Christians have been waiting for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ for 2 millennia. Scott Peterson informs us, in two Christian Science Monitor articles titled “Waiting for the rapture in Iran” and “True believers dial messiah hotline in Iran,” that Muslims are waiting, too. But in their case, they await the imminent return of “the Mahdi, the 12th Imam.” Petersen tells us that Islamic believers around the world expect the Mahdi’s mystical return will bring about a “global dominance of Muslims.”

These Christian and Muslim theological yearnings for the imminent return of supernatural saviors complicate our already dangerous world. Why? We have nuclear weapon acquisition crises in both Iran and North Korea. The North Koreans are ostensibly atheist. Iran, on the other hand, is home to one of the most ultraconservative and theologically driven leaders in the world, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Ahmadinejad is a former Iranian Revolutionary Guard with ties to Islamic Fundamentalism dating back to the U.S. hostage crisis in 1979. He believes fervently in the return of the Mahdi. He is even rumored to have ordered a special route prepared in Tehran for the return of the Muslim savior. Iranian government officials deny the claim.

Ahmadinejad also caused consternation last Fall when he claimed after his UN General Assembly speech that, “…for 27 to 28 minutes the leaders did not blink… they were astonished… it had opened their eyes and ears for the message of the Islamic Republic.” This alleged statement was also denied by Iranian officials. Nevertheless, Ahmadinejad did make the following, well documented, prayer to the UN gathering: “O mighty Lord, I pray to you hasten the emergence of your last repository, the promised one, that perfect and pure human being, the one that will fill this world with justice and peace.” That is, he was praying for the return of the Mahdi – now.

On this side of the theological divide, we have President Bush, the leader of the free world, who openly professes his evangelical fervor. Stephanie Hendricks, in a recent book titled “Divine Destruction: Wise Use, Dominion Theology, And The Making Of American Environmental Policy,” claims that the Bush administration panders to a group in the religious right called Dominion Theologists. Their belief system proposes that by exhausting environmental resources the Second Coming can be hastened.

Despite disclaimers to the contrary, Christian apocalyptic theory is evident in the Christian right, which in turn votes Republican and staunchly continues to support President Bush through his travails. The Christian Coalition, founded by Pat Robertson, openly touts its political agenda. This is confirmed by a quotation from its web site: “Today, Christians need to play an active role in government again like never before.”

It is a combustible situation when political decisions are substantially based on theology – particularly end-of-time beliefs. It is also dangerous when leaders of nations think God is telling them what to do. Let’s hope that all this confusing mix of policy and theology on all sides of the religious spectrum is not what it seems. But concerned world citizens and policy-makers should follow that age-old dictum: “Beware false prophets.”

Source:

Peterson, Scott (2005). Waiting for the Rapture in Iran. Christian Science Monitor. December 21, 2005. Available online at http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/1221/p01s04-wome.html?s=widep