Here it is only the 6th of June, early in this presidential campaign, and the political subculture is already putting out the smears against Barack Obama. Yes, I received an e-mail from someone named Tom, quoting someone else claiming Obama was the Anti-christ. This e-mail claims the anti-christ is a man in his 40s, of Muslim descent, who will deceive the nations with persuasive language and have a massive Christ-like appeal. This man, they claim, is Barack Obama.

Snopes, our authority on the anti-christ, says it is false. Of course it is false. The Bible never described the anti-christ! Some Dude made it up!

It might be interesting to point out that this identification of the anti-christ is as perennial as the seasons. Here are a few historical figures who have won the label of anti-christ: George W. Bush, Every Pope, Friedrich Nietzsche (self-proclaimed), Various occultists, Nero, Bill Gates.

Jerry Falwell addressed a pastors' conference in January 1999, stating in a sermon on the Second Coming that the Anti-christ was probably alive on earth, and certainly a Jewish male. Yep, the Christian right.

Well folks, neither Fallwell's or Tom's description fits me and I've always thought I was the anti-christ -- having thumped on religious types all of my life. But there is more; it seems the Book of Revelations identifies a club of sorts and the anti-christ has a membership. Other members: Dragon, Beast, False Prophet and the Whore of Babylon. Hey, I didn't make this up, it's in the Bible. I wonder if the Whore of Babylon will arrive before the Anti-Christ?

What we know is that someone wrote this thesis on the Anti-christ and made this political claim for no purpose than to draw voters from Obama. Is Obama so perfect that this sort of opinion is necessary? I suppose someone will believe this claim and this may be the reason behind the letter. Perhaps the sickness that invaded the Nixon campaigns is still out there.

Kootie J