The "Anti-Christ" is already here

I did not mean to start writing blogs about religion. For me, as I have said before, my childhood was spent in an ultra-religious and ultra-conservative environment. Mostly I have been writing about politics, fraud and music. However, it seems that in my own quest to find what I believe when it comes to religion, I have developed a perspective that some people have found interesting. I don't think it is necessarily unique but I am hoping it does give those who are "wandering in the wilderness" the knowledge they are not alone.

I do find it rather naive that so many people believe in the "Anti-Christ" especially the hard-right conspiracy theorists who think perhaps Obama is that boogeyman they have been waiting for that will signal the kickoff of the "End Times". Personally, I think that whole story is something that was made up to give hope to Jews that were suffering under the iron fist of the Roman Empire. However, I am going to run with the "Anti-Christ" idea to make a point. Follow my rambling train of thought and see if you agree.

The "Anti-Christ" is already here. He/she/it have slowly gained power but the AC is not a single person, as much as the religious right believe it is. In my opinion, the AC is an idea, one of the deadly sins in fact. Greed, all-consuming greed. Think about it, look at how many people in this world have placed themselves so far into debt in the pursuit of material things that distract them from the importance of community, people and God. How many people lament the decline of our society and want to point fingers at the media, liberals, etc? Yet, you see these same people spend their lives chasing bigger homes, fancier cars, bigger TVs and other things which do not bring them closer to God who they proclaim to love so much. They are indeed following a false god, the opposite of Christ.

If you call yourself a Christian, you would ideally be following the teachings of Christ. He said, ""If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." Matthew 19:21. Yet, people rejected this because they were wealthy and couldn't imagine giving up all they had worked and schemed for. Look at the mega-churches, the Joel Osteens of the world, those who preach a religious message of money and prosperity as somehow being consistent with the teachings of Christ. It absolutely is not. This is, in my opinion, the Anti-Christ. 

The AC is not a person, not a government figure, it is our inclination to greed and our need to somehow rationalize and justify that greed. It is the need to demonize those who do not have as much as others as somehow being lazy and therefore undeserving of help or redemption. It is the Ayn Rand/extreme conservative libertarian ideology which embraces the basic mantra of "screw you, I got mine". That is, in my opinion, the Anti-Christ.