Here is an example:

https://www.africanews.com/2020/12/11/south-africa-chief-justice-under-fire-for-calling-covid-19-vaccine-satanic//

South Africa's chief justice on Friday vehemently defended a prayer he made against "satanic" Covid-19 vaccines, seeming to refer to a conspiracy theory that they could "infuse 666" into people's DNA.

Mogoeng Mogoeng, a devout Christian, came under strong criticism on social media following the prayer at an event in Johannesburg on Thursday to honour people who died from Covid-19 in Africa's hardest-hit country.

"I lockout every demon of Covid-19, I lock out any vaccine that is not of you, if there be any vaccine that is of the devil meant to infuse 666 in the lives of people, meant to corrupt your DNA," he said in the prayer.

On Friday he told a media conference that he would not be dissuaded from speaking against or praying against possible "satanic" vaccines.


But is it actually "The Mark Of The Beast?"
http://academiclogos.wpengine.com/covid-19-and-the-mark-of-the-beast/

http://academiclogos.wpengine.com/the-covid-vaccine-has-666-written-all-over-it-and-why-that-doesnt-matter-according-to-revelation/

I can't even guess how many times something new has been called "mark of the beast" by those nutcases.

Medical things, computer things, government things (like SS#), biological things, or anything else can all somehow be interpreted to fit their goofy narrative about the beasty 666 thing.

Demons are everywhere. Oh, my!

I assume you can't take any medications with this kind of attitude. No health care, etc. How about food? It isn't "of you."

Of course it is!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Was there ever any doubt???????????

I've never bought into the Nero is 666 thing. Revelation talks about a ruler of the world and even back then people knew Nero didn't rule the entire world. John was writing on a Greek island and even he would have heard of people at the other side of the Black Sea who had no allegiance to Rome, or the northern European tribes. He would have known of people in Africa and Asia beyond Rome too. India and Ethiopia certainly. Ethiopia appears in the Jewish Bible and the writer of Revelation certainly was familiar with a lot of it - certainly Genesis (the Dragon) and Psalms (Babylon)

Secondly, Nero did not mark people's hands and foreheads. He did not prevent buying and selling. He did not have global reach and could not switch off purchasing power.

Nero persecuted Christians but I think he is not what is being spoken of here.

It's amazing how in an instant, flashes of my JW time rear up just from a word or phrase that is dominant in their theology.They speak frequently of the "End Times" and "The Mark of the Beast" (from Revelation in the Bible). I found it seriously depressing. OK if it's part of your world view but why obsess over it? I find it inestimably sad that while stressing Armageddon they essentially miss out on their entire earthly life (it seems to me) - no higher education, no "worldly" pursuits (such as becoming a high-level athlete, etc) and of course, no marrying outside their small circle. I did have a couple of JW boyfriends, one of whom I was very fond, but I didn't find a lifetime of WatchTower to be a very appealing prospect so I didn't rush into marriage to a JW, as much as that is promoted by them. No time to think, is the way I interpreted that teaching!

Nothing defines WatchTower/JW more for me than their End Times theology. They teach that The Beast is "the worldwide political system" (JWs do not get involved in politics due to this). They say that people exhibit "the mark of the Beast" by honouring their country, its symbols and its military might (one reason they do not sing the national anthem of any country).

They teach that the mark is symbolic and is evidenced by a person being involved in the political system, which places them "in opposition to God".

You can't have it both ways, iow.

Here is a blurb on the subject from the JW POV:

https://www.jw.org/en/bible-teachings/questions/what-does-666-mean/


So, at least to JWs, the Mark is not literal. Therefore, it can't be a vaccine, according to them. At least on that score they are slightly more rational than many others. (Although not in the area of blood transfusions, of course).



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/24/2021 04:22PM by Nightingale.

The weird thing is I've never heard the subject discussed by mainline LDS. Like not once. Even though it is a big deal in other apocalyptic churches. The Mark of the Beast is of little interest to them.

Back in the 70's, I remember them talking about it a little. I was told to get food storage with ammunition in it.

For Nightingale: my elder brother's name is Mark. He always signs his emails Mark of The Beast ;-)

Tom in Paris: I only just saw this post of yours. It made me laugh. Thanks - chuckles always welcome amidst the daily challenges.

Hope all is well in Gay Paree!

So why isn't catching covid a sign of the Beast, and the vaccine a form of salvation? That metaphor actually makes a certain amount of sense.

The nutcases seem to get a lot of things bass-ackwards.

They decry abortion, then do all they can to limit availability of contraceptives.

They decry the economic devastation from closing businesses to stop covid, and then aggressively oppose masks and vaccines.

W
T
F?

Brother Of Jerry Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> So why isn't catching covid a sign of the Beast,
> and the vaccine a form of salvation? That metaphor
> actually makes a certain amount of sense.

Right! Good spin on that. I like things that make sense.


> They decry abortion, then do all they can to limit
> availability of contraceptives.

Yes, I don't get that. At all. But I've heard it explained that contraception prevents conception (duh) and therefore is a form of abortion. That is really a big s t r e t c h. Perhaps it comes from folks who believe women should be baby factories throughout their entire reproductive life.


> They decry the economic devastation from closing
> businesses to stop covid, and then aggressively
> oppose masks and vaccines.

Yes. I like my religious beliefs to at least make a little bit of common sense.

Alas, all too often....not. It can get embarrassing. At least I've stopped trying to explain or defend the nonsensical. Fortunately for me, I have always been interested in medicine and I learned about that before I got into religion. So I always fell on the side of science in that regard. Maybe that's why I avoided falling completely down the rabbit hole.

>>So why isn't catching covid a sign of the Beast, and the vaccine a form of salvation? That metaphor actually makes a certain amount of sense.

It dawned on me that the vaccine is a type of communion, in a way. It represents life. IMO it represents life a whole lot better than some bread or wafer given out to you by a priest or minister.

My elderly family members just got their first dose, after a massive hunt for an appointment on my part. I was talking to them about it afterward. I said, "When fully vaccinated, the chances that you will get Covid are much lower. And if you do get it, you won't be hospitalized or die from it."

You won't die from it. That's huge.

and it's a Miracle they can say it with a straight face! :-D

Thanks -

Medical problems require medical solutions. At least he is getting strong criticism for his remarks. That tells me that many people regard those beliefs as nonsensical.

I've heard christian end-timers who are excited about the near-earth approach of the Apophis asteroid in 2029. I suppose they expect to be raptured in 2022, at the beginning of their imaginary seven-year tribulation period.

The Venn Diagram of Religious Nutcases and Conspiracy Theorists looks like a perfect circle.

I'm at the point of almost wishing the conspiracy theorists and deniers would be infected with it...but then they'd demand the utmost in health care when they don't deserve it IMHO



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/24/2021 08:10PM by Lethbridge Reprobate.

Does this mean the church will be sending more missionaries to Africa?

Not the vaccine but the 'papers please!' you'll have to show to do just about anything including travel, many jobs, hotels, etc. ... literally a mark required for permission to 'buy and sell' (i.e. engage in commerce) so it fits the definition perfectly

If you get "Mark Of The Beast" tattooed on your tush, does that qualify as having the mark of the beast on you? Could you legally put this quality/achievement on your Vitae Curriculum?

Did you--

No, don't tell us.

elderolddog Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> If you get "Mark Of The Beast" tattooed on your
> tush, does that qualify as having the mark of the
> beast on you? Could you legally put this
> quality/achievement on your Vitae Curriculum?


If the government told you you had to get a tattoo on your butt in order to work/travel/shop you would

It is sooooo easy to figure out what is to happen before the 2nd coming, I'm not sure why some Christians are so dumb.

The Bible told us what's to happen. Same revelation 700 years apart. Daniel 7, Revelations 12-end.

Here's my short version. Beast with 7 heads and 10 horns. That is Satan's (dragon) new world order. Water- all nations tongues, people. 7 heads- 7 mountains (7 continents). 10 horns- 10 kings (10 Superpowers).

1 head (3 Superpowers) gets a deadly wound, mostly implying there are 3 Superpowers on one continent, most likely Asia. There is going to be a bad war in Asia, and another beast with 2 horns (antichrist) is going to take over the 3 Superpowers. He then is going to take over the whole world (all 10 horns) and make all transactions digital (chip in r hand or forehead) He is going to outlaw Christianity and the whore sitting on the beast is going to be a capital city of the world, perhaps Dubai.
(Near Babylon of old)

The whore that drinks the blood of Christians, means in that capital city, Christians will be beheaded if they don't get the chip/mark.

If you get the chip, you've joined Satan's enterprise and won't be written in the Lambs book of life. The Anti is going to run the world for 3 1/2 years just like Jesus had a 3 1/2 year ministry.

It's all about leverage. 10 Superpowers reacting and controlling each other with leverage. Right now there are 5 Superpowers, Russia, USA, EU, China, OPEC. Eventually all countries will congregate into 10 groups. Climate change, fresh water demands, pollution, human rights, nuclear, trade, tarrifs...

When you conform to the chip, if you don't do what Anti says, your chip won't work. Control as bad or worse than communism.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Thief_in_the_Night_(film)

Sounds like somebody has been hitting the "adult" gummi bears.

So where are the lizard people? We needs lizard people!

Please let it be irony. Please!

That’s “reptilian shape shifters”. You’ll never pass the MIB entrance exam.