May 21 2011, Judgement Day, judgement, Harold Camping, left behind
Jesus is Coming! Look busy. 

A fellow by the name of Harold Camping is claiming that he has biblically calculated the Day of Judgment.... and people are believing him. It doesn't hurt that this civil engineer happens to have 66 radio stations to help promote his hypothesis (honestly, I'm a little surprised he hasn't either bought or sold a station to avoid that number). The interesting thing is, people believe him even though he has been wrong about this before.

In his book, Harold Camping 1994?, he claims to have used the Bible to calculate when the world will end – September 6, 1994 (or maybe between September 15 and 17). The interesting thing isn't that the world didn't end. The interesting thing isn't even that he now claims to have made a miscalculation.  The interesting thing is that he, like almost all others who make these kinds of calculations, places the biblically predicted time within his lifetime. In his case, also like many others, it also happens to be relatively imminent. (I could say that it is just imminent enough to allow time to capitalize on it's occurrence, but that would be rather cynical and far be it from me to be cynical about something like this). 

Purely statistically speaking, given the timelessness of time, and the odds of a random person deciphering the mysterious numerology of the Bible only to find that it points to the second coming and the end of the world within their own lifetime are mindbogglingly astronomical.  Yet, many people believe.

Never mind that the Bible itself tell us that no one will know the time, not even the angels. Never mind that his methods mean treating the Bible as if it is a cryptic document. Never mind that the book of Revelations is a book of hope, not death and destruction, writing to a people suffering under the rule of a heavy handed Roman government. All of those things are just facts that get in the way of believing that the day of The Great Hoover in the Sky is upon us (as I've noted before, I can't help but believe God would have upgraded by now. So, it is probably a Dyson).

Ultimately this is all a rush to judgment. Damn the facts, I want to be saved while others are left behind. It leaves me asking, “what should we do on May 22nd?” 

I have a thought: when the Holy Dyson doesn't suck up the holier-than-thou, let's celebrate with a judgment free day. See if you can spend a whole day without judging people for their religion, their sexual orientation, the way they drive, the way they talk, their level of education, the way they dress, the color of their skin, their political alignment, or any other of a long list of things upon which we judge each other daily.

If you truly want to see heaven sooner, that's how you get there.

(Update: I just found a FB page that promotes this idea. Check it out).
(Update 2: You can listen to my Rapture sermon here: "The End is Near(er)"

 


Comments

Kate
05/09/2011 11:08

Darn. I'll have to reschedule. Looks like I don't have May 21st free on my calendar.

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Amp the Bard
05/09/2011 11:09

Amen!

I feel alternately angry and sad when I see the huge ads these folks have put on billboards and buses here in Mexico City with the legend "Judgment Day May 21, The Bible guarantees it!!"

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Kalar
05/09/2011 11:17

All that stuff (billboards, ads, etc.) needs to serve as pointers to think for yourself. If that were to happen, it would be worth their efforts and expense. My Granny use to say "Don't believe anything you read and only half of what you see." Keep grains of salt handy at all times. :)

So I guess if we're still here on the 22nd, we didn't make the cut? har

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05/09/2011 12:44

Perhaps we could celebrate "Judgment-Free Day" on May 22 to reflect on the unfortunate habit of mocking others' beliefs? You know, like being gentle and kind to the HIGHLY disappointed people who will have thought that Judgment Day was the day before…

Just sayin', is all.

Seems like there's a huge opportunity for churches to reach out to the many disaffected types who will have sold everything they owned, waiting for God to call Harold and his flock to the pearly gates.

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05/09/2011 14:46

Great and timely article Mark!

I've written a similar blog - and it includes the a free chapter of my new book Kissing Fish.

http://www.elephantjournal.com/2011/05/world-to-end-may-21-2011/

Curious times these.. : P

Roger
p.s. I'm going to make a comment to my blog referring folks to your blog. : )

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05/09/2011 14:49

Thanks Roger! Once I am back at my desktop, I'll do the same!

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Robert
05/09/2011 16:16

I want so badly to participate in the judgement free day, but I hate making promises that my sinful nature urges me not to keep. Instead I will try to make every day judgement free, and know that God will forgive me when I stumble in this. May God bless you all.

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Cindy
05/09/2011 20:08

Thank you VERY much for this article. I have to say the bilboards I see around are really starting to erk me and reading this really help me put things into perspective. I love the idea of judgement free day and I will do my darnest to participate.
I definitely will be reading your blog as well.:)
Thank you!

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JOE
05/09/2011 23:15

Well written, thank you! It baffles me how someone who has dedicated so much of his life to biblical study such as Harold Camping would be egotistical enough to predict what God will do. He has a pretty big reach and I think we should feel bad for him and pray for him.

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John Gordon
05/10/2011 19:24

He's probably just a sad old man who' not wanting to be left out. But he does not and can not know when Christ will return and all the wishing in the world will not make so. Bless his heart.

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Sally
05/14/2011 10:34

I wonder if Mr. Camping sold all his radio stations?

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T Walkeer
05/15/2011 12:20

How much has been spent on billboards and full-page newspaper ads promoting this idea? So, what if they are right? The ads won't change things. Just a lot of wasted money that could easily be used by loving and compassionate people to relieve the massive suffering going on right under our noses from weather disasters. You know things like children with no homes, families with no income, broken-hearts, etc. In my opinion, those who embody Christ would be doing good and not trying to scare the be'jesus out of people.

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Alisa
05/17/2011 13:49

I don't think I can do a judgement-free day on how people drive...but I'll try.

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Becky
05/20/2011 08:09

I believe we should live every day like it is the last and we should be as judgment-free as possible. Only God has the right to judge anyone. Though, I too have trouble not judging other drivers too.

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Joshua Christos
05/20/2011 15:05

I think I'll take the day off tomorrow.

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