Are these concepts surrounding social credit, access, and economics harbingers of the Mark of the Beast?
Yes and no. If this is meant in some kind of unique sense
then the answer is no. These Bestial patterns have been repeated throughout
history. They're not new or unique but represent patterns that always come into
being as society reaches a certain idolatrous and decadent phase and generates
the types of social crises that we're witnessing. The Middle Ages are very
poignant example of this. One thinks of the period beginning about 1000 or
1100. Society was fragile and had emerged from several dark centuries of chaos,
a period of invasions and upheaval. A new society emerged, populations grew,
cities began to re-emerge and with these changes came a drive for uniformity
and submission. Through the efforts of the Gregorian Reform and other measures,
the unifying factor became the Roman Catholic Church and as such a life apart
from it or lived in dissent became difficult and very dangerous. Censorship
dominated. Speech was restricted as was movement. Privacy was non-existent as
the Roman power and its state collaborators could pry into not just conduct and
possessions but thought and motive. Economic activity apart from the normative
order was difficult and at times impossible. In that totalitarian polity the
heretic was 'outlaw' and his life was forfeit. And yet conformity meant security,
a degree or kind of respectability, and in most cases the basics of life were
attainable.
The Middle Ages represent a grand sweep of this tendency. On
a micro level we see the same thing in other contexts. In searching for
capitalist examples, one thinks of the company town in which virtually all
aspects of life are controlled, regulated, and limited. Non-conformity results
in violence and expulsion.
Another example would be the mafia controlled neighbourhood
or the types of polities seen in the establishment of imperial colonies. People
are treated as commodities and while non-conformity can result in harsh
punishment, acquiescence and collaboration has the potential to grant a degree
of status.
While there are myriad examples of these Bestial paradigms
being imposed on society one might ask if this contemporary example is not the
ultimate expression – the actual Mark of the Beast?
Maybe or maybe not. I'm inclined to say 'no'.
At this point those living in the West still have a pretty nice
lifestyle. Even a nonconformist can live better than people in the developing
world. Without too much struggle we can have things like hot water, heat on
demand, modern appliances etc. Though as I've talked about before, it's one
thing to live without those things on your own out in the woods. It's another
to try to live that way near larger populations, let alone if you have kids. At
that point you'll fall under the scrutiny of the authorities and face trouble.
Regardless it will get harder to be faithful and make ends
meet, especially in the cities – unless you live in the ghetto. Or live in the
country – not to chase agrarian dreams or in the fulfillment of Dominionist
agrarian narratives but for much simpler reasons – real estate and housing
costs and perhaps some privacy. Small towns are also cheap but socially very
difficult.
The Developing World faces economic hardships and struggles
with the basics of daily life – in many cases, basic security. Christians in
the West face problems with or related to authorities, children, economic
pressures, building codes, and even zoning – problems sometimes made worse living
in low population areas – at other times the overall advantages make it better.
Once again I pass on the advice that was given to me many
years ago. It's better all the way around for Christians to work for
themselves. The autonomy in terms of ethics and time are not only beneficial
but increasingly almost a necessity. Additionally one can live a life that is
more family-oriented and depending on your work you can mentor your children
even if they're going to pursue their own occupational paths. But doing this
requires a change in lifestyle and priorities and the abandonment of the
fallacious and at times wicked 'American Dream' and the anti-Christian values
of the middle class.
Thus it can be stated that Covid is playing a part in all
these changes. It's not the watershed but instead has provided fuel to changes
that were already underway. Many of those who are upset over 'Covid tyranny'
have already proven myopic with regard to the context of larger social change
as related to technology and government control. This is the problem – not
Covid. The problem with Covid is that of death and disease spread, but because
of their socio-political concerns and economic interests they have missed this
and downplayed it. As a consequence their ethics (if they had any left) have
gone seriously awry.
There is a dark side to Covid in that evil forces are
utilising it to further their agenda already in progress. But unfortunately the
other dark side is that it has revealed another great evil in American society
– the rot and consequence of selfish individualism – classical liberalism gone
to seed. Further this rot has deeply penetrated the thinking of American
Christianity and the sad truth is there are very few Christians who think as
Christians. For all the talk of cultivating a 'worldview', the Church has moved
very far away from and in many cases completely abandoned Christian ethics.
As a Christian this to me is the great danger, or the
watershed associated with this moment – not Covid tyranny. We have suddenly
seen the true colours of these people, these fellow Christians who are revealed
as self-serving beasts that treat all life but their own as cheap. And I also
speak of those who were quick to conform and bow to the state. That's just as
problematic. But this episode has exposed (at both ends of the spectrum) the
deep rot that permeates the American Church.
Some of us it knew it all along but now the ugliness is on
full display. And even those of us who had become extremely cynical of
Evangelicalism and the so-called Christian values of America and the American
Right have nevertheless been shocked by the scale and magnitude of the recent
ethical collapse and embrace of decadence and barbarism. And many of these same
forces that decry tyranny are in fact would-be tyrants themselves. If granted
power they will certainly use it and will not be slack in crushing their
enemies – which would certainly include the dissident Christians like me that
will aggressively oppose them and the Mammon pseudo-Christianity they are tied
to.