H
Herod
Guest
All of this discussion comes back to the Apocalypse, which is a somewhat problematical book. A lot of what I have read seems to regard the Beast as the Roman Empire and/or the Emperor, and this makes good sense to me. I shy away from seeing it as some future threat hanging over our heads and regard it as a coded way of strengthening Christians, who were going through a tough time when it was being written. There are, of course, lessons for modern Christians in it too.
Fundamentalists, as I understand it, take an opposite view and seem to hold it is a prophecy of future events. However, when I see the fear that this causes in some people - or worse, when it is used as a means of causing fear, I believe that there is a misuse of the book and of religion at work. The only fear we should have is Fear of the Lord, which is a reverential awe - another matter entirely.
[Sorry if I appear to have been ignoring the board. I’ve had computer problems and also had to travel a lot over the past few months.]
Fundamentalists, as I understand it, take an opposite view and seem to hold it is a prophecy of future events. However, when I see the fear that this causes in some people - or worse, when it is used as a means of causing fear, I believe that there is a misuse of the book and of religion at work. The only fear we should have is Fear of the Lord, which is a reverential awe - another matter entirely.
[Sorry if I appear to have been ignoring the board. I’ve had computer problems and also had to travel a lot over the past few months.]