21 may 2011

[Tomtomkent]

So the rapture is due on May 21st this year, having been revised from the original 1994 date advocated by Camping.

Now, I was going to suggest that on 22nd May we get brian to do a podcast that said "nope still here." But the part of me that enjoys cruel jokes has a lingering desire to phone camping and report the people we saw being taken to Gods bossom before asking "so why are you here?"

I have nothing against the religious beliefs of christians, but i have everything against a man encouraging his listeners to invest life savings in his campaign. And I am not convinced all that money is going on the billboards. Come May 22nd there will be people in real financial trouble because of that... person.

[Bram Kaandorp]

So the rapture is due on May 21st this year, having been revised from the original 1994 date advocated by Camping.

Now, I was going to suggest that on 22nd May we get brian to do a podcast that said "nope still here." But the part of me that enjoys cruel jokes has a lingering desire to phone camping and report the people we saw being taken to Gods bossom before asking "so why are you here?"

I have nothing against the religious beliefs of christians, but i have everything against a man encouraging his listeners to invest life savings in his campaign. And I am not convinced all that money is going on the billboards. Come May 22nd there will be people in real financial trouble because of that... person.

I am really glad that the news hasn't really spread around here.

Wait, no, I am not glad that it hasn't spread. We have a lot of talented comedians around here, who would have run away with it immediately.

Why don't we have any proper doomsday predictions in the Netherlands? We have to make do with the "2012" thing around here, and that is not even widespread here either, save for "spiritual" people.

I guess we are too down to earth.

Cheers

[patchbunny]

I've seen their advertising vans in my town. I want to offer to back up my truck to their door on May 20 and load up their stuff, as they won't be needing it anymore.

[therival58]

no you misunderstand, it STARTS in may, but things dont get real serious until october:p

[Lukraak_Sisser]

I am really glad that the news hasn't really spread around here.

Wait, no, I am not glad that it hasn't spread. We have a lot of talented comedians around here, who would have run away with it immediately.

Why don't we have any proper doomsday predictions in the Netherlands? We have to make do with the "2012" thing around here, and that is not even widespread here either, save for "spiritual" people.

I guess we are too down to earth.

Cheers

Actually you'd be surprised, because I saw a billboard on a dutch railway station exclaiming exactly this date. I'm guessing its this guy pumping his money into a campaign to make other countries aware :)

[Bram Kaandorp]

Actually you'd be surprised, because I saw a billboard on a dutch railway station exclaiming exactly this date. I'm guessing its this guy pumping his money into a campaign to make other countries aware :)

Oh crap, we're screwed.

I think it's time for a rational billboard exclaiming: "Nope, still here."

Cheers

[Johny2x4]

Dammit, I still want to see Dark of the Moon before the world ends!!! :mad:

[SteveHamilton]

I dont know too much about this date at all, but I do plan to have an end-of-the-world party for 2012(beer, bonfires, TPing houses, normal prank stuff, etc). Hell if the world does end, I can say I lived life to the fullest the day before it ends! If not, hell I can still say that was one hell of a party!!!

[PGH]

So the rapture is due on May 21st this year, having been revised from the original 1994 date advocated by Camping.

Now, I was going to suggest that on 22nd May we get brian to do a podcast that said "nope still here." But the part of me that enjoys cruel jokes has a lingering desire to phone camping and report the people we saw being taken to Gods bossom before asking "so why are you here?" I have nothing against the religious beliefs of christians, but i have everything against a man encouraging his listeners to invest life savings in his campaign. And I am not convinced all that money is going on the billboards. Come May 22nd there will be people in real financial trouble because of that... person.

I really like this plan and support it fully.

[Aepervius]

So the rapture is due on May 21st this year, having been revised from the original 1994 date advocated by Camping.

Now, I was going to suggest that on 22nd May we get brian to do a podcast that said "nope still here." But the part of me that enjoys cruel jokes has a lingering desire to phone camping and report the people we saw being taken to Gods bossom before asking "so why are you here?"

I have nothing against the religious beliefs of christians, but i have everything against a man encouraging his listeners to invest life savings in his campaign. And I am not convinced all that money is going on the billboards. Come May 22nd there will be people in real financial trouble because of that... person.

Rapture is not a "christian" belief. Rapture is a "few US christian sect, idea originating in 19th century " type of belief.

[Tomtomkent]

Very true Apevirus. But it is a belief of some christians rather than being a fundamental neccessity of all the varying branches of christianity. It is in the same field as Homophobia, jesus being blonde, or most of what people think they know about satan; not actually in the bible, but derived from the continuing reassesments of the bible. Sorry if I implied all christians believe in the idea of a rapture, it was not intended.

But having said that, it remains I have no problem with folks being christian, and if they want to believe in the rapture as part of that (it is also big in African "end of days" churches too) then feel free. But taking money from your flock? Fanning flames of fear for a profit (or is that prophet?) Is not very "christian" either.

[Tomtomkent]

Lets hope he does refund the cash if we are all still here the next day. Small prophet fast return, so to speak.

[redhotrebel]

Crap that's this year?! I'm going to have to reschedule that hair appointment...

[godless dave]

1994 was not the "original" predicted date of the Rapture, just one in a long, long line of predicted dates for the second coming.

[Verde]

1994 was not the "original" predicted date of the Rapture, just one in a long, long line of predicted dates for the second coming.

It is relevant in that it was made by Camping, who is the originator of the current May 21 nonsense.
Agreed, there have been many other predictions by various loonies over the years.

V.

[Tomtomkent]

1994 was not the "original" predicted date of the Rapture, just one in a long, long line of predicted dates for the second coming.

No, but it was the original date advocated by Camping in his earlier works, based on his "calculation". Sorry, I thought I had made that distinction clear in the original post.

The earliest reference to the "rapture" (or at least something like it) that I have come across happened about AD60(ish) when early Christians started to die of old age, and worry that this second coming was not going to happen in their lifetime. Something like the rapture was thrown together as an ad hoc explanation that yes, if the book of revelations happened after they popped their cogs, they would still enjoy the better sides of eternity.

[Soapy Sam]

Why don't we have any proper doomsday predictions in the Netherlands?

I guess we are too down to earth.

Cheers

Well, let's face it, if you get any more down to earth you'll be under water.
I suspect the Dutch have stared reality in the eye far too long to indulge in flights of fancy- which is why things tend to work over there. :)

[Bram Kaandorp]

Well, let's face it, if you get any more down to earth you'll be under water.
I suspect the Dutch have stared reality in the eye far too long to indulge in flights of fancy- which is why things tend to work over there. :)

Sadly, I have read a Dutch message boards where people were anti-vaccination, and there are some very strict religious regions around here, so completely down to earth is not the case (not that I'd expect it).

A certain politician in the Netherlands once came up with the idea of "ietsisme" (somethingism), as a sort of tongue-in-cheek, derogatory description of the way many people around here think about religion.

Basically, when asked if they believe in God, the answer was something like "No, but I do think there is something".

it almost goes without saying that when people think that there must be "something", a lot of people are still looking for something to fill the void. Cue Astro-TV and Derek Ogilvie.

On the other hand, it seems like Derek Ogilvie has disappeared from the TV screen.

[tuxcomputers]

Dammit, I still want to see Dark of the Moon before the world ends!!! :mad:
You see it every month. The moon goes from full (fully illuminated) to new (completely dark), so every single month you see the "dark" side.

[Aepervius]

How about this idea ? Get a few address of people thinking the rapture *will* come.

Then buy full "used" clothing (msut not look too new) , underware, shoe, shirt, pants and robe.

Then artistically put them on the curbing before the house of the persons, including accessory, gloves, woman purse, men stuff, all with paper and so on, so that it looks like those people "went away".

Then wait for the face of the rapture believer when they go out of their house on 22nd : they are still tehre but other are gone :P.

OK that might have already proposed somewhere.

[Klimax]

How about this idea ? Get a few address of people thinking the rapture *will* come.

Then buy full "used" clothing (msut not look too new) , underware, shoe, shirt, pants and robe.

Then artistically put them on the curbing before the house of the persons, including accessory, gloves, woman purse, men stuff, all with paper and so on, so that it looks like those people "went away".

Then wait for the face of the rapture believer when they go out of their house on 22nd : they are still tehre but other are gone :P.

OK that might have already proposed somewhere.

Isn't that too evil? :D

[Bram Kaandorp]

Isn't that too evil? :D

Is it as evil as, say, going around town telling people that, if they don't accept some mythical bloke in a dress into their life, they will rot in hell?

Cheers

[Gawdzilla]

Is it as evil as, say, going around town telling people that, if they don't accept some mythical bloke in a dress into their life, they will rot in hell?

Cheers

Oh, I don't think telling 7 year olds that they'll burn in Hell for all eternity for not doing exactly what the Bible says, before they can even read the damn thing, to be evil. I think it's several factors worse than evil.

[Bram Kaandorp]

Oh, I don't think telling 7 year olds that they'll burn in Hell for all eternity for not doing exactly what the Bible says, before they can even read the damn thing, to be evil. I think it's several factors worse than evil.

Does "nefarious" cover it?

[Emet]

From NPR:

Is The End Nigh? We'll Know Soon Enough
(...)
Camping's predictions have inspired other groups to rally behind the May 21 date. People have quit their jobs and left their families to get the message out. :eek:

"Knowing the date of the end of the world changes all your future plans," says 27-year-old Adrienne Martinez.

She thought she'd go to medical school, until she began tuning in to Family Radio. She and her husband, Joel, lived and worked in New York City. But a year ago, they decided they wanted to spend their remaining time on Earth with their infant daughter.

"My mentality was, why are we going to work for more money? It just seemed kind of greedy to me. And unnecessary," she says.

And so, her husband adds, "God just made it possible — he opened doors. He allowed us to quit our jobs, and we just moved, and here we are."

Now they are in Orlando, in a rented house, passing out tracts and reading the Bible. Their daughter is 2 years old, and their second child is due in June. Joel says they're spending the last of their savings. They don't see a need for one more dollar. :eek:

"You know, you think about retirement and stuff like that," he says. "What's the point of having some money just sitting there?" :eek:

"We budgeted everything so that, on May 21, we won't have anything left," Adrienne adds. :eek:

Nothing, except for the fervent hope that all of them will be raptured.
(...)

'There Is No Plan B'

Camping is not the first person to fix a date for the end of the world. There have been dozens of such prophets, and so far, they've all been wrong.

Camping himself has had to do some recalculation. He first predicted the end would come Sept. 6, 1994. He now explains that he had not completed his biblical research.

"For example, I at that time had not gone through the Book of Jeremiah," he explains, "which is a big book in the Bible that has a whole lot to say about the end of the world."

So he's not planning for May 22?

"Absolutely not," Camping says. "It is going to happen. There is no Plan B."


http://www.npr.org/2011/05/07/136053462/is-the-end-nigh-well-know-soon-enough

[Gawdzilla]

Does "nefarious" cover it?

Oh, maybe, in the same way that jaywalking is related to the German invasion of Russia in 1941.

[Bram Kaandorp]

Oh, maybe, in the same way that jaywalking is related to the German invasion of Russia in 1941.

Just trying to find a word which could describe it.

Maybe I should look in the direction of "mind rape"?

[I Ratant]

You see it every month. The moon goes from full (fully illuminated) to new (completely dark), so every single month you see the "dark" side.
.
What is unique about the "dark side" is you only see it during a lunar eclipse, when earthshine makes it visible.
Can't be seen normally... just the very first sliver the day after.

[Tomtomkent]

Hmm. I am going to be working the day of the rapture. Oh well.

[Bram Kaandorp]

Hmm. I am going to be working the day of the rapture. Oh well.

One man's rapture is another man's day at the office...

[Tomtomkent]

Yeah, but to be fair I will be working alone, a mile from anybody else. If it did happen I would not notice.


Although I always like upseting believers by asking what happened to the old idea that the Great plague (1666!) was the Rapture selecting those to join christ.

(Yes, thats a joke, I don't go out of my way to upset anybody).

[Bram Kaandorp]

Has it happened yet? I do feel a little light in my head. Maybe it's a sign.

Wait, that's probably me still waking up.

Cheers

[Tomtomkent]

Everyone still here?

[Gawdzilla]

Everyone still here?

Just you.

[Bram Kaandorp]

Everyone still here?

I will bet you that Camping will say that "those people who died today were the ones who raptured".

So away with the "people flying to the heavens" idea, and in with the "being raptured is something which happens to the soul, not the body" idea.

Cheers

[redhotrebel]

So is there an ETA on this rapture thing? Cause I'm hoping my neighbor with the really nice mercedes was a good christian...

[I Ratant]

We've been left behind. Oh Drat!
And one of the travails we must continue to endure will be all those "good" christians that also didn't make the cut.... which is all of them.
It is a certainty though that many Muslims will be raptured apart today.

[DisordeR]

I'm still here, perhaps its cos I can't stop masturbating sinning.

[rjh01]

I am still here. It is 22 May local time. I think whoever came up with this date made a minor error in their calculations.

[Bram Kaandorp]

I am still here. It is 22 May local time. I think whoever came up with this date made a minor error in their calculations.

Either that, or there was no end to calculate at all.

(Sorry, I just love being a spoilsport)

[MatildaGage]

What do you guys mean, the rapture isn't in the Bible?

1 Thessalonians 4
14For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also that are fallen asleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 15For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we that are alive, that are left unto the coming of the Lord, shall in no wise precede them that are fallen asleep. 16For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven, with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first; 17then we that are alive, that are left, shall together with them be caught up in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

Matthew 22:30 (New International Version)

30 At the resurrection people...will be like the angels in heaven.

John 11:25 (New International Version)

25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die;

etc.

[Tomtomkent]

Dear Mr Camping:

It turns out that there was no rapture. Apparently it is another test of faith. But here is an idea. Why not test your humanity and see if you can repay all that money that it turns out your flock may need after all. What with there actually being time for their kids to go to college, and the possibility they may one day have a genuine need for it.

Yours:
Everybody.

[redhotrebel]

Dear Mr Camping:

It turns out that there was no rapture. Apparently it is another test of faith. But here is an idea. Why not test your humanity and see if you can repay all that money that it turns out your flock may need after all. What with there actually being time for their kids to go to college, and the possibility they may one day have a genuine need for it.

Yours:
Everybody.

Dear Everybody,
LoL I can't believe people fell for it. I'm an evil manipulative douche but I'm going to enjoy this yacht while I plan my next big con...

Yours:
Mr. Camping

[Emet]

May 21 was NOT the Rapture: What will Harold Camping and his faithful followers do now?

As May 21 came and went without the world coming to an end, Harold Camping has yet to offer up a reason for why he was wrong... again.

In fact, the 89-year-old preacher is keeping out of sight in the wake of his failed prediction. The website to his Family Radio ministry hasn't even been updated, and still proclaims Judgment Day to be May 21, 2011.

"It's going to happen," Camping insisted repeatedly leading up to the fateful day.

Meanwhile, those who believed in his much-hyped prognostication -- many of whom gave up their homes and money to Camping -- are left wondering what to do next.

"I do not understand," said Robert Fitzpatrick, a 60-year-old MTA worker from Staten Island, said after the Rapture never arrived. "I do not understand why nothing has happened."
(...)
Some expect that Camping will eventually explain away his erroneous prediction, just as he did in 1994 (a mistake he waved off as a mere mathematical miscalculation).


http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/2011/05/22/2011-05-22_may_21_was_not_the_rapture_what_will_harold_cam ping_and_his_followers_do_now.html?r=news

[redhotrebel]

Updated rapture date (i.e. 3rd guess) August 21st 2011... when will people know to guess for a day long after they will be dead? After all the Mayans went one step further and guessed a date long after their civilization ended, sheesh learn from the pro's.

[Gawdzilla]

We should support the idea that the rapture did, indeed, occur, and that anyone left is going to Hell. Then we can have some serious fun with these clowns.

[Bram Kaandorp]

We should support the idea that the rapture did, indeed, occur, and that anyone left is going to Hell. Then we can have some serious fun with these clowns.

I second this.

[Bram Kaandorp]

Updated rapture date (i.e. 3rd guess) August 21st 2011... when will people know to guess for a day long after they will be dead? After all the Mayans went one step further and guessed a date long after their civilization ended, sheesh learn from the pro's.

Not that the Mayans ever alluded to any "end of the world", but that's another story. (Has there been a Skeptoid episode about that?)

[Emet]

Not that the Mayans ever alluded to any "end of the world", but that's another story. (Has there been a Skeptoid episode about that?)


Apocalypse 2012
http://skeptoid.com/episodes/4093

[Bram Kaandorp]

http://skeptoid.com/episodes/4093

Right, completely forgotten.

Thanks