Harold Camping and The Rapture of 2011

Harold Camping should have never been taken seriously by anyone.

Apparently May 21, 2011 was Judgment Day although no one noticed, but on the official blog of Judgment Day (http://judgementday2011.com/) it says that it truly did happen and those reading the blog should prepare for the apocalypse:

“Jesus has come, few were saved, even less noticed his presence, but May 21st was still Judgement Day. If you are reading this blog, then you were not saved by Jesus in the Second Coming, and have been left behind during the End of Days. There are just five months remaining until the End of The World on October 21 2011. Prepare yourself for the End Times now by stocking up on water, canned goods, and appropriate clothing before the End of The World.”

So anyone who was able to read that message on that blog was not saved? Does that mean that the person writing it wasn’t saved? Are there a bunch of people who have gone missing?

This is definitely not a discredit to religion whatsoever, but first there’s a 2012 debacle of world coming to an end and now it out of nowhere it seems that some random pastor has decided that it is going to be in the year 2011 and now will be in October. How come no one came to this “realization” sooner? If some random pastor declared the end of the world would be next week would it get this much coverage? Honestly, did this man contact every news source and CNN and FOX etc decided that they better inform the nation just to be safe, because what about the rest of the world?

Then the writer of the blog changes his mind:

“Am I flip-flopping by changing the date of the Rapture from May 21 to October 21, 2011? No, I am simply updating the prediction as we learn more. The End times appear to be here, with all of the tornadoes in Oklahoma, flooding of the Mississippi in the Midwest, and Earthquakes worldwide. These are all signs of the End of Times.”

Well how about taking a look at the origin of this.

Holy Blasphemy blog says that the Taiwanese people predicted it to be May 11:

“The Taiwanese prophecy about Doomsday 2011 being on May 11th has gone unfulfilled; however it’s now May 12th and today I’ve witnessed a freak small tornado and now an ominous thunder and lightning storm. It certainly feels like a foreboding or foreshadowing of evil things to come.

So I thought I’d take a moment to write about Harold Camping’s prediction that the End of Days will begin on May 21st, 2011, which is sweeping across some parts of America and getting a lot of media coverage.”

So, who is Harold Camping and why was he listened to? If a one on one interview with a man was possible then that would have been the first step, but since this is just a blog post it’s not necessary, too bad though.

The Washington Post goes into detail about how the 89-year-old man came to the [incorrect] realization that May 2011 would lead to the end of the world and links to a post on Belief Net that gives 21 facts about this man.

Washington Post gives Camping the opportunity to explain himself, even drawing it out:

“Reporters have given Camping, who has been wrong about previous Rapture predictions, ample opportunity to find some wiggle-room in his calculation:

Well how about looking at some of the 21 facts that Belief Net believes should be known about Camping:

” Harold Camping doesn’t describe himself as a pastor, either. “I’m not a minister. Not a pastor,” he told KtB. “I am a servant of the Lord, declaring what I have learned from the Word of God.” “

So, he isn’t even a recognized religious figure like the Pope.

“This isn’t a recent prediction. He mentioned its possibility in his book 1994? in which he suggested the rapture might occur on September 7 of that year. But if it didn’t, he said, then it would definitely happen on May 21, 2011, due to a difference in calculations. So give him credit. He’s got quite a few years invested in this prediction.”

Give him credit? Credit for wasting media time and causing the superstitious and fearful people to get all worried for what appears to be …a big waste of time.

And a fact worth mentioning:

“Harold Camping doesn’t care if you quote Matthew 24:36 to him. That well-known verse states, “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” Camping uses 1 Cor. 2:10-14 to redefine what “no one knows” means, and says that the saved CAN know because they are indwelt by God’s spirit. The wicked don’t know, unfortunately. But even though Matthew 24:36 says Jesus won’t know either, well that’s just wrong, Camping says. Of course Jesus will know. Because Jesus and God are one.”

Maybe he should read the bible a couple more times, really. It’s great that he believed this is strongly that he wanted to tell everyone else, but the more people cry wolf the more religion gets a bad name.

And here’s the kicker fact:

“Harold Camping won’t apologize for his wrong prediction once May 22 rolls around. Most likely he will say that, because of his efforts — and the efforts of his followers — to warn the world of the May 21 event, God has chosen to withhold his judgment for now. And not long after that, Camping will recalculate and announce a new date.”

Seriously? He isn’t even going to apologize for wasting our time? Let’s hope no one gives him the time of day next time he has a prediction he wants to share.