Thanks for that Kieran - I wasn't aware of it and have now signed. I can't see this coalition making the change, but maybe the next? I think the BT idiots burned some goodwill this week though.
Signed and shared! Now at 29386. If only these petitioned worked...no one in govt will make destiny pay tax, then all of them are vulnerable. Mind you If you can prove it's a cult it should be automatically shut down by the police, but I think this could get violent🫤
As a Christian in NZ I cant stand this kind of Church culture that spends more time filling the world with hate and judgement, rather than grace and love for your neighbour. It makes me sad and angry honestly. Truly awful
Part of me wishes that churches were more outspoken about the bad ones. Like - put out a press release. Put it on the church's Facebook page. Be loud.
Fight.
Does that make sense? I know leaders have a congregation to care for, but I just wish leaders were somehow louder. Or maybe they are, and I just don't breeze in those circles enough?
I haven't been regularly involved with a Church for a few years now but have been most of my life and dont recall any addressing issues like this. I just wish Churches overall put more energy into getting upset about child abuse, poverty and family violence etc than about who is marrying who, who is wearing what etc. As a social worker of 18yrs it drives me crazy. There's bigger issues the Church should be passionate about addressing but as a rule it is appears easier to moral grandstand. Not all Churches and not all Christians...but as a rule
I wonder if part of it is this "thing" in church culture / certain types of Christianity where negative emotions can't be embraced. So things like anger are frowned upon.
I'd argue churches need to start getting really, really angry at how some of them are behaving, right?
It would be great to see Churches standing up for issues like this and speaking out, promoting a message that welcomes without judgement and stands against those that creates fear and others people. Ive seen so many 'church families' not know what to do or how to navigate issues within their own Church when it turns out one of their loved ones is gay, or gets divorced or struggles with addiction or whatever it might be that doesnt fit in the Church created box. Instead of finding support it becomes a secret they cant tell for fear of judgement. It's sucks
I don't think the church likes to bad mouth other religions in case people start to wonder about all religion and leave in droves. Church attendance has been falling for years.
Some (although not even close to enough) are. Rev Budde, for example. Also lots of great folks on Bluesky & Substack like Zach Lambert, Trey Ferguson, Nadia Bolz-Weber, etc.
We hosted a drag story time at our library last year.
Being down in Ōtepoti Dunedin where the embarrassment that is Derek Tait was run out of town (thanks to the efforts of Duddly and the queer folx from Woof) we had a wee handful of protestors.
They were stuck outside, were not allowed to enter the premises. We had a solid crew of librarians in on their days off and our confused security guards.
However, I could see how scared the sweet young performer was, how it felt like a tangible attack on our community.
I am so utterly brereft that this all is on the rise. Fucking n#zis?????? BLATANT homophobia????
It makes me feel like I have lived my life in a colourful echo chamber, where first the punks I grew up with physically exited n#zis from our gigs.
The rave scene allowed zero room for bigotry (maybe just some casual sexual assault but that is a different issue).
Long long long long long story short..... FUCK That church. How dare they wind up youth then send them on their Frontline. How dare they pretend to care about kids then fucking traumatise them.
Liars all.
And last point - Hayden is spot on.
I- who was raised with zero religion other than what I poked at our of interest as a kid- absolutely see the truth IN THEIR OWN GOSH DARN STORY.
the chuckle fuck is absolutely the embodyment of their own Boogeyman.
I'm convinced. Do we have to tithe a portion of our income to you now, Hayden? And who knew the Antichrist would be so orange?
Sad thing is the people this would most likely to work on are the least likely to believe it. Religion for them isn't roadmap to living a better life or being a better person, it's a gang that gives allows them to act on their worst, most base impulses but let's them delude themselves into still feeling like a good person. No need for introspection when you have God on your side!
You will be glad to know that Hayden was paid for this piece thanks to paying subscribers like you - so consider that your tithe to Mr Donnell!
Also, THIS: "No need for introspection when you have God on your side."
That is all I could think about after coming out of that Arise reporting. It was so, so frustrating to watch those leaders just refuse to reflect. I still get angry thinking about it. But yeah, thanks for putting that idea so simply and directly.
Any restaurant server will tell you the after church crowd on Sundays is THE shittiest time to work. These assholes are rude, demanding and condescending, which could be ignored IF they tipped well, which of course they DON'T. If I had a dollar for every time they said, "We already gave at church" as an excuse not to tip I'd have enough for a few nights in an excellent hotel. And the larger the group the more awful they were. They feed off each other and seem to compete to see who can behave the most abominably, because they are right with God and are filled with his holy spirit. Usually one person would act like they were embarrassed by the others' awfulness, and might catch my eye and shrug helplessly in solidarity with me, but those people can go fuck themselves. They KNOW BETTER and are allowing it. Absolutely unforgivable. I'd always respond to their bullshit pity by scratching my cheek with my middle finger until they got the hint and looked away, humiliated.
"No need for introspection when you have God on your side!"
I hate how well this holds up. Certainly not all Christians, but I haven't encountered many that are exceptions. They tend to be a lot better at behaving in a Christ-like manner. Wonder why? lol
Yeah, I'm not someone who thinks religion is the source of all the world's ills, but I do think it can very easily stunt your personal growth if you're not careful.
Meanwhile "pastors" in Tamaki's church are being charged with sex offenses. These pigs need to be collared and arrested for assault and public order offences. How has this clown being trotting around promoting hate for 30 years without losing his tax free status??
Luxon obviously has too profound a conflict of interest to be judging matters so loosely disguised as religious expression that it smells like the proverbial two squirrels in a raincoat. Such a conflict is yet another personality deficit which proves Luxon is not suited to any leadership position, let alone premiership of a country. He is, however, a wholly different beast to the current potus, which should be no less alarming. I fear Lux will continue to be frighteningly weak when the above-mentioned antichrist eventually commands, from afar, disenfranchised NZers to ‘fight, fight, fight’ in his interests. It’s an already palpable alliance that BT has hooked into by building a pseudo-religion which is actually beginning to look like paramilitary-in-waiting.
DC is an organised group using aggressive tactics to intimidate (an act of violence) a vulnerable part of our community. How are they not being arrested and charged on sight??
I find it sadly easy to hate BT and his senior minions, but many of the members of that gang are much the same as other gang members - dispossessed, lonely, scared, broke and desperate for connection and whānau. They legitimately believe he's giving them the blueprint for being good and accepted - and it's working within their lives. I'm not excusing their behaviour, but we do need a bit of nuance to understand the tactics that are being deliberately used against another vulnerable group to get them to comply.
Absolutely agree that DC members are, in many ways, as vulnerable as the people they are attacking. It’s a systemic disenfranchisement that has put them at risk and, again, we see an avoidable cycle being perpetuated. Government has many of the levers for change in its gift, and, at least, a moral duty to protect. That is why I find it so disappointing that there is not a comprehensive or even robust response from the PM.
I saw a video of the Destiny thugs doing a haka at the pride parade. What absolute pricks. First time I've ever seen a haka and been angry about it.
The Munich Security Conference just happened in Europe, and as a European, I'm absolutely fucking terrified. The chairman of the conference ended his closing address in sobs of tears and needed to be consoled. I'm very scared that war is about to spread here and spread *quickly*, something Trump and Vance seem to be pretty pleased about.
Not sure I subscribe to the antichrist as real, but Trump suuuuure fits the bill, and with a religious upbringing it's definitely hard not to wonder...
As for the antichrist thing - definitely not real, but fun to think about how that story is interpreted. I mean, if you believe that stuff literally (as many do) it's pretty hard to deny that your big bad is probably ol' Trumpy.
That's it, right? How do they not look at him, look at the bible, and go hmmmmmm? But they probably don't read the bible, given all that 'sin of empathy' stuff
I think that’s spot on. I was brought up Southern Baptist and always felt uncomfortable with it. I’ve read the Bible multiple times in my youth trying to understand but it just made me question even more. I don’t think most of these so-called Christians have ever read the text themselves and instead just believe whatever damnation and hellfire they’re told on Sunday.
I hate that I had to message my queer siblings and warn them to be careful at pride. I'm glad Chippy had the balls to call out they cult when Luxon's response was so pathetic. These people are criminals who beat their wives and pretend they're real men and we need to make it clear this imported brand of mental doesn't become entrenched here.
I've said right from the day he was handed the "leadership" of the Natz, that he is NO leader! He's certainly not a politician either, and neither does he have the capacity to ever speak any truth clearly!
As a minister in one of the mainline denominations, a Christian who thinks the end times shtick is a load of rubbish, i had a good giggle, thanks Hayden. Real men do not terrorise small children and their caregivers, assault librarians and volunteers or spread hate! The antiChrist? Nah just a conman possibly suffering a degree of cognitive decline, but with more money than is good for him. And I still think Musk bears a resemblance to Lex Luther in some of the Superman movies. On the plus side..it's Fringe Festival in Welly. Woohoo. PS Luxon's response is that of a snivelling coward. I'd rather have an ethical, moral atheist/agnostic as a PM, rather than someone who professes faith but seems to gave forgotten Jesus said the 2 most important commands were to love God with all of who you are, and your neighbour as yourself. Trump et all couldn't do that if their lives depended on it. Neither can Tanaki and co by the looks of it. End of rant!! Sorry folks.
A petition to Parliament *must* be acknowledged and considered by government, whereas others don't have that imperative and all those signatories can be completely ignored.
I needed a bit of levity about *waves vaguely around* the absolute state of the world and the crumbling country in which I reside, so thanks for that. The recording made it even more amusing.
Not excited about a The Leftovers / Left Behind situation. Seems economically and politically even more chaotic than the Antichrist's administration. Cults and conspiracy theories are interesting though and they would definitely increase in number. A lot. Hmmm.
From my memory of reading the series and being taught about revelation, isn’t the anti-Christ supposed to bring about a period of peace and prosperity first and be charming? Haven’t seen any of that at least unless I just missed it 😅 But seriously, all this general world stuff is so messed up
Thanks guys. It's hard to keep your sanity while all this shitshow is unfolding. I was able to ignore it all for many many years but now that I'm in a historical rape trial against a pastor who was also a counsellor, my ears are wired to all this n#zis church shit . It is taking over the world it feels.
Someone mentioned raves. As a Gen X I adored rave culture as it was like the 3rd wave of feminism, it embraced intersectionality. All that hard work now has to be faught back for again.
Got to say the last few months have been a testament (new? ;) ) to how much my brain has healed from all the church teachings in the 1980s and 1990s… but definitely had a few weeks of little triggers …
It all takes time. So much time. Glad you're doing better, and please don't beat yourself up if this stuff still hits sometimes. That shit buries deep, and never - imo - fully goes away. *Which is okay* - it gives us a unique, insider perspective on this shitshow.
It definitely takes time! One thing - it really helps me (weirdly) understand the thinking of the pro trump and the conspiracy theorists. - even if I really don’t support it
Oh my word. Having toyed with end-of-times-ism as a teen in the '90s, I've been too scared (even now as a regular church-going Anglican) to read Revelations since. I feel a little bad about laughing as I read this brilliant post this morning, but heck - we'll get those endorphins where we can, in these present times. 🙏
And gosh - those are some pretty compelling connections!
My one fear is that it's too OBVIOUS. I always thought the Antichrist would be someone who seemed good, like an Obama, a saviour from all the clearly-awful, who would then trick us into thinking they were awesome then flip around and sucker-punch us with a Scooby-Doo mask reveal.
But no, I think you've solved this one. Bravo Hayden 🙌
I think a lot of people in 90s New Zealand churches dabbled in that space.. it was part of the deal, right? All absorbed from horrible American leaders. Who thought back then we were being raised by bad American ideas? I certainly didn't clock it.
Hey David, ICYMI there's also a parliamentary petition going at https://petitions.parliament.nz/a22e0d59-7da2-4edd-35f1-08dc74762dc5
which (hopefully) can have a more material impact than the change .org petition
Pinning this, and will add it to my introduction.
We need another one to have their shirts classified as a gang patch too.
EDIT: shirts, not shorts ... we don't need their shorts confiscated in public. That would just make things worse.
Or better?
Thanks for that Kieran - I wasn't aware of it and have now signed. I can't see this coalition making the change, but maybe the next? I think the BT idiots burned some goodwill this week though.
Came here to add this too! It’s passed 9k signatures after starting yesterday at 230.
Signed, tho I think I must have already done so at some stage! Thanks!
Signed and shared! Now at 29386. If only these petitioned worked...no one in govt will make destiny pay tax, then all of them are vulnerable. Mind you If you can prove it's a cult it should be automatically shut down by the police, but I think this could get violent🫤
I've read the last two paragraphs about five times and it's like porn for me.
Pinning this! I agree.
As a Christian in NZ I cant stand this kind of Church culture that spends more time filling the world with hate and judgement, rather than grace and love for your neighbour. It makes me sad and angry honestly. Truly awful
Part of me wishes that churches were more outspoken about the bad ones. Like - put out a press release. Put it on the church's Facebook page. Be loud.
Fight.
Does that make sense? I know leaders have a congregation to care for, but I just wish leaders were somehow louder. Or maybe they are, and I just don't breeze in those circles enough?
I haven't been regularly involved with a Church for a few years now but have been most of my life and dont recall any addressing issues like this. I just wish Churches overall put more energy into getting upset about child abuse, poverty and family violence etc than about who is marrying who, who is wearing what etc. As a social worker of 18yrs it drives me crazy. There's bigger issues the Church should be passionate about addressing but as a rule it is appears easier to moral grandstand. Not all Churches and not all Christians...but as a rule
I wonder if part of it is this "thing" in church culture / certain types of Christianity where negative emotions can't be embraced. So things like anger are frowned upon.
I'd argue churches need to start getting really, really angry at how some of them are behaving, right?
It would be great to see Churches standing up for issues like this and speaking out, promoting a message that welcomes without judgement and stands against those that creates fear and others people. Ive seen so many 'church families' not know what to do or how to navigate issues within their own Church when it turns out one of their loved ones is gay, or gets divorced or struggles with addiction or whatever it might be that doesnt fit in the Church created box. Instead of finding support it becomes a secret they cant tell for fear of judgement. It's sucks
I don't think the church likes to bad mouth other religions in case people start to wonder about all religion and leave in droves. Church attendance has been falling for years.
Some (although not even close to enough) are. Rev Budde, for example. Also lots of great folks on Bluesky & Substack like Zach Lambert, Trey Ferguson, Nadia Bolz-Weber, etc.
We hosted a drag story time at our library last year.
Being down in Ōtepoti Dunedin where the embarrassment that is Derek Tait was run out of town (thanks to the efforts of Duddly and the queer folx from Woof) we had a wee handful of protestors.
They were stuck outside, were not allowed to enter the premises. We had a solid crew of librarians in on their days off and our confused security guards.
However, I could see how scared the sweet young performer was, how it felt like a tangible attack on our community.
I am so utterly brereft that this all is on the rise. Fucking n#zis?????? BLATANT homophobia????
It makes me feel like I have lived my life in a colourful echo chamber, where first the punks I grew up with physically exited n#zis from our gigs.
The rave scene allowed zero room for bigotry (maybe just some casual sexual assault but that is a different issue).
Long long long long long story short..... FUCK That church. How dare they wind up youth then send them on their Frontline. How dare they pretend to care about kids then fucking traumatise them.
Liars all.
And last point - Hayden is spot on.
I- who was raised with zero religion other than what I poked at our of interest as a kid- absolutely see the truth IN THEIR OWN GOSH DARN STORY.
the chuckle fuck is absolutely the embodyment of their own Boogeyman.
And somehow......... They don't see it.
So weird.
Always mass aroha to you David.
The way these people's brains operate to completely ignore the actual *text* shows how deranged and selfish they are, right?
I agree: Fuck that church.
Yeah, never mind the subtext, they don't even get the actual text. Fuckem.
I'm convinced. Do we have to tithe a portion of our income to you now, Hayden? And who knew the Antichrist would be so orange?
Sad thing is the people this would most likely to work on are the least likely to believe it. Religion for them isn't roadmap to living a better life or being a better person, it's a gang that gives allows them to act on their worst, most base impulses but let's them delude themselves into still feeling like a good person. No need for introspection when you have God on your side!
You will be glad to know that Hayden was paid for this piece thanks to paying subscribers like you - so consider that your tithe to Mr Donnell!
Also, THIS: "No need for introspection when you have God on your side."
That is all I could think about after coming out of that Arise reporting. It was so, so frustrating to watch those leaders just refuse to reflect. I still get angry thinking about it. But yeah, thanks for putting that idea so simply and directly.
Just to clarify Joe, yes you will need to tithe a portion of your income to me now, not doing so would anger God greatly
I'll send you all my bank account numbers and my mother's maiden name on the double. Please don't have me smoten.
Any restaurant server will tell you the after church crowd on Sundays is THE shittiest time to work. These assholes are rude, demanding and condescending, which could be ignored IF they tipped well, which of course they DON'T. If I had a dollar for every time they said, "We already gave at church" as an excuse not to tip I'd have enough for a few nights in an excellent hotel. And the larger the group the more awful they were. They feed off each other and seem to compete to see who can behave the most abominably, because they are right with God and are filled with his holy spirit. Usually one person would act like they were embarrassed by the others' awfulness, and might catch my eye and shrug helplessly in solidarity with me, but those people can go fuck themselves. They KNOW BETTER and are allowing it. Absolutely unforgivable. I'd always respond to their bullshit pity by scratching my cheek with my middle finger until they got the hint and looked away, humiliated.
This is an angle on it all I had no thought about, or heard. But - it all fuckin' tracks.
Oh that's genuis with the finger, I'm borrowing that
"who knew the antichrist would be so orange?" Get this on all t-shirts NOW 😂
"No need for introspection when you have God on your side!"
I hate how well this holds up. Certainly not all Christians, but I haven't encountered many that are exceptions. They tend to be a lot better at behaving in a Christ-like manner. Wonder why? lol
Yeah, I'm not someone who thinks religion is the source of all the world's ills, but I do think it can very easily stunt your personal growth if you're not careful.
People who create God in their own image.
In retrospect, I think I was always bad at both religion and being a child because I could never do the blind faith thing.
I actually remember ruining and getting kicked out of a puppet show for this.
Meanwhile "pastors" in Tamaki's church are being charged with sex offenses. These pigs need to be collared and arrested for assault and public order offences. How has this clown being trotting around promoting hate for 30 years without losing his tax free status??
Because New Zealand leaders largely support what they stand for - and because everyone is always afraid to mess with "Christianity".
Luxon obviously has too profound a conflict of interest to be judging matters so loosely disguised as religious expression that it smells like the proverbial two squirrels in a raincoat. Such a conflict is yet another personality deficit which proves Luxon is not suited to any leadership position, let alone premiership of a country. He is, however, a wholly different beast to the current potus, which should be no less alarming. I fear Lux will continue to be frighteningly weak when the above-mentioned antichrist eventually commands, from afar, disenfranchised NZers to ‘fight, fight, fight’ in his interests. It’s an already palpable alliance that BT has hooked into by building a pseudo-religion which is actually beginning to look like paramilitary-in-waiting.
DC is an organised group using aggressive tactics to intimidate (an act of violence) a vulnerable part of our community. How are they not being arrested and charged on sight??
I find it sadly easy to hate BT and his senior minions, but many of the members of that gang are much the same as other gang members - dispossessed, lonely, scared, broke and desperate for connection and whānau. They legitimately believe he's giving them the blueprint for being good and accepted - and it's working within their lives. I'm not excusing their behaviour, but we do need a bit of nuance to understand the tactics that are being deliberately used against another vulnerable group to get them to comply.
Absolutely agree that DC members are, in many ways, as vulnerable as the people they are attacking. It’s a systemic disenfranchisement that has put them at risk and, again, we see an avoidable cycle being perpetuated. Government has many of the levers for change in its gift, and, at least, a moral duty to protect. That is why I find it so disappointing that there is not a comprehensive or even robust response from the PM.
Interesting as ive always seen NZ as particularly secular in nature. But as usual the power and money sits with the most conservative in society.
I saw a video of the Destiny thugs doing a haka at the pride parade. What absolute pricks. First time I've ever seen a haka and been angry about it.
The Munich Security Conference just happened in Europe, and as a European, I'm absolutely fucking terrified. The chairman of the conference ended his closing address in sobs of tears and needed to be consoled. I'm very scared that war is about to spread here and spread *quickly*, something Trump and Vance seem to be pretty pleased about.
Not sure I subscribe to the antichrist as real, but Trump suuuuure fits the bill, and with a religious upbringing it's definitely hard not to wonder...
"Absolute fucking pricks" sums it up well, Rowan.
As for the antichrist thing - definitely not real, but fun to think about how that story is interpreted. I mean, if you believe that stuff literally (as many do) it's pretty hard to deny that your big bad is probably ol' Trumpy.
That's it, right? How do they not look at him, look at the bible, and go hmmmmmm? But they probably don't read the bible, given all that 'sin of empathy' stuff
I think that’s spot on. I was brought up Southern Baptist and always felt uncomfortable with it. I’ve read the Bible multiple times in my youth trying to understand but it just made me question even more. I don’t think most of these so-called Christians have ever read the text themselves and instead just believe whatever damnation and hellfire they’re told on Sunday.
I hate that I had to message my queer siblings and warn them to be careful at pride. I'm glad Chippy had the balls to call out they cult when Luxon's response was so pathetic. These people are criminals who beat their wives and pretend they're real men and we need to make it clear this imported brand of mental doesn't become entrenched here.
Everything Luxon says is so *weak*. The words, and just his ability as a public speaker. It's embarrassing leadership. And "leadership" is a stretch.
“What I would say to you is (insert waffle and non-answer)”
I've said right from the day he was handed the "leadership" of the Natz, that he is NO leader! He's certainly not a politician either, and neither does he have the capacity to ever speak any truth clearly!
As a minister in one of the mainline denominations, a Christian who thinks the end times shtick is a load of rubbish, i had a good giggle, thanks Hayden. Real men do not terrorise small children and their caregivers, assault librarians and volunteers or spread hate! The antiChrist? Nah just a conman possibly suffering a degree of cognitive decline, but with more money than is good for him. And I still think Musk bears a resemblance to Lex Luther in some of the Superman movies. On the plus side..it's Fringe Festival in Welly. Woohoo. PS Luxon's response is that of a snivelling coward. I'd rather have an ethical, moral atheist/agnostic as a PM, rather than someone who professes faith but seems to gave forgotten Jesus said the 2 most important commands were to love God with all of who you are, and your neighbour as yourself. Trump et all couldn't do that if their lives depended on it. Neither can Tanaki and co by the looks of it. End of rant!! Sorry folks.
Always a good rant if it comes from the right source Rev.
Late replying...but thank Graham.
Tell us about your church please.
5 star rant, would recommend
Aww thanks. Blesdings
PLEASE may I encourage people to sign this petition which goes directly to Parliament, rather than private petitions:
https://petitions.parliament.nz/a22e0d59-7da2-4edd-35f1-08dc74762dc5
A petition to Parliament *must* be acknowledged and considered by government, whereas others don't have that imperative and all those signatories can be completely ignored.
I have added this to my introduction. Thanks for this.
Hayden Donnell is my new favorite theologian.
I needed a bit of levity about *waves vaguely around* the absolute state of the world and the crumbling country in which I reside, so thanks for that. The recording made it even more amusing.
Not excited about a The Leftovers / Left Behind situation. Seems economically and politically even more chaotic than the Antichrist's administration. Cults and conspiracy theories are interesting though and they would definitely increase in number. A lot. Hmmm.
From my memory of reading the series and being taught about revelation, isn’t the anti-Christ supposed to bring about a period of peace and prosperity first and be charming? Haven’t seen any of that at least unless I just missed it 😅 But seriously, all this general world stuff is so messed up
Oh my God. Chills. And free Palestine .
Thanks guys. It's hard to keep your sanity while all this shitshow is unfolding. I was able to ignore it all for many many years but now that I'm in a historical rape trial against a pastor who was also a counsellor, my ears are wired to all this n#zis church shit . It is taking over the world it feels.
Someone mentioned raves. As a Gen X I adored rave culture as it was like the 3rd wave of feminism, it embraced intersectionality. All that hard work now has to be faught back for again.
Another great piece from Hayden. It went to an unexpected place that actually filled me with giddy delight: that last sentence is perfection.
Poor salamanders, though. To compare their skin to 47’s an insult. To salamanders.
One thing I always know about Hayden is that he's going to land the ending. Always.
Got to say the last few months have been a testament (new? ;) ) to how much my brain has healed from all the church teachings in the 1980s and 1990s… but definitely had a few weeks of little triggers …
It all takes time. So much time. Glad you're doing better, and please don't beat yourself up if this stuff still hits sometimes. That shit buries deep, and never - imo - fully goes away. *Which is okay* - it gives us a unique, insider perspective on this shitshow.
It definitely takes time! One thing - it really helps me (weirdly) understand the thinking of the pro trump and the conspiracy theorists. - even if I really don’t support it
Oh my word. Having toyed with end-of-times-ism as a teen in the '90s, I've been too scared (even now as a regular church-going Anglican) to read Revelations since. I feel a little bad about laughing as I read this brilliant post this morning, but heck - we'll get those endorphins where we can, in these present times. 🙏
And gosh - those are some pretty compelling connections!
My one fear is that it's too OBVIOUS. I always thought the Antichrist would be someone who seemed good, like an Obama, a saviour from all the clearly-awful, who would then trick us into thinking they were awesome then flip around and sucker-punch us with a Scooby-Doo mask reveal.
But no, I think you've solved this one. Bravo Hayden 🙌
I think a lot of people in 90s New Zealand churches dabbled in that space.. it was part of the deal, right? All absorbed from horrible American leaders. Who thought back then we were being raised by bad American ideas? I certainly didn't clock it.