Anyone want to weigh in on the whole Rapture Fail?

kaesha · May 2011

I've gotta be honest, the whole thing is just amazing to me. On the one hand, it's awful that there are people who gave up everything banking on the fact that a) the rapture would happen and b) they'd be getting picked (that always cracks me up most about the bible and the numbers game). On the other hand, these people were willing participants in the lunacy. I havre a hard time feeling sorry for that. Any thoughts?

raynes · May 2011

It was all a giant pile of dog turd, IMO. Maybe it's because I'm not at all religious, but I have a hard time taking anyone seriously who took that whole business seriously.

Regretsy held a fun contest though.

snoopy3319 · May 2011

I thought it was funny, and I think it's even better that they've now given it an alternative date. I'm not at all religious, either, so I generally don't pay too much attention.

crystaljkbj · May 2011

kaesha- You said exactly how I feel about it.

Part of me wants to feel bad for the people but part of me wants to laugh.

futuremrsofficer · May 2011

crystaljkbj:
kaesha- You said exactly how I feel about it.

Part of me wants to feel bad for the people but part of me wants to laugh.

This is exactly, actually on the day before said rapture was suppose to happen I was sitting outside enjoying a beer and a plane flew overhead with a banner that said "the end is near"

ChicaCocodrilo · May 2011

Well, IMHO, someecards had the best explanation as to why it didn't happen:

Seriously, though, I agree with you, Kaesha. Amazed that so many would bank on the prophecies of a man who has predicted this before and has been wrong before. I don't wonder at spirituality or religious devotion (many find comfort in that and I understand it if not find it myself), but I do wonder what drives the mind when it comes to believing people like Camping.

abarber340 · May 2011

I mostly want to laugh at anyone who was dumb enough to buy in to all of that crap. I'm by no means religious so I tried to ignore it, but even my brother who is very religious thought it was dumb since the Bible states that no one will know the hour or the day.

kaesha · May 2011

snoopy3319:
I thought it was funny, and I think it's even better that they've now given it an alternative date. I'm not at all religious, either, so I generally don't pay too much attention.

FWIW (and I don't think that's much), it's not a new date. The rapture is supposed to be the bodily ascention into heaven of the x number of people who god has predetermined to be saved; the apocalypse is the end of the world. Apparently Camping is saying that the rapture did happen, just not physically, but spiritually (snort) and that the apocalypse is going to go ahead as originally scheduled.

I love how, when faced by pure, blinding logic, cognitive dissonance reigns supreme. Ridiculous.

eouellet · May 2011

I don't think it's funny, I just feel very sad by the people who were duped into giving up their life savings for this. Even though I personally have a hard time understanding how people could be sucked into these types of schemes, it happens ALLLL the time. It's not that much different from what a lot of televangelists do - and I find it manipulative and predatory.

NeptoonGrl1 · May 2011

kaesha:
snoopy3319:
I thought it was funny, and I think it's even better that they've now given it an alternative date. I'm not at all religious, either, so I generally don't pay too much attention.
FWIW (and I don't think that's much), it's not a new date. The rapture is supposed to be the bodily ascention into heaven of the x number of people who god has predetermined to be saved; the apocalypse is the end of the world. Apparently Camping is saying that the rapture did happen, just not physically, but spiritually (snort) and that the apocalypse is going to go ahead as originally scheduled.

I'm confused. I heard on NPR this morning that they are now predicting fall--he said he was 6 months off or something to this effect.

I haven't really given it much thought or paid too much attention, but it was the subject of some jokes among friends over the weekend.

kaesha · May 2011

He's been predicting the end of the world in the Fall since the beginning - I think several media outlets have been confusing the two concepts though (rapture and apocalypse). The rapture has never been the same thing as doomsday. But, you know, it's very silly anyway. I think it's important to separate the two ideas, because it shows the way he's rephrasing how the rapture is supposed to (if you believe in that kind of thing) work. I think it's fascinating that he believes that it actually did happen.

Frankly, the only reason this stuck in my mind is because we were making jokes about it all weekend (my Mum disappearing and the rest of us stuck around until Octover) before Saturday rolled around, so I know the October date had always been around. Stick out tongue

Auguri · May 2011

eouellet:
I don't think it's funny, I just feel very sad by the people who were duped into giving up their life savings for this. Even though I personally have a hard time understanding how people could be sucked into these types of schemes, it happens ALLLL the time. It's not that much different from what a lot of televangelists do - and I find it manipulative and predatory.

I agree. I don't understand it at all, and I realize that it sounds ridiculous to the rest of us, but I feel for some of these people. I'm pretty sure the believers didn't give up their life savings so they could make the headlines of CNN or become the butt of people's jokes. I think there is something deep rooted in these individuals that make them vulnerable to these types of scams. It is sad. I hope that they eventually find the peace they are looking for, and don't fall prey to more con artists or scammers.

kaesha · May 2011

Out of curiosity, what makes you think it's a scam? If Harold Camping genuinely believes in what he's saying, does that make a difference?

Have you read about When Prophecy Fails which is about this housewife in the 1950s who was convinced about an alien based end-of-the-world? My husband was telling me about it over the weekend. I think it's totally fascinating stuff!

eouellet · May 2011

kaesha:
Out of curiosity, what makes you think it's a scam? If Harold Camping genuinely believes in what he's saying, does that make a difference?
Have you read about When Prophecy Fails which is about this housewife in the 1950s who was convinced about an alien based end-of-the-world? My husband was telling me about it over the weekend. I think it's totally fascinating stuff!

Even if he does believe it's true, it doesn't mean he's not profiting off the tax-free donations his followers have pledged to his campaign. Many evangelists - Camping included - are multi-millionaires, and the people who happily write them checks are often easily-influenced, and even mentally ill, people who can't afford to do so.

Auguri · May 2011

eouellet:
kaesha:
Out of curiosity, what makes you think it's a scam? If Harold Camping genuinely believes in what he's saying, does that make a difference?
Have you read about When Prophecy Fails which is about this housewife in the 1950s who was convinced about an alien based end-of-the-world? My husband was telling me about it over the weekend. I think it's totally fascinating stuff!
Even if he does believe it's true, it doesn't mean he's not profiting off the tax-free donations his followers have pledged to his campaign. Many evangelists - Camping included - are multi-millionaires, and the people who happily write them checks are often easily-influenced, and even mentally ill, people who can't afford to do so.

Perhaps scam isn't the best word to describe this situation, but I don't think it is too far off. While I think he does believe in the rapture, he seems to have profited from his "followers/believers". Maybe not in the "Jim and Tammy Faye way", but he isn't living a life of poverty and selfless service to those less fortunate. It always amazes me when I see the Televangelists out there who live lives of absolute luxury paid for by those that follow and believe what they preach. I think most start out with true belief and faith, but it eventually takes on a life of its own. Would they really spend their lives spreading "the word of God" if they didn't personally profit from it?

It is really hard for me to understand the whole situation and see how anyone could believe in this, but I'm also not desperate for answers or hope. The people that simply want to find peace or salvation or something they can believe in are the ones I feel sorry for. Maybe I'm wrong, but I feel sad for the people who had faith and were let down. I'm not sad the rapture didn't come, but I have a feeling that this isn't the first time that these peoples' faith and beliefs have failed them.

Soon2BMrsSikes · May 2011

I think it's ridiculous and I don't feel bad for these people. Even if these people truly believed the rapture was happening this past weekend, they didn't have to give up their life savings, etc. If you are a Christian and you believe that the rapture will happen at some point and that you will be taken at that point, you really shouldn't be doing anything differently. If you start to change your life because the rapture is happening in x number of days, then you probably weren't going anywhere anyway.

kaesha · May 2011

I have nothing but sympathy for anyone who sent money/ gave up their lives if they weren't capable of understanding the consequences of what they were doing. It's the ones who are capable of understanding that worry me.

Not that I've ever had to do it to such a huge extent (Santa not being real is about as close as I get), but I imagine it's very scary to realize that something you believed in isn't real - that the way you construct your world is built on a faulty premise... That's probably one of the reasons I think this story is so interesting. I wonder how many will be able to make that adjustment. That seems to be the danger area where people will lash out violently. Sad

Anyone want to weigh in on the whole Rapture Fail?

Re: Anyone want to weigh in on the whole Rapture Fail?

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