According to the oldest tradition, the book of Revelation was written toward the end of the reign of the Roman Emperor Domitian (81-96 CE). The book”s own testimony indicates it was written during a time of severe oppression of Christians. In the letters John included in Revelations, persecutions by officials are expected, the blood of martyrs has already flowed, the whole of Christianity is threatened with an imminent danger: The immediate prospect is for general persecution of Christians throughout the Roman Empire. In essence, Christianity had collided with the state and with the state religion, the Christ cult with the imperial cult. It was in the interest of his faith that John raised passionate objections to Rome and its imperial cult.
Skip ahead 2,000 years. Muslims in Iraq, who feel every bit as passionate about their religion, are now under occupation by a force that is the powerful modern equivalent of the Roman army. Its members are comprised of mostly non-Muslims. You can argue all you want about the reasons for our invasion of their country, but the fact remains many people in Iraq now see the United States (and its coalition allies) in the same way early Christians viewed the Romans. “Revelations” about Hidatha and Abu Ghraib speak volumes about right and wrong, punishment and justice, and the guilty and innocent.
Contrary to Darrell Watkins” opinion published on June 1, people like me do not “hate” President Bush because we don”t like punishment or don”t read the books of the Bible. Many of us are disturbed that our fellow citizens are so blinded by both political and religious ideology, they cannot recognize when they are wrong. The hubris and inability to understand lessons of history displayed by supporters of our present administration disturbs me more than a 2,000-year-old politically inspired biblical writing. What scares me more than anything is people in this world who use the book of Revelation as a weapon against people they disagree with.
Clovice A. Lewis Jr. Kelseyville
