Obama as the anti-Christ?

It's truly unbelievable how many conversations I have had with conservatives who seriously question, if not believe, that Barack Obama is the anti-Christ. The first time came in my own car when a passenger suggested that it was so. My head spun around (not like Linda Blair's head in the Exorcist-which would be something an anti-Christ could do no doubt) and I had to look to see if the person was joking. She wasn't! This fairly intelligent person went on to explain her position - at least I think she did. Honestly, I quit listening.

Most recently, the topic reared its ugly head (again, I think "reared its ugly head" is a reference to something anti-Christ) after I commented that I thought Obama was considering a way to bail out the automakers (I cannot figure out why the first bail out didn't seem to be a move of the anti-Christ and this one is!). The person went on to say that he thought Obama's promise of "peace and safety" was a signal that he could quite possibly be the one. He suggested that at no other time in history has there been such universal "worship" of a political figure.

Worship??

What about Ronald Wilson Reagan (six letters in each of his names??!)? In fact, this "theory" was so widely distributed, by bitter Democrats no doubt, that there is LOTS of stuff on the web about it (check this out if you are interested - http://home.mcn.net/~willfree/coincidence/reagan.htm). What about Adolph Hitler? Surely he was far more anti-Christ than Barack Obama. Frankly, I think it's fairly easy to come up with more diabolical leaders than the new President-elect.


What a strange time we live in when Christians, both conservative or liberal, begin judging the characteristics of God and Jesus himself as anti-Christ. Why would it be that after five years of a war where thousands of people have died needlessly, a politician who brings hope (a characteristic of Christ) wants to end the war (also a characteristic of a peace-loving Christ) would be seen as anti-Christ? How is it that we can be so divided on someone who wants to do a better job of taking care of the poor (a mandate of Christ or socialism?) while others embrace leaders who want to reward the rich (described by Christ himself as the most difficult group to enter the gates of heaven)? Why is it a family-loving man of one wife (again, supposed Christ values) can be seen as anti-Christ while an admitted adulterer (anti-Christ no doubt) can be hailed as the leader of an evangelical movement (someone told me he repented, by the way).

I am not trying to make a case for the Obamessiah (a term conservatives likely created). I do not believe he is a perfect man who will deliver this world from all harm. And, I'm not trying to be antagonistic (though I play one on tv). In fact, I am attempting to make a serious statement about the way "Christians" are judging what/who is anti-Christ today. I think it is dangerous. What are we teaching our children about Christian values and the person of Jesus Christ? When we call something good bad and bad good (peace/war, poor/rich) what foundation is being laid for the future?

At the risk of sounding right-wingy, the Bible says "Hope deferred makes the heart sick." "Seek peace and pursue it." 1 Corinthians 13:13 says, "Right now three things remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love."

(I know I am losing some of you - I can see your eyes gloss over! For those of you who want to skip the sermon, please jump to bottom paragraph ; )

The whole socialism thing - man, it's hard for me not to see that line of thinking as soooo anti-Christ. Again, the Bible says, (Luke 12:33) "Sell your possessions and give to charity; make yourselves purses which do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near, nor moth destroys." (Luke 3:11) And [John the Baptist] would answer and say to them, "Let the man with two tunics share with him who has none, and let him who has food do likewise." (Mt. 5:42) Give to him who asks of you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you.

Finally, (if you are not yet asleep - you can still skip to the bottom!!), the word "antichrist" is only found in four passages in the Bible, apparently where the conservatives are selectively pulling their authority these days. All were penned by Apostle John within the books of first and second John. (1 John 2:18-19) "Children, it is the last hour; and just as you heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have arisen; from this we know that it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, in order that it might be shown that they all are not of us."
(1 John 2:22-23) "Who is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son. Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father; the one who confesses the Son has the Father also."
(1 John 4:2-3) "By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God; and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God; and this is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming, and now it is already in the world."
(2 John 1:7) "For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the antichrist."

Barack Obama has not denied the Father and the Son. In fact, he has stated publicly many, many times that he is a Christian. In fact, I have enclosed a link to an article in Christianity Today (is that publication considered the elite liberal media?) where he talks about his devout faith at length: http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2008/januaryweb-only/104-32.0.html I invite those who are STILL reading to read it also, but especially one of my Facebook "friends" who indicated that she was praying for Obama's conversion - conversion to what??

Sermon skippers can pick up the commentary here:
Good Lord! All of this is so confusing. This I know: All of us - you and me, and her and him - portray something to this world. Our words reflect our thoughts. Our actions should reflect our words which mirror our thoughts. May each of us portray the character of Christ and His principles in a world that needs his example more than ever.

(And for those who read the sermon, may we protect ourselves from becoming one of the many antiChrists that have already arisen.)