tribulation? 3 1/2 years into it? Or after?
Also calling Barry the anti-christ is a slap at his “followers”. They believe he will solve all their ills. He is their messiah. A false one.
The Antichrist will usher in seven years of tribulation. There are conflicting interpretations from well-meaning Christians as to whether the Rapture will be before or after this period.
The pre-trib folks welcome it; the post-tribs not so much (but “Thy Will be done”).
He’s been zotted.
I am not eager to see those I love go through global warfare, poverty, plague, and persecution at the hands of the unjust, but grateful in either event that by Christ's free gift of his sacrifice we will be made clean enough to join with Glory after it is over.
In either event, if my pastor one Sunday began to rant that other Christians, who just happened to have a different skin color, were "children of the devil" who wanted to destroy people of my skin color, I would stand up, rebuke him in the name of Jesus's love for all sinners, and walk out of that church and never return. Hate speech and bigotry has no place in Christianity as Christ lived it. If he did not repent of his sin of hatred, I would go to that pastor's superior and demand he be fired, and then I would go to the other members of my church and rebuke those who sat and listened to that hatred without challenging it.
What I would not do would be sit in that pew for twenty years, get married in that church, have my children baptized in that church, and remain friends with that pastor...until the last few weeks of my presidential campaign, when I would throw him under the bus, and explain that, well, sure I go to church there, but it's not exactly as if I believe in what they teach there...
Barak Hussain Obama is not my president, and never will be. Like Martin Luther King, Jr., I believe a man should be judged not on the color of his skin, but on the contents of his character. Obama lied to me outright about his faith, listened to hate speech for twenty years, and said nothing. No amount of sweet nothings or empty promises will overcome this one fact...every other lie he has told is just stacked on top of this, and every supposed truth he has said must now be evaluated carefully. A man who would lie about the source of his eternal salvation would lie about anything.
Crumbs, some of my best stuff disappears when they Zot people!
One of many:
The message of Obama is that of an anti-christ. Americans did not take the time to research his voting record and what he stood for. We know he has promised to sign the right to choice act as his first matter of business when he is in office. No legal limits on any abortions,partial birth,accidental births from an abortion adding another 120,000 babies dead a year to the 50 million that have already died. The blood of the innocents will be on our hands. We are no longer a Christian nation! Obama’s church was more about being black than of the gospel and Jesus.Too many people call themselves Christian but do not live the life of the gospel. How can any of us ask for mercy if we do not show mercy to the most innocent.Let’s see how Obama swears in,bible,koran,or nothing to show unity. Yep,nothing to show the world he is president for everyone!!!!!!!!!
I found it!!! The antichrist is coming!!!
Posted in the religion, Nov 4, 2008 8:56:48 AM By: puffer
Obama is the Antichrist
Could not help myself.
About the anti-christ comments, there’s this literary device called hyperbole....
I’m an atheist and even I figured that out.
I am a conservative, confessional Lutheran pastor with several advanced degrees in theology. I don’t believe in a “rapture” as it is popularly conceived. And I don’t believe Obama is the Antichrist. I just think he is an anti-constitutional anti-American whose auntie lives in a slum.
Seriously? If you REALLY want me to spend the time, I can take ten minutes to gather you fifteen quotes from any of the twenty post-election threads that contain the quote “I’m concerned that Obama is the antichrist!” If you truly are convinced that’s not the case, I invite you to re-read those threads.....you’re missing a whole lot of interesting theology.
An atheist on FR? Wow, didn’t know you guys existed. I too am confident that there’s no truth in any silly religious prophecies regarding the world’s end. Lastly, on the subject of the Airborne: if you go to OCS and put in for a combat branch, you should have your choice of ABN or AASLT. If you enlist, pick a combat arms MOS and getting Airborne shouldn’t be too tough. That said, in our battalion (Airborne Infantry) only like 70% are jump-qualified due to the high deployment tempo making it hard for the rest to get to school.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.