Interesting article: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,7-420765,00.html
" Meanwhile, volumes 2 to 10 trace the adventures of an intrepid band of yuppie-ish, clean-cut and mostly white American goodies during the intervening Tribulation, as they race round the world in fast cars and helicopters, trying to fight the evil forces of a slimy Romanian monster called Nicolae Carpathia. It soon becomes apparent that Carpathia is none other than the Antichrist himself. The fact that he is also Secretary-General of the United Nations, and that his wicked stormtroopers are called “Peacekeepers”, tells you rather a lot about what Bible-Belt America thinks of the UN and its peacekeeping operations. Oh yes, and did I mention that his headquarters are in Baghdad? Spooky coincidence, or what? Cities get blown up, armies zapped. And our heroes make amazing escapes on almost every page — none more startling than the episode in the latest book where, pursued by the forces of darkness, they leap into a plane piloted by the Archangel Michael (who turns out, not surprisingly, to be rather good at flying). So is it all harmless pseudo-theological bunk — Batman meets Billy Graham? I am not so sure. The insidious thing about the Left Behind novels is that, lurking beneath the thrills and spills, they promulgate a distinctly disturbing world view. All international organisations, from the UN downwards, are regarded as fronts for secular humanists who do “the Devil’s work” (quite literally, of course, in these novels). Even the Roman Catholic Church is castigated, which isn’t surprising since, in his nonfiction writing, LaHaye has declared Catholicism to be a “false religion”. Also lambasted or ridiculed are liberals, ecumenicals and everyone else who is “hoodwinked” by the notion of global peace, harmonious co-existence or disarmament — all regarded as con-tricks perpetrated by the Antichrist. Women in authority are crudely caricatured as stupid or sadistic. Europeans generally are unreliable and untrustworthy. The message is: it’s up to right-minded Americans to get out there and show them, at gunpoint if necessary (and it usually is), that God is boss. " Religion Delenda est! _______________________________________________ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
