Thursday, September 8, 2011

End Times... Again

The Rapture

On the 21st of May, 2011, according to Harold Campings, we were supposed to finally experience The Rapture. Well, it came and went by us, no one experiencing anything that would even remotely classify itself as life-changing; unless, of course, you count the people who believed this crap. Their lives changed in many ways. The people who were following this guy not only gave up their hard-earned cash, but also, some died in the aftermath of this failed prediction. Luckily, we didn't hear a large number of reported suicides or other fatal tragedies.

A stunned Harold Camping didn't know what to say, as he was
sure this was the day. A couple of days after the supposed rapture was to occur, a more confident Harold came back and said that it had indeed happened, but he had misunderstood how it would actually play out. It seems that October 21, 2011, is when the world will definitely, utterly and totally come to an end... really.

End Times Predicted

My question is – when will the Harold Campings of the world stop trying to think they know it all and secondly, when will the gullible people of this world stop believing that a simple man like him would have that knowledge? Crazy people have been predicting the end of the world for a long, long time. Loren Madsen created a beautiful chart to illustrate how long it has been going on. Go ahead, pick a year to begin THE END. I never knew there were so many! This just really cements my thinking that we have way too many lost people in this world.

The year of my birth, 1962, made the list. How delightful, but oops... I'm still here! Ha, ha, ha... even funnier, there were multiple predictions made for that year. Interesting, so in 1961, did anyone ask which one is right or which one should come first? I guess it didn't happen because they cancelled each other out. Oh, it's just too stupid to put in words.

Foolish Followers

I cannot understand that people, who we would think otherwise rational (well, maybe, I'm wrong), would be led to believe that there is one person out there who could possibly know the exact time and date of the earth's demise. Doesn't the fact that it's been predicted more than 250 times just solidify the theory that they are wrong and will be wrong on every occasion? WAKE UP PEOPLE!! Believing this stuff is a waste of your time, money and effort! Put your resources into living a more productive life on this planet we call the real world and stop wishing for some unreal expectation to be met like meeting your heavenly father who will transform your life into a living paradise. It's not going to happen.

Harold Camping's organization took in $18.3 million during 2009, according to the IRS, and had assets in excess of $104 million. A large portion of that had to be used to plaster the fleet of RV's and 5000 + billboards world-wide that were decorated with the May 21st Judgment Day announcement about to happen; not to mention all the costly marketing strategies used to get more followers on board and more donations rolling in. I'm sure we'll never really know how much money has stayed within the organization and how it benefited only the small group who orchestrated this sham. The fortunes this organization received not only before, but also after the May 21st failure, will presumably continue to thrive after October 21st, as well. They made out like bandits, but the people who believed in Harold Camping and his message paid dearly; losing their money, their grip on reality and some even their lives.

The Foolishness Continues

The website for his organization, Family Radio International, is still in operation, collecting donations of course and predicting that October 21, 2011, is indeed the correct date for the destruction of our fine planet. They even ousted the old servers the website had and replaced them with new ones to keep everyone in the know about it. Funny, you'd think with the world coming to an end shortly, that money could have been spent on something more meaningful like feeding starving children, so as to enhance their last days.

The AP reported, “ The globe will be completely destroyed in five months, he said, when the apocalypse comes. But because God's judgment and salvation were completed on Saturday, there's no point in continuing to warn people about it, so his network will now just play Christian music and programs until the final end on Oct. 21.” Oh, joy, no more mini-vans or billboards or hysterical news reporting that the end of times is definite once again. Sadly, there are still people who hang on to the hope or strong conviction that Harold Camping is right this time, as if all his previous failed predictions didn't matter. They continue to see October 21st as their last day because they believe we are the crazy ones for shaking our heads.

Harold Camping suffered a stroke in June 2011 and now resides in a retirement home. My guess is that he is well taken care of and should meet his maker in style, but will he be around to witness another failed prediction? Who knows, but it sure would be sweet justice to see the look on his face when it doesn't come true again. It might also be a learning experience for all those who initially disengaged from reality before the first prediction and continued to follow this nonsense after it. Maybe.

I predict that this earth will continue to see people who abdicate their ability to use common sense or use wise judgment. Will this prediction come true? Definitely.

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