Category: Let's talk
And across the globe, followers of a California preacher’s long—publicized message that Judgment Day would arrive on Saturday turned to the Bible, the book they believe predicts the beginning of Earth’s destruction on May 21.
Some shut themselves inside to pray for mercy as they waited for the world’s end.
Others met for tearful last lunches with their children, and prepared to leave behind homes and pets as they were swept up to heaven.
And across the globe, followers of a California preacher’s long—publicized message that Judgment Day would arrive on Saturday turned to the Bible, the book they believe predicts the beginning of Earth’s destruction on May 21.
The doomsday message has been sent far and wide via broadcasts and web sites by Harold Camping, an 89—year—old retired civil engineer who has built a multi—million—dollar non-profit ministry based on his apocalyptic prediction.
After spending months travelling the country to put up Judgment Day billboards and hand out Bible tracts, Camping follower Michael Garcia planned to spend Friday evening with his family at home in Alameda, near the Christian media empire’s Oakland headquarters.
They believe it will likely start as it becomes 6 p.m. in the world’s various time zones.
“We know the end will begin in New Zealand and will follow the sun and roll on from there,” said Mr. Garcia, a 39—year—old father of six. “That’s why God raised up all the technology and the satellites so everyone can see it happen at the same time.”
The Internet was alive with reaction in the hours past 6 p.m. on Saturday in New Zealand.
“Harold Camping’s 21st May Doomsday prediction fails; No earthquake in New Zealand,” read one posting on Twitter.
“If this whole end—of—the—world thingy is still going on ... it’s already past 6.00 in New Zealand and the world hasn’t ended,” said another.
Mr. Camping’s radio stations, TV channels, satellite broadcasts and website are controlled from a humble building on the road to the Oakland International Airport, sandwiched between an auto shop and a palm reader. Family Radio International’s message has been broadcast in 61 languages.
Mr. Camping, however, will be awaiting Jesus Christ’s return for the second time. He said his earlier apocalyptic prediction in 1994 didn’t come true because of a mathematical error.
“I’m not embarrassed about it. It was just the fact that it was premature,” he told The Associated Press last month. But this time, he said, “there is...no possibility that it will not happen.”
Skeptics are planning Rapture—themed parties to celebrate what hosts expect will be the failure of the world to come to an end.
Bars and restaurants from Melbourne, Australia to the Florida Keys advertised bashes.
In Oakland, atheists planned a gathering at a local Masonic temple to include group discussions on “The Great Success of Past Apocalypses,” followed by dinner and music.
Mr. Camping and his followers believe the beginning of the end will come on May 21, exactly 7,000 years since the flood in the biblical story of Noah’s Ark.
Some 200 million people will be saved, Mr. Camping preaches, and those left behind will die in earthquakes, plagues, and other calamities until Earth is consumed by a fireball on October 21.
In the Philippines, a big billboard of Family Radio ministry in Manila warned of Judgment Day. Earlier this month, group members there distributed leaflets to motorists and carried placards warning of the end of the world.
Christian leaders from across the spectrum have widely dismissed the prophecy, but one local church is concerned that Mr. Camping’s followers could slip into a deep depression come Sunday.
Pastor Jacob Denys of Milpitas—based Calvary Bible Church plans to wait outside the non-profit’s headquarters on Saturday afternoon, hoping to counsel believers who may be disillusioned if the Rapture does not occur.
“The cold, hard reality is going to hit them that they did this, and it was false and they basically emptied out everything to follow a false teacher,” he said. “We’re not all about doom and gloom. Our message is a message of salvation and of hope.”
On Friday afternoon, a small group of eccentrics, gawkers and media opportunists convened outside Family Radio’s closed office building. A sign posted on the front door said “SORRY WE MISSED YOU!”
As May 21 drew nearer, followers say donations grew, allowing Family Radio to spend millions of dollars on more than 5,000 billboards and 20 RVs plastered with the doomsday message. In 2009, the non-profit reported in IRS filings that it received $18.3 million in donations, and had assets of more than $104 million, including $34 million in stocks or other publicly traded securities.
Marie Exley, who helped put up apocalypse—themed billboards in Israel, Jordan, Lebanon and Iraq, said the money helped the non-profit save as many souls as possible. She said she and her husband, mother and brother planned to stay glued to the television on Friday night in Bozeman, Montana for news of an earthquake in New Zealand.
Camping recommended this week that followers surround themselves by their loved ones and not meet publicly, Ms. Exley said.
“It’s an emotional time and we’re kind of nervous and scared about how things will pan out as to who will be here and who will go to heaven,” she said. “I’ll probably be scared in the fog of it, and crying, because we don’t know who is saved and who is not.”
Some people wanted to make sure their pets receive good treatment, no matter what happens.
Sharon Moss, who founded AfterTheRapturePetCare.com to provide post—apocalypse animal care, said a new wave of customers has paid $10 to sign up in the last few weeks.
“A lot of people have said you should be out there saving souls not saving pets but my heart says ‘why can’t you do both?’” said Ms. Moss, who identifies herself as Protestant.
Source:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/article2037964.ece
I'm not surprised in the least, and I'm sure many others aren't as well. of course, I'm atheist and don't believe the world will end this way at all, but even if I was christian, doesn't the bible say we are not going to know when the rapture happens? so some guy who claims to be an expert predicts it and and bunch of weak minded people believe him. Hopefully they'll learn something from this.
They didn't learn back in 94, and when it's predicted again, the gullable crowd will be right there, as usual. Good grief!
I doubt if these people learned anything. Throughout history there have been cult leaders who have bilked millions of dollars from millions of gullible people.
All I know is I hope they hang this fellow after this. I don't mean to sound harsh but that's how I feel. I felt the same way about that idiot who threatened the Koran burning last September. And if by chance he did turn out to be right it would be ironic to say the least if this preacher was one of those left behind for profiting from this business. But while I believe in god (though I'm not of any specific faith) I no more believe in this newest date than I do the 2012 business.
hahahahahaha.
supposedly we're not supposed to know when the rapture will occur anyway...
Well, the bible says in one chapter, that we can't know, but it says in another chapter that if your vigilant, you'll know. So you can't know, but you'll know, but you won't, cuz you can't, but you will, cuz you paid attention, even though you can't. The bible is full of things like that, where it says one thing in one chapter, then the exact opposite in another. That way, everyone who reads out a bible verse, is right.
This stuff was predicted in 2000 too. Even churches fell for that one. What a joke!
hahahahahahahahahaha!! I'm still laughing.
I'd be interested to know what Mr. Preacher Dude thinks of being wrong yet again.
I think he's gone in to hiding, for now.
Yeah. Because I imagine there's bound to be lots of people who spent their life savings, sold all their belongings and took their kids out of school in preparation for the rapture. Now that it hasn't happened they're bound to be feeling pretty dumb just now. And I wouldn't be surprised if some of them wouldn't be out for ol' Harry Camping's blood.
And what about all those idiots who just stopped paying their bills? Hahahaha! I'm all for having compassion and ll that but these people made the decision for themselves based on the ramblings of some bible-quoting nutjob. I'm not an Atheist (I consider myself as more of an Agnostic), and on the whole I do try to respect others' beliefs but when they cause the sort of hysteria and drama that this did I think the line has to be drawn somewhere. And I firmly believe that if some people were to commit suicide as a result of the rapture not happening when ol' Harry said it was going to that HE should be held responsible. I know that's harsh but over the years I've grown to have little respect for people like him.
I totally agree, Bryan. couldn't have said it better myself.
Unfortunetly, this garbage rolls around every five or ten years. People need to think for themselves, use logic and reason, and stop blindly following morons. It reminds me of the simpsons episode where Homer thinks he can predict the rapture. Quite funny. On a serious note though, it's depressing that this loser got so much media attention in the first place because he disrupted people's lives, caused families to get into arguements, do wreckless things regarding their lives and finances, and also, because there was a lot of real positive news regarding science and medicine that the media did not pay attention to as much as it should have because of this idiot. Which is a shame. A few of the stories were the discovery of a new planet that could hold life, the confirmation of dark energy, a story about a new treatment for people with spinal chord injuries, and, a new study out that suggests that drinking coffee can lower the risk of developing prostate cancer. Those things are important and are based on facts from evolving research with peer review etc, unlike this nut job's "theory".
I tend to agree. And like I said it's one of the major reasons why I don't like religion anymore. But I won't be at all surprised if I learn that a bunch of people are going to try to sue this nutjob for their own stupidity in blowing their life savings over this.
I won't go into detail about my own religion, but I honestly think that it will happen when it happens, and none of us can predict when that will be. Call me ignorant if you want, but I'm sure the majority of the people I've already had this discussion with would agree. And I can't help but wonder exactly how everyone who has already sacrificed other people, or their belongings expecting the rapture to occur are feeling right about now?
I would hold the preacher responsible if people commit suicide over this. he knew very well what he was doing. However, I have no sympathy whatsoever for the people who followed this idiot, either. It's called simple logic, people. don't forget to use it so you can avoid situations like this one in the future.
There are predictions based on people being taken to Heaven in Genesis 5:24 and 2 Kings 2:11, that the rapture will be on May 24th 2011. If true, Harold Camping was only 3 days out.
I no more believe the 24th than I did the 21st or the 2012 nonsense. If the world does end someday it's going to happen when none of us are expecting it. Bt i imagine all those followers are probably feeling pretty dumb right about now, and that's to put it mildly. I'm just glad I wasn't one of them. But I agree. If anybody does commit suicide over this Camping should be held responsible. But I have no sympathy at all for the idiots who blew their life savings, killed or gave up pets and got rid of all their belongings in preparation for the rapture. It was their right to refuse but they didn't. So they should be forced to live with the consequences. Ironically even if Camping had been correct I would have been surprised not to mention furious if he had been taken up to heaven given the profit he and his foundation have made from this. I don't imagine the powers supreme would be too pleased with that.
Okay, I don't believe that nonsense about yesterday, the 24, 2012, and any other date. Nobody knows when the world is going to end, so I wouldn't pay attention to this idiot. Somebody needs to kill this man and why are we in such a hurry to die? I'm not saying all people are in a hurry, but listening to this fool kind of seem like folks are.
Oh I agree. It's gonna happen when it's gonna happen. My guess is this fellow probably feels that he did nothing really meaningful with his life (oh he was a civil engineer I'll grant) and now that he's pushing ninety he wants to make a big bang before it's his time to go. It reminds me of that Colorado family last year that caused police agencies to wase time, money an dmanpower to find a missing child in a hot air balloon when he was not and had never in fact been missing. THe dad even admitted they did it for the celebrity status. That's really what this end of the world business reminded me of. Somebody just wanting to see their name in writing and hear it on the news.
People can make all the predictions they want, but the world will end when it ends.. nothing is going to change that.
Exactly. But some people obviously don't get it.
Just sad. I wonder what he'll say next week. All he did in the studio was smile and say it was going to happen Saturday night, and that has also past. Its sad really.
Sorry, but this was not the guy's first prediction. He's been wrong before, and if you follow a guy who has repeatedly predicted the end of the world, and been wrong, then you don't get to whine. I don't care if you did lose everything you had, or killed yourself over this; your the idiot who decided to do it.
I do have a planned solution for getting rid of the nut jobs like this one though, or at least forcing them into the background of society. Its simple, if there is a church in america, catholic, satanic, baptist, or end of the world predicting, whatever, they should pay taxes, and it should be a high tax. They should both pay property tax, and they should pay revenue taxes on the donations they profit from. You do that, and I bet you have a lot less churches. No one likes to pay taxes.
LOL. Makes sense. But maybe the nutjob's already killed himself out of depression from being wrong yet again. If so good riddance. Let god or whatever higher power you believe in deal with him as it sees fit.
I attended Christian Bible studies in the '80's, and that pastor was predicting the end of the world, using the then new AIDS as the plague that was the harbinger of the world's end. I told him "I beg to disagree. How are we still here when the Bubonic Plague of the Middle Ages claimed far more people?" Well 20+ years of AIDS and we're still here. Let's see, it's 10:30 AM May 23, 2011 and I'm not posting from the great beyond...yep I think I'm still alive.
Exactly.
I'm still alive!
I can surely say it's a new way of getting the world's attention. with which many are profitting as well. as long as innocents like me are around, cheaters will get benefitted with anything. On the other hand, he made it clear as this formula of cheating will never work out in the future. so he has to plan for some other technique.
Raaj.
Yep. He'll probably just blow it off as another mathematical error.
I agree with much of what has been said.
I'm not with you, though, when you say the sheeple had it coming. Of course, they did: but the types of peple Camping attracts are not necessarily as equipped mentally as the rest of us.
I feel about Camping the same way I would feel about someone robbing the retarded. Many of these followers are, in my opinion, not really equipped mentally to manage things the same way the rest of us are.
They are attracted to the idea of getting away from things bigger than their abilities to cope, they are drawn in by some morphed version of their beliefs.
I look on them as being preyed upon, because I do not view them as being mentally sound.
What you tame, or control, you are responsible for. And I think he should be held personally responsible for their financial wellfare.
As to them learning from the experience: that may or may not happen depending on their abilities. What's more likely to happen is we'll just have us a new batch of weakling sheeple by the time the next charlatan arrives.
I would look at the situation as the people's fault if I could at all view them as standing mentally competent: and I, for one, cannot. Their writings and pseudo-persuasions tend to sound like jibberish and the "math" is all based on nonfalsifiable claims. I doubt it has anything to do with a religion or fait: the faith or religion is just the medium for consumption of the sheeple's resources.
I, for one, will be most interested to see where all this money actually did go. Apparently, his studios are of a most modest construction in comparison to the standards of the American fundamentalist TV stations. According to the IRS and other sources, some of these are downright palatial to Medieval proportions, while Camping's facilities are quite modest.
So either there is a Swiss bank account or some other offshore fund somewhere benefitting from other people's resources. Were I king for a day, he'd stand tall like the man he apparently is not, and pay back each of the simpletons what he took. This should be possible to account via IRS and other financial records.
I just don't see these folk as capable, not the way you or I are capable. I thought the same during Y2K and will no doubt see more of this as 2012 or whatever next date approaches.
While Christians happen to get a lot of press for this, they are by no means the only ones who do this sort of thing worldwide. It's simply mass-marketed in this country, where there are geographic regions containing a lot of sympathizers.
I saw a Youtube of a young couple that to me did not appear right: they sold everything and although they were responsible for one child and had another coming, they were completely indifferent to some rather basic concepts like saving money, providing for their family, and quite shamelessly said so. It looked to me like they're not playing with a full deck. I have no idea what circuits may well have shorted out by now in them and people like them. If it's their fault, that means they're competent. I just have a hard time seeing people like this as anything other than mentally slow at best.
Maybe some of them but I believe more of them probably are in fact mentally sound. But people can be lazy and I think that's what happened here. THey wanted someone else to solve their problems and they used Camping's prediction of the rapture as an excuse not to deal with it. They probably had the mental equipment but rather than choose to use it they took what they thought was an easier way out. So to a certain extent I do believe they should have to take the consequences of their own actions every bit as much as ol' Harry should.
Many were mentally sound, so thats not an excuse. Some were top execs in the family radio, had great jobs, much education. People just love to follow I guess. The sad thing is he's done nothing illegal, so can keep and enjoy the money he gained. I really think this family radio should take him off, but will they? He has not said anything yet except it was going to happened Saturday the 22ND after he waited an hour in the studio on an open mike. So he missed again. Sad really.
why should people kill this man? Are people not responsible for what they believe?
I have little sympathy for the gullible idiots that sold their houses in preparation for this event, any more than I have sympathy for the people that hand over their life savings in the name of a lottery win for which they didn't have a ticket.
The bible says no man will know when the world will end, and the bible says after the rapture they'll be a three year span of trials etc and more will becomed saved. But before all of this happens the anti-crist must come. we've not seen the anti-crist yet.
Like I said, Camping probably just couldn't resist seeing his name in print and hearing it on the news one last time. And I have no more sympathy for those who believed him than the rest of you. And mental illness certainly isn't an excuse.
It's also interesting to note that so far Camping's only real reaction to being wrong was to emerge from his home briefly on the 22nd to say that he was flabberghasted that the rapture didn't occur, that he's looking for answers and that he will say more on the 23rd when he returns to work. It'll be interesting to know what he eventually came up with. He'll either say it was another mathematical error or that he was wrong about what form it would take. He might even decide to use the tornado that hit Missouri as something new to base it on. Guess we'll see...
the new date is oct 21. lol.
Yep. His claimn now is that Saturay was an invisible judgment day ad that the rapture an the destruction of te niverse will occur simultaneously. And they're not returning any of the money peoplehave donated. It's like I said on my Facebook. He's a greedy son of a bitch and he's an idiot on top of that. It'll be interesting to hear what excuse he comes up with if/when nothing happens in October.
I'm sure he'll just come up with some way to blow it off, and then come up with yet another date. *sighs*. Although with his credibility shot to hell already, I don't feel sorry in the least for anyone who follows him, though I do believe he should also be shot to hell for trying.
Oh I couldn't agree more. It's like I've said before. He probably feels he's done nothing in his life to make an impact on society so far and now that he's getting on in years his time is running out. He's also obviously not the sort wo learns from his mistakes, otherwise he would have learned back in 1994 that you can't predict the end of the world, much less down to an exact time and date. Like I said, it's things like that that turn me off not just to CHristianity but to religion in general seeing as how people who let religion dominate their lives seem to run a disturbingly high risk of losing whatever common sense they might have.
I'm sending my dollar to Texas Shawn
He was the first person to tell me the next date. You should post your paypal address. Lol
I found it on Wikipedia this morning.
It's interesting how the twenty first keeps coming up in his calculations, no matter what month. He says he is basing these predictions on a combination of Bible prophecies and numerology. I didn't think true Christians approved of things like numerology or astrology.
They don't as far as I know.Then againneither would they even be bothering to try to predict the end since if I'm not mistaken it's clearly stated that we won't know when it's going to happen. And if, as he claims, there are hints scattered throughout the Bible I would bet they were added by us humans and have nothing to do with the actual word. We as a people do sometimes have a habit of deliberately misinterpretting or changing things we hear if they're not to our liking. My guess is someone didn't like the no man shall know the hour bit and began adding supposed clues. And anyway even if he's right I don't imagine the powers that be will be too happy with the way he's profited from this business.
The bible says a lot of things that conflict with other things, especially about the end of the world. Yes, it says that no man shall know the hour, but it also says that if your are vigilant, you will know the hour. However, it also says, in a sermon that jesus gave, that the generation of people that he was speaking to would not end before all these things occurred, so maybe the world already ended.
The bible is a masterpiece of saying one thing, then saying its opposite. That way, when you quote something, if something else happens, you can quote the other verse, and your faith is still right, and your all happy-go-lucky. Of course, there are some things that the bible is just completely wrongon. For instance, the world is not a plate, supported by four pillars, with a dome over it. There is also no mountain from which you can see every point on the world, and there are no insects with four legs, hares do not chew their cud. All of these were things quoted in the bible, and quoted as important things, not just little obscure passages, they're important in the story.
Then, there are places that the bible contradicts itself. Like in the forefathers of jesus. Twice its listed, they both claim joseph as the father, but from joseph all the way back to abraham, neither one of them agree. Now unless mary popped out two jesus christ babies, that's not possible. And besides, how can the son of god have a lineage?
Plai and simply, the bible cannot be what people believe it is. It cannot be the word of an unheiring god, because it is so full of flause, that it makes that belief completely baseless. Unless god mumbled and stammered a lot when he gave those words, and the writers couldn't figure out what he was saying, then its just not the word of an unheiring god.
Since the Rapture didn't happen, I thought you might enjoy this. I know it's based on one of the world's most annoying songs ever, but the lyrics fit the topic since we're all still here. Have fun.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zc0s358b3Ys
Funny. LOL.
How a person reads the Bible makes all the differents, and like all books things were written differently in different additions. The base of the Bible is truth, same with the Karan and all other life guiding books. In this case the fault is not with the Bible, but greed. Think about it from this side. Mr. Camping stated that the world was going to end, so why did he still have his bank accounts, homes, and so does his family? After he was wrong he just simply traveled, and seemingly had a scheduled flight? Him and his family didn't move not one stick or change anything in there lives, but still to this day he's got followers. Don't blame it on the Bible, its on mankind.
In this case, the bible is not to blame. This guy knew what he was doing. If he really cared about his reputation, he'd have shut up after the first time he screwed up. As for his followers, I'd hope that anyone with an ounce of common sense would've stayed far away from his word after 1994. Shame on you if you fool me once, shame on me if you fool me twice.
Aaaand they were wrong. Again. Lol. The Satanic side of this? Don't waste time worrying about the end of the world. There's much better things to do.
Oh, and that video is funny! I'll probably have the damn song stuck in my head for the rest of the day, but that's all right. ^
I wonder what was actually on the screen. lol
I must admit I got a lot of amusement poking fun at the idea that these folks thought the whole planet and the human race would just go poof at 6 PM, may 21, everybody's local time. When on Friday night I was listening to a live broadcast on Mushroom FM taking place in New Zealand and nothing happened, well, there went my proof that Camping was in fact full of it. Many religious folks, be they followers of Camping or not, seem to believe that our time on earth is not all that important so they make very hasty and rash decisions, thinking the sooner they're removed from the planet and beamed up to their paradise, the better off they are. I must totally disagree with this, being agnostic. I think we only go around once, so life is meant to enjoy and experience things and be happy, it's not school, nor is it some kind of cosmic waiting room or eternal Greyhound bus station.
The unfortunate or perhaps fortunate thing is that when the whole Y2K disaster was predicted and did not happen, it made me rather jaded towards anyone who thought they could predict the whole planet going breaky-smash. So all I can say is what I said on Facebook a few days ago.
Microsoft Rapture has encountered a problem and must shut down. If the problem persists, please contact the program vendor. OK button.
I think Harold Camping genuinely believes what he says about the end of the world. His October 21st prediction isn't new.
Family Radio hasn't deleted the pre-May 21st Open Forums and the website continues to be updated.
I listened to Monday's show, and I felt Harold Camping easily handled the rubbish questions he was being asked. After he went back to doing phone calls, the calls he has received have been mainly supportive/positive. It is amazing that so many people still trust Harold Camping.
amazing? I say sad, pathetic, and beyond stupid.
Most of these claims use excessive lawyering, my apologies to attorneys on here. By lawyering I mean their efforts are to convince, not to validate.
Those are two different things.
So now he says the rapture on this day was spiritual. You cannot prove or disprove that statement: a nonfalsifiable argument that allows him to wiggle out of any responsibility.
Cicero at play, here? OK that was probably an insult to a classical philosopher / orator, but nonetheless at least in part accurate.
Oct. 21 will come and go: Possibly colder than May 21, and the kids will be starting, not ending, school: you'll be wondering just how many Christmas cards to send this year rather than what camp(s) you're to pay for for the summer. Those will probably be the most noticeable differences.
And when the world doesn't end that day either he'll come up with some equally ridiculous and equally nonfalsifiable claim. All I can say is if/when the rapture does come it would be ironic if he ended up being left behind. Even if I were to also be left behind since I don't follow the bible to the letter I would take enormous satisfaction from the fact that Camping, if he hadn't dropped dead by then, had been left behind as well. Or if he ended up in hell. It reminds me of a cartoon article posted in the satirical newspaper the Onion not long after the September 11 attacks. It showed the terrorists responsible for planning and perpetrating the attacks having died and found themselves in hell. THey reacted with disbelief and chagrin. "We thought we were earning eternal paradise for this!" I don't doubt we'll see something like that pertaining to Camping before too long.
If I can get the e-mail id of that person, I'll be surely sending him an e-mail telling that your ending date is 30/02/2012. or, 30th febuary, 2012 and that is without any mathematical errors. so till then you try keeping on cheating the world. lol.
Raaj
Well I was curious about what Camping and his followers were up to to prepare for their latest rapture date. Mainly because I'm curious what their reaction is going to be if/when the Rapture doesn't occur yet again. Well I discovered tat apparently Mr. Camping suffered a stroke in either June or July. He survived it but it's unclear as yet whether or not he'll be able to return to the radio. I'm more than a little curious about how they're going to carry themselves given this turn of events.
I really think the people who say the world is going to end are completly insane. Why fill peoples heads with all that shit?
You have to admit, if people are that gullible that they allow their heads to be filled with such insane shit, it's almost easy to take advantage of them. Even though I understand it, that fact alone certainly doesn't make it right, and this guy is scum. He's no true believer in Christianity if he honestly thinks he knows when the world will end. No one is supposed to know that, we're not supposed to be prepared for such an event. It will happen whenever it's gonna happen.
The sad thing is that he even had a rebuttal for that. He said it was true back when it was first written but that times have changed, even siting bible verses tat supposedly lend him credibility. In a way I hope he is lucid enough to have a reaction if he turns out to be wrong again. I want to hear what excuse he'll come up with this time. But if I were a religious man I might be tempted to suggest that this stroke was god's way of punishing him for his actions. There are, after all, worse things than death.
So when is this next doomsday supposed to not happen? lol
Probably not during an economic recession like what we're in now. That would be too easy, now, wouldn't it? Better, more ironic, and ... twisted in its own way, ... to wait until people are able to get their lives together again, then blow the place up.
At least, if past is prologue, that is my very unscientific and completely unfounded guess.
But now's the time everyone - even skeptics - will fantasize about it, be it man-made, natural disasters or divine, because now's the time everyone iss in trouble, up to their eyeballs in debt, either having their home foreclosed upon or know people who are, or have a neighborhood with foreclosed homes in it.
Harder, but more effective, is to square up, be a man, and face one's responsibilities. Well, so as not to be sexist, for women, whatever the woman version of that is.
The new doomsday is October 21 of this year. And I've heard quite a few people claim that the recent flurry of natural disasters is irrefutable proof that the end is near.
Gotta bring this horn dog back to the top, on account of the latest doomsday predictions.
wonder if Mr. Camping will say anything? I doubt it, but it's an amusing thought to ponder what his excuse might be this time.
hmm, I'm still here
I'm still alive. I also wonder what Mr. Camping is gonna say now that october 21 has passed.
Leslie
I'm curious not only how Camping is going to wiggle out of this one, or whether he'll comment at all. No, dude, don't you dare tell me you were kidding, don't you dare! LOL! I'm also curious how many folks took this date seriously as compared to the fake doomsday in May? I think this one ended up being a much more low-key affair, probably without roving vans or billboards. I suggest Camping should get out of the doomsday-predicting racket, as there are probably a dozen severely mentally ill homeless people who'd jump at the position. LOL!
Well not long before the 21st he said that the end isn't going to be abig affair like we've always thought. In his words "it's going to come very, very quietly." So I think he thinks he's already wiggled out of responsibility if nothing happens again. And from what i've heard he's been keeping a low profile lately.
This is the way the world ends
Not with a bang but a whimper.
- T. S. Elliot "The Hollow Men"
Granted this quote is somewhat out of context, and relates more to the execution of someone, but perhaps out-of-context quotations are a running theme here anyway.
Must be if Camping can claim to have found irrefutable proof right in the Bible that the world would end on either of these dates.
Now I feel it ending. It's been happening so quietly all along but I feel ill, I, don't, feel, so, oh help....
LOL.
Well I just read an interesting development. Apparently Harold Camping has recently retired as the president of Family Radio. But what I found even more interesting was the fact that he's apparently been quoted as saying to an interview tat "God has not given anyone the power to know exactly when the end would come." I need hardly point out that this is a direct contradiction of the hogwash he and his followers spouted in the weeks, months and years prior to the May 21 non event.
So, more hogwash. What a shocker.
OK, so the false prophet does a total 180 on his own doctrine? Yeah, that's a good move, right when nobody gives a damn anymore unless they are part of the 2012 crowd.
Stupid zellits.
And I bet there's gonna be loads of people disappointed when nothing happens in 2012 either. I can't wait to hear their reactions LOL.
Yup it'll be like feeding time at the zoo.
It'll be Y2K all over again LOL.
Ah, memories! Y2k! I remember around that time I had a short wave receiver, and there was at least one station from the U.S. that had a decidedly Christian conspiracy theorist point of view and they were advertising that you buy these huge crates of nonperishable food and bottled water for something like a thousand bucks or more for a complete survival kit. I guess you were expected to build yourself a modern version of a fallout shelter and hunker in there with your family when society was supposed to completely crumble when all the tech stopped working.
Why am I not surprised? And the most that actually happened when the year 2000 rolled around was that a few computers in some movie rental stores got confused about what year it was. That led to some people seemingly having movies as much as a thousand years overdue LOL. And that was easy enough to fix.
Bah, that whole thing was so elogical.
Yeah really. I figured if anything did happen it would be because millions of people panicked and puled all their money out of te bank five minutes before they dropped the ball in Time Square. Then they'd trigger a market crash or something. And evidently the writers of The Simpsons thought much the same as we all did because they parodied the possible effects of Y2K in one of their Halloween specials. And there've even been a few YouTube parodies of the Camping business. My favorite one, although I forget who did it, was Camping calling up Jesus on the phone on May 22, demanding to know why te Rapture didn't happen. And Jesus was this Cheech and Chong type Mexican guy who'd apparently gotten hung up on the bong and forgot about the date.
Jesus: "Look man, I'm sorry! can we do it next weekend?"
Camping: "No we sure as hell can't do it next weekend! It's fucking Memorial Day!"
LOL.
OMG! I want to see that, now. I bet that would amuse the hell out of me. hahahaha! I could totally see Cheech and Chong doing a skit like that, too.
Well here it is for your listening and viewing pleasure. Just copy and paste it into your browser.
http://youtu.be/Yt2NyLAuapM