why do some christian groups go to such a long length to expose and destroy possible antichrists? parousia can’t occur until the antichrist rises to power. i understand opposing yourself to the antichrist, but stopping him/her from rising to power? what gives?
Um. Well, the Beast is already in charge…
But, yeah. It’s that whole “I’m an evil misleading teacher of false ways, but I’d better keep my congregation looking the other way, so I’d better point to some who may or may not be as bad as I am to make my look better” syndrome.
I’ll probably go to Hell for saying this, but I’ve always thought that when the Anti-Christ comes he shakes hands with Christ, and they go up in a blaze of pure energy and subatmic particles.
… jumps up on the bar, and starts singing that “dah dah” Pepsi song, shaking her curly hair, and…
(I’d put a smily here, but I’m not sure I’m joking)
I still can’t see why people keep calling one thing or another the Antichrist. He’ll be pretty damn obvious–being 40 cubits tall and having “666” emblazened on his forehead. An then there’ll be the whole “I’m the Antichrist; join me” thing…
…or it could just be the Pepsi “girl”
…what’s a cubit?
…riiiiight…
(it’s the Noah and the ark sketch by Bill Cosby…)
You know, QuickSilver, you’re never going to be a master of urbane comedy that is too intelligent for “the masses” if you keep explaining the joke.
Geesh.
I just hate to be criptic… but perhaps you are right… screw the masses! 
Screw the masses? Now that’s either a great idea for a shindig or the Republicans’ slogan for the new millenium!
a unit of measure. not very precice, and IIRC it’s from the elbow to the fingertip. generally around 18 inches.
This thread is just an opportunity for bad jokes - or maybe y’all are just sick, sick, sicks. 
Is that a jab at Catholicism?
<sheepish grin>
Or’n’ry Oscar asked:
The unit of currency on Battlestar Galactica, of course.
aaarrrhgggh. my own thread taken over by the same asinine tactics i myself employ so much.
but seriously folks, if the rise of the antichrist is necessary for the return of christ, why does everybody try and stop the rise of the antichrist? or rather, why do those who see themselves as righteous try to stop the rise of the ol’ 666er, when they themselves will be spared the trials and tribulations?
Simple really.
The task of a christian isn’t to bring about Armeagedon, it’s to spread the word of God. You spread the word as much, and as long as you can. This means fighting the antichrists whenever they are there to opose you.
As hard as it is to believe, these christians actualy care about you. They want you to be with them in heaven. They want you to know the Jesus. The Antichrist taking power would limit your ablity to know God and to have a relationhsip with him. They’ll opose this everystep of the way.
You can easily argue that they are mistaken in their beliefs. But it is a much harder task to argue that these fundemantlist, rightwinged, or whatever adjective you wish, christains are selfish.
to argue the predeterminism side:
Armageddon WILL happen. The Antichrist WILL be born. It is fate, and nothing can stand in the way…
I, for one, can’t see why the Anti-antichristers are trying to stall the arrival of the Kingdom of God either.
Perhaps their faith is only strong when it isn’t truly being put to the test.
I had an antichrist once. My dad Mary’s sister.
blessedwolf,
Your dad was named Mary?
Yep. and his sister was (my Anti) Christ.
Yep. and his sister was (my Anti) Christ.
Let’s not go into my cousins’ names.