Thoughts on an Anti-Christ?

[The_Barrister]

One of the attributes of the anit-Christ is that he will appear as Christ (taking the place of Christ), and Hitler was far from that

When Hitler was at the peak of his power, there were many Christians who thought that he was THE Antichrist. Turns out he was only an antichrist.

There have always been antichrists in the world. But there is only one man who will be the Antichrist.

Mao and Stalin were antichrists too.

I still don’t get the antichrist angle on these three (Hitler, Stalin, Mao). Indeed, all three were unsurpassed in their evilness (and we can throw Musselini, Trotsky, Lenin, Osama, Hussein and a bunch of others into the list), but none of them gave an appearance as of an antichrist. None of them set themselves up as a savior or even pseudo-savior. None of them had a circle of people close to them who worshipped them - in fact, most or all were in deathly fear of them.

Rev. Moon is a far better example.

If you’re looking for a present-day example of an antichrist, look to The Matreya. If this guy doesn’t scare you, talk to a good priest for some spiritual direction!

 

[Matt16_18]

*None of them set themselves up as a savior or even pseudo-savior. *

Hitler, Stalin, and Mao did not set themselves up as saviors bringing forth a new era for the world, an era where Christ was denied his kingship over the world?

**CCC 676 ** The Antichrist’s deception already begins to take shape in the world every time the claim is made to realize within history that messianic hope which can only be realized beyond history through the eschatological judgment. The Church has rejected even modified forms of this falsification of the kingdom to come under the name of millenarianism, especially the “intrinsically perverse” political form of a secular messianism.

 

[gomer_tree]

The Church does teach that there will be a man who is THE Antichrist that will persecute the Catholic Church.

Perhaps you are correct. But many believe that THE Anti-Christ, literally he of 666, was Nero. It was my impression that this does not necessarily mean the final Anti-Christ has to be a man. To quote the Catechism:

The supreme religious deception is that of the Antichrist, a pseudo-messianism by which man glorifies himself in place of God and of his Messiah come in the flesh.

This seems to indulge the idea that Antichrist is self-glorification of man.

Now, I personally believe that Anti-Christ will indeed be a man. I would be interested in seeing if this is definitive Church teaching, or if it just the common view.

My point was that, while this is a great topic and I love studying it myself, we should not put too much confidence in any particular interpretation except for that which is dogmatically determined. The best lesson is that when things get bad, there’s a reason. The Church itself teaches that there must be one final purification before Jesus will come again. The great thing is, as frustrating and saddening as a crisis in the Church is, we can also always look at these things with a spirit of hope. The Church will survive, and Christ will be victorious!

 

[Matt16_18]

Now, I personally believe that Anti-Christ will indeed be a man.

There are some think that Hillary Clinton could be the Antichrist …

 

[gomer_tree]

Now, I personally believe that Anti-Christ will indeed be a man.

There are some think that Hillary Clinton could be the Antichrist …

You just got some rep, man… :yup:

 

[Matt16_18]

Hey, maybe I can finally get my apologetical motor in gear!

 

[Pace]

**Catechism of the Catholic Church

The Church’s ultimate trial

675** Before Christ’s second coming the Church must pass through a final trial that will shake the faith of many believers. The persecution that accompanies her pilgrimage on earth will unveil the “mystery of iniquity” in the form of a religious deception offering men an apparent solution to their problems at the price of apostasy from the truth. The supreme religious deception is that of the Antichrist, a pseudo-messianism by which man glorifies himself in place of God and of his Messiah come in the flesh.

A theory we should seriously ponder.

The Antichrist: Gibson’s “The Passion of the Christ”

Enoch and Elias: David Lynch and Lars von Trier

Is it possible that it is in the realm of movies (our subconscious) that all of this is going to play out? We have created a new universe with movies. Was it necessary that God would have to incarnate himself into this ‘world’ too?

 

[gomer_tree]

With all due respect, I have trouble taking that seriously. I totally don’t get the point.

 

[Pace]

gomer tree:

With all due respect, I have trouble taking that seriously. I totally don’t get the point.

I know, it’s strange, huh? But I can’t get it out of my head.

Have you seen the latest films by the two director’s I mentioned? They are nothing short of astounding. And if we take into account all of their previous films things become even clearer. Their two latest films seem to complete and perfect all of their previous work in ways that corresponde to how the coming of Christ gives meaning to all time, before and after. Their films are magical wonderlands of sight and sound that, at least for me, lead to the purest center of our Catholic faith, and just at the time when it was most needed.

I believe that the point at which the deception occured with regard to “The Passion” is when the decision was made to enter into the theater. There needn’t have been an actual movie playing there. After having seen the films of the two prophet director’s I mentioned we might have understood that the ‘sin’ was already present within us, and that the blindness became complete with the very desire to see Gibson’s film. What I’m trying to say is that when we accept the one we are rejecting the other (two).

 

[gomer_tree]

You must be more philosophical than I am. I just went to go see a movie about the Passion. This isn’t much different than other devotions where images, music, etc. are used.

In any case, I highly doubt that the Antichrist will be the movies. Now, movies can participate in the general anti-Christian attitude that will plague society, but so can a lot of other things.

 

[Pace]

I don’t think I am any more philosophical than anyone else. What I think is needed in our times is a return to simplicity. The two director’s I mentioned seem to have returned us to a philosophy of simplicity. Don’t cheat yourself out of seeing their latest. That way you can compare the two philosophies (theirs vs. The Passion’s).