A New Way of Protest.

Philip Dallyachan

23 hrs · 

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  Prof. Alex Odikandathil Ph.D. The situation that has sparked this write-up is Dallyachen's post on 'Street Kiss Protest' (I've already aired my take on this phenomenon) and my consequent thoughts on why fundamentalists and their evangelical heirs are skeptical of individual freedom, personal choice and all modern, progressive outlooks. The evangelicals have been waiting for the world to end for a long time: may it be by breach or sin or Christ's Second Coming. My conclusion, in a nutshell, is that the apocalyptic theology that developed in the 1880s and 1890s led radical evangelicals to believe that all nations are going to concede their power in the End Times to a totalitarian political leader who is going to be the Anti-Christ. 
  The idea that Jesus is coming back soon was a fairly radical and unconventional idea in the 19th century, but by the 20th century it used to be the air these people breathe. The most recent polls said something like 58 percent of evangelicals believe Jesus is going to return by 2050. They simply take for granted that there is going to be a Rapture and Jesus is going to come back. What is wrong in the public demonstration of affection and love? If you believe you’re living in the last days and you believe you’re moving towards that event, you’re going to be very suspicious and skeptical of anything that is out of the ordinary. It is, in modern parlance, tunnel-vision. Why is everybody running after god-men and god-women for hugs and kisses? Which Gods and Goddesses, among all the religions in the world, have not kissed? If at all there is any negative feeling connected with a hug or kiss, it happens only when done in private or under cover of secrecy. What is the history, meaning, significance and interpretation of 'Kayyasuri' within church-service and 'Kaimuthu', (imparted at any time); will the learned Dally Achen tell me? Thanks.

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