Stop It! Just, Stop.
I really don’t mind valid examination into the policies and personalities of Presidential candidates, but two more email I received today convinced me that, well, I’d better not say what it convinced me of. But let me address the claims of one of them.
The email was titled something like, “A man from the east.” I’m providing for you one of the first marvelously, um, articulate(?) first paragraphs (complete with the underlining and highlighting used in the email text):
I have felt for sometime now that Obama is the
o ne person that ‘Frightens Me’. I believe the Bible has
warned us that ‘A man will come from the East that will be
charismatic in nature and have proposed solutions for all our
problems and his rhetoric will attract many supporters!’
A quick search through the text of the Bible (AV/KJV) shows that the words “east” and “man” are paired only a few times, and the nearest text to this apparent biblical citation comes from Isaiah 41:2:
Who raised up the righteous man from the east, called him to his foot, gave the nations before him, and made him rule over kings? he gave them as the dust to his sword, and as driven stubble to his bow.
The other prophecy concerning a man coming from the east is in Matthew 24:27 and has to do with the Second Coming of Christ.
I can’t bring myself to give any more attention to this email; I started to respond to more of it, but it isn’t worth it. Suffice it to say, if Barack Obama’s policies make you nervous or the stand he takes on issues worry you, go ahead and talk about that.
But stop calling him the Anti-Christ! Stop invoking “the Bible” as a means of political trash talk.
Again I don’t have my scriptures on me but just an uneducated thought on dualism. There are some verses, I believe in 24s and 25s of mathew which speak of the second coming. to paraphrase, “if a man say Christ has come and he is in the desert, go not”, “if some say he is in a secret place, go not. For where the eagles are gathered there will be the carcass also”. Something to those effects, the Savior was obviously aware that many would “call wolf” if you will, to his coming. Is it possible that this, as of yet somewhat undefined, “anti-christ” would also carry the same public expectations, or possibly just contribute to the rumours of Christ coming. Just a thought.
Erick
June 9, 2008 at 5:08 pm
Second, I thought Obama was from Michigan – is that considered east?
Erick
June 9, 2008 at 5:10 pm
According to Wikipedia he is from Hawaii, then moved to singapore. Is Hawaii considered east? I guess technically the world is round.
Erick
June 9, 2008 at 5:13 pm