Jessica Berger
Staff writer
So Harold Camping was wrong, again. He told the world the Rapture would occur on May 12 of this year. With the deadline come and gone with no Rapture, it is no wonder he won’t show his face. This may be because it’s the second time he has made a false Rapture proclamation.
Yes, the 89 year-old evangelist has made this “miscalculation” before. In 1994 Camping predicted the Rapture would come on Sept. 6 of that year.
The difference in the two predictions is that in 1994 Camping said, “This could be the day when Christ returns,” in an interview with Michael Moore’s “TV Nation.” This time, “It’s going to happen,” he said. “We don’t say maybe. Judgment day is May 21, 2011 and that’s going to happen.”
It is not Camping however that is paying the biggest price for the non-Rapture. It is the multitudes of followers that lost everything for their misguided beliefs. He lost respect and dignity but his followers lost that and more.
Some people who believed his prophecy obviously didn’t think they were going to make it to heaven. There were several reports of suicides and suicide attempts. My question: how did they figure murder and suicide would fix anything?
Many Christians believe suicide is the one unforgivable sin. When you’re dead you can’t very well ask forgiveness. I guess they figured the end of days would be horrible but securing a place in hell wouldn’t be so bad.
One California mother, Lyn Benedetto tried to take not only her life but the lives of her 11 and 14-year-old daughters. Benedetto said she didn’t want them to suffer through the end. Thankfully, she didn’t succeed.
Well she obviously didn’t have much faith in her family’s stance with the Lord. Even if they weren’t saved there was time to be saved.
Others set out to save this heathen infested world. Many of his followers had given everything they possessed to promote his message. I bet they are kicking themselves now, sitting in their cardboard boxes.
Robert Fitzpatrick, a retiree on Stanton Island gave his entire life savings, $140,000 to spread the word of the May 21 rapture. We can’t really blame Camping for their losses because he did not force anybody to act irrationally they chose to follow his influence.
The topping to this multi-layered, I’m-scamming-you-and-you-still-don’t-see-it cake? Both Camping and the now penniless (so he hopes he is right) Fitzpatrick continue to claim they were not wrong this time.
They have both said in separate interviews that May 21 began the Rapture but all of the predictions will happen on Oct. 21. That is when the worldwide earthquake will occur, the dead will rise, and the world will end.
OK, if I went on about all the inconsistencies with this newest prediction I would fill the entire newspaper. Not to mention according to the Family Radio website I have no right to argue because I am not a biblical scholar. I do see their point, no I haven’t spent 50 years studying the Bible, but it is my right to argue anyway.
You would think after reading over the same book for 50 years, Camping would not forget Scripture that I, an admitted lazy Christian, even caught onto. I mean aren’t the trials and tribulations supposed to come somewhere between the Rapture and world destruction? I guess not. So please, everybody be prepared for the Rapture, earthquakes, zombies, trials and tribulations, and world destruction on Oct. 21… I mean third time’s a charm right?