In the Trump 2016 thread I'd brought up some ruminations about how Trump's presidency fits into the Christian Apocalypse mythology. I'm unsure if it merits talking about, or whether it fits in Debate and Discussion, or what. But here's some paraphrase:
(Full disclosure, I do not believe in Satan or an Anti-Christ, or in the possibility that the bible contains accurate predictions of future world events, or in any revealed religion at all.)
With that, Trump's election reminded me of the apocalyptic aspect of the Catholicism I was brought up with, and a book from 1970 called The Late, Great Planet Earth. The book, later made into a movie, was the first I know of - and certainly the first to gain wide exposure - to interpret modern world events through the prism of predictions made in biblical Revelations. One of the things it said, and one of the things echoed and discussed in my grade and high school religion classes, was that the Anti-Christ would not forcefully overthrow the world. He would be welcomed into power, especially by Christians.
How could this be?
I assumed he would present himself as pious and good and only reveal his true evil nature once his power was consolidated. The stories didn't tell it that way, but that's what made sense to me. And yet, we have now witnessed good Christians accept as their leader an obviously and unquestionably very bad, very blatantly un-Christian, and immoral man. And, no less, they accepted him into the one political office in existence that, on paper at least, has the power to unilaterally End the World.
The way recent events fit into that Anti-Christ narrative strums the long-dormant remnants of my youthful indoctrination with a chilling what-the-fuck.
Two further thoughts...
First, a good Christian should actually have no interest in preventing the Apocalypse. It's the return of the Messiah, after all. As long as you're in good standing with God, it means everlasting peace, harmony, bliss, etc. will follow the carnage. But, I'm not sure how throwing one's support behind the Anti-Christ can leave one in good standing with God. With Trump, there really isn't any plausible deniability when it comes to his character, is there? Maybe, given the power of the conservative propaganda machine.
Second, thinking of Trump's recent Israel policy, I'm guessing the Jerusalem thing is actually driven by Pence, or Pence-types -- those who want to see the Temple rebuilt in Jerusalem to satisfy that prerequisite for the Apocalypse. Indeed, Trump's chief envoy for Middle-East peace, Jared Kushner, was conspicuously absent from the announcement. But Pence was there. And Pence is travelling to the region to do the diplomatic thing in the announcement's wake, not Kushner. Hmm.
I've read speculation that much of the cabinet picking, and much of the Trump Administration's domestic policy, has been driven by Pence. Which makes sense. Trump doesn't know much or care much about running the country, so he left all the bull shit details to Pence.
Consider what that means. Of course assume that Revelations and the Apocalypse and all of that is pure mythology, but consider what sort of policy comes from an ideology firmly grounded in the conviction that what really matters, here and now, is a looming war between good and evil, that will end the world as we know it, to be followed by Judgement Day, and finally the blissful reign of God forever and ever. Conveniently, anyone that does not have that same conviction - any and all atheists, moderate Christians, non-Christians, sinners - all of them will be banished away to hell for eternity. And even more convenient, all of humanity's petty problems - disease, famine, pestilence, poverty, incompetent governance - and all of humanity's golden calves - science, industry, pop-culture, much of the arts, environmentalism, you name it - are either irrelevant, or the distractions and trickery of Satan as he attempts to ensnare as much of humanity as possible before the End. If that's in the back of your mind while you formulate policy from the most powerful office in the world, then what the what?