While I’ve been following the news that has littered the news, atheist news forums, and blogs about the upcoming rapture, I’ve let it slide. I honestly haven’t found it interesting. Come on, another religious nut saying the world will end is nothing new. However, an article in the Washington Post caught my eye, the give the best explanation of how me made up the date that I’ve seen so far and make an interesting reference:
Camping…came up with the very precise date of May 21 through a mathematical calculation that would probably crash Google’s computers. It involves, among other things, the dates of floods, the signals of numbers in the Bible, multiplication, addition and subtraction thereof. Camping describes his equations with absolute conviction.
“He seems to be the only one who understands the equation,” said Paul Boyer, a University of Wisconsin historian who studies apocalyptic beliefs. “But he has a very persuasive radio voice, and he preaches with absolute confidence, and there seems to be enough people that believe it all.”…
Boyer said End Timers who pick dates almost always make their prophecies in context with current events. In the 1800s, Miller relied on financial panics. To bolster his claim that “judgment days are coming,” Camping has mentioned the massive earthquakes in Chile, Haiti and Japan, as well as the recent tornadoes in the South. And to top that off, gay people are thriving.
The Miller they’re referencing is the end time’s prophet of the 1830s and 1840s, the man who set up the Great Disappointment for the few thousand followers who sold everything, quit their jobs, and let their crops rot in the field. When Christ didn’t return on October 22, 1844, many left the movement in shame, but a few stuck around long enough to form such groups as the Seventh-day Adventist Church and the Jehovah’s Witnesses. The didn’t admit to being wrong about the date, just the event.
The end will come sometime around 6 p.m. on May 21 — not 6 p.m. California time or New York time or Hong Kong time. The world will end at 6 p.m. only when it is 6 p.m. locally, Camping said, citing his calculations. “People will see this coming to them from around the world,” he said. “It will follow the sun around.”
The end won’t come on that date. Camping will admit to having something wrong, but not all of it. He’ll lose a lot of followers, but not all.
(Thanks to Wayne for the link)
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Is The End Nigh? We'll Know Soon Enough
http://www.npr.org/2011/05/07/136053462/is-the-end-nigh-well-know-soon-enough?ps=cprs
Here we go again… I cringe when the guy says that God has blessed them with the opportunity to quite their jobs. What blessings the almighty bestows!!
This is very disappointing to see. If only they would listen to us former SDA's. I've heard about this story before! And I bet they won't even come up with a good excuse like the SDA's did.
I ultimately feel sorry for those people. We got out – but others are still locked in to the machine and it is ruining the ONLY lives they will ever have.
Dustin – Have you gotten any sense how the SDA's are reacting? I noticed the date is on Saturday – could they be interpreting that as a sign?
Great Blog! Thanks for your work!
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It'll be interesting to see how closely this matches Miller after their disappointed. I haven't heard anything about reactions within the SDA church, but then again I don't have a lot of contact with current members. I'd imagine they're scoffing as much as anyone else, just going with the "No one knows the day or the hour" line.
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When I was down in Florida visiting my grandparents, a deacon (at the SDA church) made what I'm pretty sure was a reference to this May 21 stuff at the very end of the service. I really meant to ask about it.
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I would bet they are publicly scoffing while keeping a major eye on sky the that day. Privately thinking it may happen – while publicly acting like they have learned their lesson.
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Ah, well. If Camping's calculation was any good, Jehovah's Witnesses would have latched onto it. They haven't, so it's not.
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that there is no evidence for God. A lot of ateshits make this call. I have a belief and a faith in Jesus Christ. One reason I have it is because of the evidence not in spite of it. There is plenty of evidence for Christ’s existence.
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Ah, well. If Camping's calculation was any good, Jehovah's Witnesses would have latched onto it. They haven't, so it's not.
Permalink
Is The End Nigh? We'll Know Soon Enough
http://www.npr.org/2011/05/07/136053462/is-the-end-nigh-well-know-soon-enough?ps=cprs
Here we go again… I cringe when the guy says that God has blessed them with the opportunity to quite their jobs. What blessings the almighty bestows!!
This is very disappointing to see. If only they would listen to us former SDA's. I've heard about this story before! And I bet they won't even come up with a good excuse like the SDA's did.
I ultimately feel sorry for those people. We got out – but others are still locked in to the machine and it is ruining the ONLY lives they will ever have.
Dustin – Have you gotten any sense how the SDA's are reacting? I noticed the date is on Saturday – could they be interpreting that as a sign?
Great Blog! Thanks for your work!