The AntiChrist

Millions upon millions of people have dived into the final pages of the bible to read revelations. It is a story that inspires dread, fear, doubt, but ends with tranquility and everlasting peace. Scientist and Holy men alike work days on end to uncover the truths behind the antichrist. It is said that this man shall be born into the world of politics. That he shall cheat death and bear forth his mark. In todays society we look for direct clues as to the end times, mirror images that MUST reflect and reference the bible almost to the word. Please know that this article was written to in no way discredit, insult, or influence the thinking and beliefs of anyone.
While It may seem that this demon will come from the pits of hell to enslave us all, I move my pointed finger away from satan and to religion itself. The defence of God to such an phenominal degree is what shall spark the birth of the antichrist. Of course what is the basis of such an accusation? How could the greatest system of teachings, morals, and standards, be blamed for the horrific endings of revelations? The answer lies within the hearts of Gods own creation. Men.
Death means different things to different people, but universally it means the end of something. Christianity, while being around for ages, has survived countless jabs at their very core. With so many feats, deaths, atrocities, and phenomena that leave us in pain or suffering, it is a wonder anyone has faith in anything but themselves. The terrorist attack on September 11 was a horrible event that while rational thinking would lead many to believe that God doesn't exist, lead as a gateway for many more people praying and turning to God in need of strength to carry on. The racism in America alone, slavery, the civil war, the Conquistadors, the list goes on and on. So many lives were taken by these events yet each believed that God would help them get through it. Many times, men, women, and children were sadly disappointed. The wars alone don’t amount to the horrific every day life that exists inside our own homes. Lack of jobs, theft, murders, drugs, rape, con artists, and disease should be enough to rattle anyone’s faith. The world around us is a dangerous and often horrid place to live, but time and time again, religion stays strong as the backbone of power for millions of individuals. Given this, religion has not only cheated death, but it has negated it completely.
Why is it possible that so many people are able to believe in an Icon that never shows himself and never lets you know he is there? It is because of the promise of relief. No matter where you are or what you do, if you are said to be on good terms with God, you shall end in the glorious kingdom of heaven. No matter the hardships, or difficulties you are faced with God is something you can fall back on and be at ease, even if just for a minute. This is where religion carries its power, and this is why religion will ultimately be the dividing factor of humanity.
The world of politics is a foul place that religion has happened to land right in the middle of. While many people would deny it, religion, plan and simple, is politics. Every day new and old techniques are used to help influence non-believers or children into learning about God. Politicans use religion as a crutch to gain popularity among voters, or for support of their actions whil in office. Many bands have come forth being Christian simply to increase sales and appeal to a larger consumer base. Society needs to take time to filter out who and what is using God for such means so that the men and women who proudly show their support in faith are not burried by those just looking to reap the benefits. The relation to politics and religion however is very symbiotic. Religion needs politicians to idolize God to thus further increase their followers. A king ruling a nation as a religious leader orders his kingdom to follow his rule and his rule is God. This power is quickly turned against him as when the kingdom believes more in the power of God than the king (who introduced them to God), the church can step in and declare death, blasphemy, or whatever they feel like. Is it not easy to see that religion has been born into the world of politics? Or is it simply the fact politics were born into the world of Religion?
The mark of the beast is quite possibly the most unreal and heated discussion in this article. In my own heart, I feel that the mark of the beast is not a coin, or a number, not a serpent, or devil. The mark of the beast will be the very binds from which revelations is printed. The mark will be the Bible itself. As more and more knowledged is gained, as technology advances, and choices are made. The world we live in flocks to absolution, the line in which religion falls begins to take sides. The non-believers are concrete in their decision as much as are the believers. The gray areas of believing and not begin to fade away and only sides remain. The tactics of conversion are what have caused the gray to dissapear and tension between the sides to emerge. As 2012 approachs, not that the date is significant, more and more people push for redemtion. The date has no meaning, but society today has planted meaning in it thus pushing those “overly-faithful” to become hasty. The church pushses for more redemption and tries to turn non-believers into outcasts. The types of persuasion are both crude and ineffective, though they are very forceful and leave little choice for the person needed to be converted. They will first offer you the greatest gifts that god can give you, show you what you could have but only try to explain it. When the first attempt fails, they condemn you to hell. It is almost comical to watch how fast they try to get you to join them. The individual cities will start to narrow in on families that are non-church goers and make life difficult if not uncomfortable for the household. To expect to push such an infinite object into a persons mind and change their belief system in such a small amount of time is impossible and will have reverse affects at best.
The world is now in two, take a typical five-person family for a minute. The Dad (a non-believer after some events) sits across from his wife while the kids are on the sides of the table. It is public knowledge that the father is faithless and the kids are beginning to get some heat. Taunts and teasing at school about how their dad will burn in hell have started to affect them. The kids cry in their rooms and pray that it stops. Their dad is very loving and has the best intentions in the world, never misses a soccer practice or basketball game. The wife’s mother is not talking to the family because the dad is faithless. Her Bunco group no longer meets at her house and she is often the last, or lucky at all, to hear about the next game day. She knows the other mothers gossip about her, yet doesn’t have the strength to stand up for her husband. He is always caring, remembers every anniversary, plays their favorite song from time to time, and helps out around the house a lot. The whole family sees the perfectness of this man while the rest of their social acquaintances don’t. All they see is someone tainted, someone not worth their time. A brick being thrown through the glass window abruptly stops dinner. On the brick tied by rope is a note that reads “don't taint our children get out of our town!”; this is the third time this year it has happened.

Does a situation like this seem so unreal? Many of the events listed above have happened before but under different reasons, and will happen again. But what does this have to do with being the anti-Christ?
The church is an army that has followers with absolute faith and servitude. Take one man, like the Pope, powerful enough to control billions of people by a single connected truth and you will have war. The church will eventually feel oppressed. Violence will begin to break out as more and more faithful become violent and act “In the name of God.” God will become the mark of the Beast; the beast will be the ruthless nature of those acting in the name of God against those choosing to live a different life. The irony of it all is that those that carry this mark do not see it. If you truly believe you are acting out of good, doesn’t that make you such? You divide the meaning of good into separate exceptions, a power in which no one has, yet since God is ultimate, that power is yours. The world beings to continue to divide as riots breakout and countless are slaughtered. Those that were tolerable before are forced to make a choice they don’t want to make. Justifications become more and more apparent as phrases like “if you will not act for god, you do not believe in him,” and “this is the only way to live” spew from the followers mouths. Men, women, and children are dragged into a war they wish would have never started.
The antichrist now is in full bloom; the church uses fear to conquer, and God for excuse. The oppressed non-believers have rallied and are making a final push, yet they offer one last peace treaty. “You say you kill in the name of God, we ask for no deaths. Look at the millions you have slaughtered, the damages to families too unforgivable to mention. We did not ask for this, you brought it upon us and now we realize what you have done. For the name of all those that have died by your cause you will not be shown mercy and you will not be forgiven.”- It is at this point that the cries of sorrow, remorse, guilt, and acknowledgement set in. When then faithful are on their knees looking down the barrels of truth, they will say “It was all for the good of the people.”
That phrase alone is why an event such as this can never be allowed to happen. When you become so single minded that the truth is absolute, and you are the truth, you need to be shown that you are tottally false. Nothing allows any group of people to tell us what is right for you or me. While the laws of a nation may bind us, we are still allowed to do much of what we please.
As the last member of the oppression falls, the sky turns brighter for the first time in ages. An area of peace has finally come; we have seen what has happened when you allow absolute truth to exist. The earth will turn to a new day of understanding and coexistence. Memorials will built in remembrance of those that died and as a reminder to everyone… “While we are men of our own beliefs, never again will we allow our ultimate morals be used as tools of destruction. For we cannot judge a man by his thoughts or ways of life, but by his actions, and by his heart.”
To those of you that agree, and to those of you still blinded by doubt and by the love of your God. Remember, I do not judge you by your beliefs, nor by the bible in your hand. I judge you by your attitude towards me as I am my own person. We are all different and we are all equal. If a man decides to follow God, then join him at church. If a man decides not to allow God into his life it is his choice and his choice alone. His end is of no concern to you but his life now is. Show him compassion as though he would see you in heaven, for even though he does not worship God he may still stand next to you and enter the gates of heaven by your seide.