Phoneman777 said:
Notwithstanding the propaganda, I know people, even non-Christians who turn to Al Jazeera and the BBC to find out what's going on around the world, such as the uprisings in Venezuela taking place right now. As one who accepts the Historicist view of a Papal Antichrist, which leads to the identity of the Second Beast as the U.S. which arose exactly when the Papacy got its deadly wound after the 1,260 year reign (it makes sense that the most powerful religion and country in history would be mentioned in prophecy), it is no wonder that the news we get is heavily redacted.
Its funny you should mention people turning to Al Jazeera and the BBC for world news. Just last week I was driven by my shop steward (with 2 other co-workers) to a meeting with a lawyer that our Union hired, and on the way the Steward was listening to the BBC on satellite radio. I didn't ask him why, but it does make sense.
I've read a copy of the Westminster confession of faith that was handed to me as a general doctrinal statement by the Pastor of the church that I was baptized in. The Pastor said that they didn't hold to the part that declared the Pope to be antichrist, probably because roughly 50% of this independent Baptist church were formerly Roman Catholic (as I was raised as well.)
I don't really know what a "Historicist view" is as my own opinions are mostly based upon scripture reading, what I'm able to receive from radio, and a few historical books that were difficult to wade through. When I was young, I enjoyed reading conspiracy books and many were written by people that would have identified themselves as Christian fundamentalists. I've also read some material about the activities of the original Knights Templar as well as their Masonic reiteration, the dubious relationship of freemasonry with the founders of our nation, as well as the continued presence of their influence in national politics and economics. More recently I've delved into a number of books written over the last two centuries by free Masons about their fundamental beliefs, symbology, and history in American politics.
I don't have a problem with the idea that the U.S. would be represented as the second beast, as I've never seen how a nation founded by rebellion could possibly be considered of Christian origin, but I wouldn't be dogmatic about it.
1. Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. 2. Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. Romans 13:1-2
Were the Torries or loyalists less Christian or more Christian than their rebellious counterparts?
Its also hard to miss the remnants of Roman custom and law built into our own system of government (and to a lesser extent in Europe) some of which may have been handed down through the RC church (that's the problem with mixing temporal authority with religious authority, something of a whorish nature)
I tend to look at the nation of my birth as a failed attempt to develop the Utopian society of Masonic legend. Free Masonry believes in a human capacity for godliness, common to false religion, rather than accepting the biblical notion that mankind is fallen and given over to a sinful nature which is only overcome by the Spirit of God through faith in Jesus Christ.
Since its clear from scripture that God does not change, then its a reasonable assumption that He deals with nations now as He has dealt with them throughout history (and I believe from what little I do know of history that the premise holds true,) so it's difficult to be dogmatic when applying scripture to a nation which isn't mentioned by name.
There has obviously been a segment of the population that has equated the U.S. with the nation of Israel, justifying land grabs with doctrines such as that of President Monroe, but this would appear to go hand in hand with what we generally refer to as "replacement theology", an equally racist view that has allowed the persecution of Jews to continue into our century. Its hard for people to separate their theology from the fleshly elements of national pride and prejudice, but I'm convinced that our "days are short" and that the Lord will return sooner than most believe.