# Obama viewed as the Antichrist
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-viewed-as-the-antichrist/510959
**Category:** Great Debates
**Created:** [September 21, 2009, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-viewed-as-the-antichrist/510959 "2009-09-21T16:30:23Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 3
### Author:  [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)
#### Post date: [September 21, 2009, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-viewed-as-the-antichrist/510959/41 "2009-09-21T21:25:58Z")
> [@elucidator](#):
>
> **Dio** , in an asylum with more than 300 million inmates, there simply has to be at least one inmate who believes Obama is the Messiah. There has to be one who believes his dog is the Messiah. Obama’s dog, of course, not the inmate’s dog. That would be crazy.
[“And He shall arise out of the Waters of the Portagews, and His name shall be called Bo . . .”](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portuguese_Water_Dog#Famous_Portuguese_Water_Dogs)
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### Author:  [@TWDuke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TWDuke)
#### Post date: [September 21, 2009, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-viewed-as-the-antichrist/510959/42 "2009-09-21T21:30:01Z")
> [@Sarahfeena](#):
>
> Sure, OK, I sincerely doubt that there’s anyone on the left who believes that Obama is the literal Messiah.
And yet, there are people on the right claiming that the Obama is the literal Antichrist.
> [@](#):
>
> Here’s a secret for you, though: there isn’t anyone on the Right who thinks that there IS that belief.
So, they’re lying? Because people are saying just that.
> [@](#):
>
> “the left thinks that Obama is the Messiah,” what they actually mean is “the left thinks this guy is the smartest, handsomest, most upstanding guy who ever lived, and they think he’s going to get them everything they ever wanted.”
That’s not the same as saying he’s the messiah, is it? The word “messiah” is deliberately chosen because it invokes (for Christians, anyway) the idea of religious worship, not merely unrealistic expectations. By falsely claiming that Obama is regarded as a messiah (and often adding that he encourages this), they are buttressing their argument that he is a false prophet.
> [@](#):
>
> And you know full well that that’s pretty much the truth AND that the left continues to play right into it:
>
> [http://media.kansascity.com/smedia/2009/09/20/22/obamadress.standalone.prod\_affiliate.81.jpg](http://media.kansascity.com/smedia/2009/09/20/22/obamadress.standalone.prod_affiliate.81.jpg)
I can’t understand how you think that picture of a minor celebrity in an attention-grabbing dress proves any version of your ever-changing thesis. Honestly, the thought process behind posting that link is a mystery.
> [@](#):
>
> As far as the antichrist people go…if you think that’s some kind of significant portion of the population…I mean, who LITERALLY believe that Obama is the anti-christ (as opposed to using figurative language, as I suspect people were doing in that poll), well, I’m going to have to see a cite for that, as well.
You seem to be heading very quicky from _as many people worship Obama as claim he is the Antichrist_ to _nobody really believes anyone worships Obama and no one literally believes he’s the Antichrist_, which is a substantially different claim and still demonstrably false, unless you believe that everyone who expresses those very views is lying.
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### Author:  [@Sarahfeena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sarahfeena)
#### Post date: [September 21, 2009, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-viewed-as-the-antichrist/510959/43 "2009-09-21T21:46:46Z")
**griffin** and **TWDuke** , the point I was trying to make in my last post is that the first point I made in this thread is wrong from a literal standpoint. I think it’s true that there are some (few) people who do believe that Obama is literally the anti-Christ, and I also think it’s true that there are virtually no people who believe that Obama is literally the Messiah. My point I was trying to make, however, is that either way, it’s few enough people as to be totally insignificant to the vast majority of the population.
My other point, made since then, is that it’s often brought up that the “Messiah” thing is “made up” by the right-wingers, but it doesn’t seem to be clear to those who bring it up that the right-wingers aren’t accusing the left of _literally_ worshiping Obama, they are accusing the left of _acting_ as though they worship Obama. When a righty says “those people think Obama is the messiah,” they mean it in a figurative way.
Hence the cite of the actress in the Obama dress. If you don’t want people to use hyperbole to describe your actions, don’t act in a hyperbolic manner.
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### Author:  [@Kimmy\_Gibbler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimmy_Gibbler)
#### Post date: [September 21, 2009, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-viewed-as-the-antichrist/510959/44 "2009-09-21T22:00:41Z")
> [@Sarahfeena](#):
>
> If you don’t want people to use hyperbole to describe your actions, don’t act in a hyperbolic manner.
On the other hand, we could just ask right-wingers not to engage in misleading and sensationalized rhetoric, no? You know, to engage instead in the plainspokenness that does not require you to make a follow-up posts to the effect of “When I said, X, absolutely and without qualification above, what I really meant was that in a manner of speaking X, after a fashion, and viewed in a tongue-in-cheek light, and besides, you libruls started it anyhow.”
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### Author:  [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)
#### Post date: [September 21, 2009, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-viewed-as-the-antichrist/510959/45 "2009-09-21T23:10:19Z")
> [@FriarTed](#):
>
> To the OP, I doubt that many people really believe it. After all, the AntiChrist is supposed to get things done!
No kidding. One of the biggest warning signs that someone is the antichrist is the fact that they preform miracles. Obama can’t even get the unemployment rate under 9%, so it’s safe to assume it isn’t him. Doesn’t anyone else read the Bible any more?
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### Author:  [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)
#### Post date: [September 21, 2009, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-viewed-as-the-antichrist/510959/46 "2009-09-21T23:27:09Z")
> [@elfkin477](#):
>
> No kidding. One of the biggest warning signs that someone is the antichrist is the fact that they preform miracles. Obama can’t even get the unemployment rate under 9%, so it’s safe to assume it isn’t him. Doesn’t anyone else read the Bible any more?
Most folks stopped doing that after they figured out that reading the Bible was interfering with their Bible-induced paranoia.
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### Author:  [@The\_Hamster\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Hamster_King)
#### Post date: [September 21, 2009, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-viewed-as-the-antichrist/510959/47 "2009-09-21T23:36:49Z")
> [@Sarahfeena](#):
>
> I think it’s true that there are some (few) people who do believe that Obama is literally the anti-Christ, and I also think it’s true that there are virtually no people who believe that Obama is literally the Messiah. My point I was trying to make, however, is that either way, it’s few enough people as to be totally insignificant to the vast majority of the population.
8% of the population is of New Jersey is a small minority, but it’s NOT “insignificant”.
Look, I realize that it’s humiliating to realize that a substantial fraction of people on your side of the aisle are total nutters, but the hard polling data is pretty damning. If people were just speaking metaphorically, then why did another 13% say they weren’t sure if he was or wasn’t? What? They’re not sure if he’s \*metaphorically \*the Antichrist or not? :rolleyes: Don’t be ridiculous.
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### Author:  [@Apollyon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apollyon)
#### Post date: [September 21, 2009, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-viewed-as-the-antichrist/510959/48 "2009-09-21T23:51:28Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#):
>
> Plus, the alternative was Sarah Palin.
Ah, I see. The “I **want** to vote for the Anti-Christ” vote got split. 🙂
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### Author:  [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)
#### Post date: [September 21, 2009, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-viewed-as-the-antichrist/510959/49 "2009-09-21T23:54:19Z")
> [@Sarahfeena](#):
>
> My other point, made since then, is that it’s often brought up that the “Messiah” thing is “made up” by the right-wingers, but it doesn’t seem to be clear to those who bring it up that the right-wingers aren’t accusing the left of _literally_ worshiping Obama, they are accusing the left of _acting_ as though they worship Obama.
Well, then they’re still lying or impenetrably stupid. Have you not noticed that Obama has taken nearly as much heat from the left as from the right? Millions of Americans were hoping for this century’s FDR, not this century’s Bill Clinton.
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### Author:  [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)
#### Post date: [September 22, 2009, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-viewed-as-the-antichrist/510959/50 "2009-09-22T00:05:00Z")
It’s simply a reflection of his declining poll numbers. People think the country is going to hell in a handcart.
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### Author:  [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)
#### Post date: [September 22, 2009, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-viewed-as-the-antichrist/510959/51 "2009-09-22T00:09:24Z")
You know, oddly, that isn’t getting as much play here in the Bible Belt.
At least, not locally.
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### Author:  [@Kimmy\_Gibbler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimmy_Gibbler)
#### Post date: [September 22, 2009, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-viewed-as-the-antichrist/510959/52 "2009-09-22T00:10:45Z")
> [@Magiver](#):
>
> It’s simply a reflection of his declining poll numbers. People think the country is going to hell in a handcart.
Awwwww…poor Republicans. Too bad none of these polls count until the one in November 2010.
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### Author:  [@woodstockbirdybird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/woodstockbirdybird)
#### Post date: [September 22, 2009, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-viewed-as-the-antichrist/510959/53 "2009-09-22T00:25:52Z")
> [@Magiver](#):
>
> It’s simply a reflection of his declining poll numbers. People think the country is going to hell in a handcart.
People (conservatives, mostly) have been thinking that since the country’s inception. Don’t recall many other instances of people actually believing the President was the Antichrist, though.
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### Author:  [@Sarahfeena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sarahfeena)
#### Post date: [September 22, 2009, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-viewed-as-the-antichrist/510959/54 "2009-09-22T01:01:18Z")
> [@The\_Hamster\_King](#):
>
> 8% of the population is of New Jersey is a small minority, but it’s NOT “insignificant”.
>
> Look, I realize that it’s humiliating to realize that a substantial fraction of people on your side of the aisle are total nutters, but the hard polling data is pretty damning. If people were just speaking metaphorically, then why did another 13% say they weren’t sure if he was or wasn’t? What? They’re not sure if he’s \*metaphorically \*the Antichrist or not? :rolleyes: Don’t be ridiculous.
There’s no reason to roll your eyes, seriously. I just find that poll to be very suspect, and here’s the reason…the New Jersey demographics just don’t support it.
[Here](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Jersey#Demographics) is the wikipedia page for New Jersey’s demographics, and it lists the religious makeup of the state. The stats are as follows:
Catholic: 37%
None: 15%
Baptist: 8%
Methodist: 6%
Refused to identify: 5%
Christian (no denomination: 4%
Jewish: 2%
Presbyterian: 4%
Lutheran: 3%
Episcopalian: 2%
Protestant: 2%
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### Author:  [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)
#### Post date: [September 22, 2009, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-viewed-as-the-antichrist/510959/55 "2009-09-22T01:01:55Z")
I’m not surprised that quite a few think Obama’s the Antichrist. They’ve labeled him a “socialist”, and American right wingers have equated “socialist” with “the Antichrist” since the 19th century. It’s to be expected.
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### Author:  [@Sarahfeena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sarahfeena)
#### Post date: [September 22, 2009, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-viewed-as-the-antichrist/510959/56 "2009-09-22T01:08:39Z")
I accidentally posted that before I was done. After the ones I listed, it gets into 1% and lower representation. My point being, if you look at the numbers, the Christian denominations who even hold this “anti-Christ” doctrine have an extremely small representation in NJ. Catholics and mainline Protestants, which are the denominations most represented in that state, are not religions that to the best of my knowledge spend much time thinking about the anti-Christ. The only two at the top of that list that might have some adherents of it are maybe the Methodists and the Baptists, and put together, that’s only 14% of the population. So, in order to reach, what was it, 7%? Fully HALF of those denominations would have to not only believe in that doctrine, but believe that Obama fulfills it? I really, really don’t think so.
If you ask me, the statistic from that poll was the result of boneheads who think they’re funny going…“huh huh huh, damn straight he’s the anti-Christ, raising my tax dollars to give lazy ass welfare cheats healthcare.” A stupid and repugnant attitude to be sure, but not the same as ACTUALLY believeing he’s the anti-Christ.
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### Author:  [@Captain\_Awesome](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Awesome)
#### Post date: [September 22, 2009, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-viewed-as-the-antichrist/510959/57 "2009-09-22T01:15:10Z")
> [@](#):
>
> the Church has made no formal definition on the matter, so Catholics are free to hold that the Antichrist was or will be an individual, a group of people, or a particularly wicked era.
[Catholic.com](http://www.catholic.com/thisrock/quickquestions/keyword/antichrist)
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### Author:  [@Sarahfeena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sarahfeena)
#### Post date: [September 22, 2009, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-viewed-as-the-antichrist/510959/58 "2009-09-22T01:23:22Z")
> [@Captain\_Awesome](#):
>
> [Catholic.com](http://www.catholic.com/thisrock/quickquestions/keyword/antichrist)
OK, but do they? I’ve sure never heard it, and I’m Catholic and have lived among Catholics my whole life.
ETA: Don’t know why your entire post wasn’t quoted there…I’m posting from my handheld now and can’t fix it.
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### Author:  [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)
#### Post date: [September 22, 2009, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-viewed-as-the-antichrist/510959/59 "2009-09-22T01:42:47Z")
> [@Sarahfeena](#):
>
> I accidentally posted that before I was done. After the ones I listed, it gets into 1% and lower representation. My point being, if you look at the numbers, the Christian denominations who even hold this “anti-Christ” doctrine have an extremely small representation in NJ. Catholics and mainline Protestants, which are the denominations most represented in that state, are not religions that to the best of my knowledge spend much time thinking about the anti-Christ. The only two at the top of that list that might have some adherents of it are maybe the Methodists and the Baptists, and put together, that’s only 14% of the population. So, in order to reach, what was it, 7%? Fully HALF of those denominations would have to not only believe in that doctrine, but believe that Obama fulfills it? I really, really don’t think so.
>
> If you ask me, the statistic from that poll was the result of boneheads who think they’re funny going…“huh huh huh, damn straight he’s the anti-Christ, raising my tax dollars to give lazy ass welfare cheats healthcare.” A stupid and repugnant attitude to be sure, but not the same as ACTUALLY believeing he’s the anti-Christ.
A lot of people don’t even know what their own official denominational positions are. Much of what people hear or believe about the Antichrist comes from pop culture rather than from anything they hear in the pews.
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### Author:  [@Sarahfeena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sarahfeena)
#### Post date: [September 22, 2009, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-viewed-as-the-antichrist/510959/60 "2009-09-22T01:49:31Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#):
>
> A lot of people don’t even know what their own official denominational positions are. Much of what people hear or believe about the Antichrist comes from pop culture rather than from anything they hear in the pews.
Assuming that’s true then I sincerely doubt they understand it well enough to truly believe it in a literal sense. Making the 7% number even less meaningful.
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