The Rapture Didn’t Happen… Now What?

Now that we know the Rapture didn’t happen, what’s the right response?

Perhaps everyone who donated money to Family Radio (Harold Camping’s $120,000,000 organization) because of the “impending Rapture” can sue.
… if you donated money to Harold Camping to “spread the word,” or took your money to buy one of those billboards advertising his stations, then I suggest you call a lawyer Monday morning and sue the Hell out of Harold Camping. This is fraud and deception pure and simple, and he fraudulently got all of you to pay to advertise his radio stations. Maybe a few of you out there might end up owning some of those stations yourself.

This man tried it back in 1994, and this time he’s been successful with his con. Don’t let him get away with it. Seek restitution and damages from this trickster.

(via God Discussion)

You can try and comfort the gullible people who bought into the scam:
Some struck a more serious tone, including a group from the Calvary Bible Church in nearby Milpitas, which planned a 10 a.m. service Sunday to comfort believers of Mr. Camping’s preaching.

“We are here because we care about these people,” said James Bynum, a church deacon. “It’s easy to mock them. But you can go kick puppies, too. But why?”

Mocking is easy. But there is a point to be made about people who base their beliefs on what the Bible says. Most Christians weren’t buying into Camping’s lie and they were embarrassed this guy was on their side, but they have crazy beliefs of their own. Let’s keep the fire under their feet:
Us: Did you believe the Rapture was going to happen yesterday?

Them: No, of course not! [Laughs]

Us: Do you think Jesus is ever coming back?

Them: Umm…

Or try a variation…
Us: Did you believe the Rapture was going to happen yesterday?

Them: No, of course not! [Laughs]

Us: Don’t you believe in Heaven and Hell…?

Them: Umm…

Wait for Camping to offer an explanation as to why the Rapture didn’t happen. John Walkenbach offers this draft:
“Once again, God has demonstrated that he is all-powerful, and has complete dominion over heaven and earth. We are sinners, and cannot predict how God will react to our sins. God chose to cancel the Rapture and allow us more time to seek eternal salvation. And for that reason my faith is stronger than ever.”

Got any other suggestions?

longstreet63

Pack away all of our Rapture supplies so they’ll be ready for The Mayan Apocalypse in 2012?
Ali-cat

Perhaps Camping will claim that the rapture did happen, but no one was worthy.
AxeGrrl

All I can say is……watch this 🙂

‘After The Rapture’

It really does make one almost ‘disappointed’ 🙂
carcharodon

We are sinners, and cannot predict how God will react to our sins. God chose to cancel the Rapture and allow us more time to seek eternal salvation.

That’s not a good explanation. If you cannot predict it then why did you do it in the first place? It’s like eating junkfood, knowing that it’s unhealthy, then saying “Junkfood makes me sick. Now I am sick so I will live more healthily.”

That’s irresponsible.
Lol mahmood

Well, Camping cheerfully concedes that he just got his sums wrong regarding 1994; presumably he’ll do the same this time.
Miko

I doubt such lawsuits would be successful. The closest parallel I can think of is investors in a stock that decreased in value suing a CEO who said a company had good prospects, and the vast majority of the case law in that area suggests that the statement of an overly optimistic opinion doesn’t normally constitute fraud, even if it leads investors to lose money.
Canadian Atheist, eh!

Actually, nothing’s changed. Let’s just get on with our lives — countering nonsense like this when we see it and otherwise trying to have a good day today, tomorrow and yesterday.
Mr Z

The response I have is the same I’ve always had. If you believe but think Camping is a whacko, then why were you not saying so.. loudly? How can I tell the difference between crazy delusional believers and the not delusional ones?

What do you base the belief that he was wrong about the date but right about the event? Everyone interprets the same book, so how do you know that YOUR interpretation is correct? Camping thought his was. If no one can agree on how to interpret the book, how can ANY of them be right? How would you know the right interpretation?

For a book of truth, why are there so many versions of it?

Oh, yes, he used the OT for his date calculations and so you’re a NT Christian. I see. So what about those 10 commandments? Ahh, so you pick and choose what to believe then? How does that work? Aren’t you just creating your own religion? Your own truth? Is that what your god wants you to do?

Me, I just have them justify their existence into magic fairy dust. 3 days ago someone at work mentioned that looking at the world, they just can’t believe it’s an accident. I asked these questions:

Your statement implies that you know for certain one or more of the following answers:

What does an accidental universe look like?

To know this is not one, you would have to either A) know what all possible accidental universes look like or B) have actual proof this one was created. So, why does that tree over there, or the rock, or the grass not look like the product of millions of years of evolutionary development? How do you know that is NOT what an accident can look like?

Inside 90 seconds I got the “well, that’s why we call it faith” answer. And we left it with “So you believe because you want to, not because you have examined the evidence and drawn logical conclusions?” two shoulder shrugs and convo over.

Camping simply gives us many more wedges to push into that crack. When we get all believers to state they believe in spite of never having looked at any evidence, it’s game over. This argument is surprisingly easy to effect too.
pjb863

So now they’re going to wait until the next “rapture.” Give it a few years – it’s certain to happen. And just like the last gazillion of them throughout history, the next will will be just as bogus.

Isn’t the definition of insanity doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result? Some half-baked religious nut will predict another rapture, whatever that is – it’s not really defined anywhere, even in their bible. A group of gullible idiots will buy into the drivel spouted by the half-baked, give up all their worldly possessions, real estate, stocks and bonds, etc. and there will be no “rapture.” They will still be earthbound, minus their wealth, and wondering why they weren’t taken body and soul into the great beyond. And the “half-baked” person will make a trip to the earth-bound bank, and fade into obscurity, albeit much wealthier, never having to worry about another thing again.

Just more candidates for the Darwin Awards, as far as I’m concerned.
chad

i have to laugh at this first of all i wasnt worried this would happen and second of all these people who believed in this and invested in this guys prediction lets just hope you pray to god you get your money back. and if you were worried about this dont let some guy ruin your weekend about this people have been predicting these kinds of things for years! so live your life and get out and do something once in awhile dont stress about this kind of nonsense.
Alien

FOOLS! The Rapture did happen! Everyone who was worthy was taken away today! NO ONE was worthy… that is why all looks the same. PREPARE YE THE WAY FOR THE END OF THE WORLD!
Larry Meredith

Now back to your regularly scheduled programming…
Casey

Someone please lock this guy up with Madoff.
GigiAUT

I can’t stop laughing. That “go kick puppies” quote almost killed me. omg!
chicago dyke

i have a puppy. the reason i don’t kick him? because he’s not trying to stone me to death just because the people i love share my shape of genitals, or take away my civil rights, or impose his religious beliefs on me and everyone else, or telling me that my science and education are worthless and should be mandatorily replaced with mythology. but you freaks? yeah, i’m happy to “kick” you by leaving a mocking comment on an internet website.

jeebus you believers are some weak, insecure whining little children. get over yourselves, already.
Renny

According to his website it’s still May 21st in some parts of the world! I make that an hour and 45mins as of now. Its always the same when you organise a big event, all those last minute problems!
Kerrie

I bet there will be another rapture brouhaha after a few more social conservative barriers fall. Like when gay marriage finally becomes a federal law, not just a state thing. But I think for now the end of the world is up to the Mayans.
hoverfrog

OK, it didn’t happen. What’s the next plan for getting rid of all these crazy believers?
Ex Patriot

The earth will come to a end in the far future when the sun goes red giant and destroys the inner planets, this has nothing to do with some mythical sky daddy at all. Many things can happen between now and then such as a giant asteroid or comet strike which would also do the job. One last comment, all religion is based on mythology and poisons everything it touches
Steve

Long before the sun bloats, Earth’s surface temperature will have risen too high for liquid water, let alone sustainable life.

But mankind will probably have killed itself off way before that. Earth’s destruction is maybe 3-5 billion years in the future. I can’t see us lasting a few million years. And if it’s only because we will have depleted all natural resources in a couple hundred or thousand years.
Jewel

I feel bad for the people Camping managed to convince that his delusions were true. For Camping, however, I feel nothing but contempt.

As to what I am going to do since the rapture didn’t happen… well it is my birthday, so I’ll probably eat some cake or something.
Laffin

Anybody heard from Camping since the Rapture Fizzle?
Jeff P

@Alien,

Its true that no-one can prove that the Rapture didn’t happen yesterday. Religion is funny like that.

It also can’t be proven that the following didn’t happen. Perhaps Camping will take this angle.

The Rapture happened and all professing Christians went to heaven. The entrance to Heaven has the sign “You’re entering here because you professed belief in Jesus. You stay here by living up to the expectations of Jesus.” A day in heaven is like a millisecond on Earth. Within that first heavenly day, ALL the Christians failed to live up to Jesus’ expectations and were sent back to Earth. From the “left-behind” perspective, we didn’t even notice that they were gone.
JB

It is possible to offer condolences to the disappointed who were convinced of an impending reward which did not come, but how do we comfort the successful suicides? How do we comfort those who lost loved ones?

The day chosen may have been only a coincidence, but I can see how the fuss might have had influence. His body lies braindead in the hospital. What would the Raptsures[sic] say? Was his soul taken and the body accidentally left behind? Was he relieved of his despair by a loving god who raised his spirit to another plane?

And how many others have spent everything or given it all away because they were convinced they wouldn’t need worldly goods after today? How many trashed their relationships with loved ones who thought they were misguided? How many behaved hatefully against those they believed must be sinners because they didn’t take this seriously?

There is much more harm in this fraud than merely taking donations from the gullible.
kitsunerei88

Re: Suing for losses

You can’t sue under fraud because you would need to show that Camping knew he was wrong and intentionally said these things anyway for the purpose of getting money.

You’d have a stronger claim under negligent misrepresentation or misrepresentation. In Canada, these wouldn’t work either – you’d need the reliance on the misrepresentation to be reasonable, and in this case it isn’t because it seems the majority of Americans didn’t rely on it and thought it was false to begin with. However, whether there actually is a claim down there depends on the rules surrounding misrepresentation now – I only studied Glanzer v. Shepard in terms of American misrepresentation laws, and that dates from 1922.

The law can’t protect you from your own stupidity. It’s unlikely that suing would succeed.
Ryan

My friend’s theory was that Camping would go into hiding and then his followers would claim that he must have been the only true Christian.

For others of us, I do think it is really important to comfort our gullible friends. In previous cases like this there have been a lot of suicides right after so if you know somebody, please check on them.
Jeff P

I made a comic for my alternative Rapture version. Click here
Grayson

Everyone’s beliefs are similarly important. Most of you took the fact that this was just another wacko zeolot ranting and raving, and left it at that. Then, some of you decided to post pieces of conversations of how you like to torment “believers”, prove them wrong, or otherwise embarrass them. What is the point in this? I don’t claim to have every scrap of knowledge in the universe. I’ll admit that my sensible side says that God simply cannot exist, but my heart needs him to.

Let’s also forget that Christians are not the only people who believe that the world will come to an end. Other, crazier people have gone to far more extreme lengths to bring “salvation” to their flock. I think its time to let go of the war against Christians. And I’m sure ill get someone saying that “we don’t have a war against them, its all religions, organized or otherwise.”. That’s garbage. Anyone with a set of ears and eyes will attest that the two are at odds. How often do you see an atheist having a conversation with a Buddhist about how their religion is rubbish? Any other religion? Never.

The fact of the matter is, while I don’t believe in God, I do believe the lessons taught by him are pretty good rules to live by. Criticising someone else’s beliefs won’t make you better than anyone else. They won’t make you more right. How will a Christian’s beliefs hurt, hinder, or otherwise effect you?

To be intolerant of a Christian’s beliefs would to the same as telling an African American that’s its “wrong to drink from the white’s fountain”. Anyone with half a brain will tell you that in today’s world, racism is just wrong, because intolerance is stupid. It’s just a skin color. Or its just a sexuality choice, or whatever. So what gives anyone the right to hurl hate at Christians instead of Blacks, Asians, or whoever?

Also, Chicago, are the religious nuts who “force their beliefs” on you not the same as the atheists who stand on the street corners and on highway off ramps holding signs that say “Man created God”? I’ve met a few pushy religious individuals in my time. But the same goes for your group. And just like most atheists, most Mormons who show up at my door will leave when asked. And the same goes for 95% of any other religious believer I’ve ever talked to. I think its safe to say that both sides of the table have their crazies. Atheists just like to think their number of nuts is smaller. It isn’t. You aren’t better than anyone, and you aren’t going to prove anything to a real believer with your attitude. You will come across as another person who prayed for something, didn’t get it, and now, you’ve ended up as an A-hole. Congratulations. Sounds like your the weak one…

Atleast most religions believe in equality. I’ve yet to meet an atheist who didn’t believe they were above someone else for holding onto something that, while immaterial, can mean more to them than anything else in the world.

As for others here, many have stated exactly the right thing. Camping’s apocalypse didn’t occur. It was a fizzle. But in the end, I didn’t see anyone complaining about how they sent in money and Jesus didn’t give them a receipt. Let’s just leave it at that.
Steve

How will a Christian’s beliefs hurt, hinder, or otherwise effect you?

Are you kidding? They aren’t just beliefs that exist in a vacuum. If that were the case, I could agree that it’s a nice academic discussion that’s ultimately inconsequential. But beliefs result in actions. Particularly in Christianity and Islam which command adherents to be public about it, convert and/or kill others (or at least they interpret it as such).

Religion harms untold millions of people every single day. People who are scammed out of many by con-artists like this. Unbelievers and doubters who are forced to adapt by social pressure. Unbelievers who don’t buy into the religious dogma, but are forced to abide by parts of it because it’s enshrined into supposedly secular laws. Women who are oppressed by religious law and customs – e.g. in society, in marriage or through denial of health care. Sexual minorities who are denied basic human rights and dignities or even their lives. Children who are emotionally abused with religious indoctrinations and threatened with hellfire for not behaving. Children who are denied a proper education in favor of religion. Children who grow up in fundamentalist households and can take years to overcome the psychological trauma they suffered. Mildly differing sects like Protestants or Shiites who are killed in centuries of senseless sectarian violence.

The list goes on and on and on.

The reason Christianity is criticized here is simply because it’s the dominant believe in the western world. The same general arguments against deities apply to any other god, but if 90% of people here believed in Islam, we’d mostly criticize that.
The reason Buddhism doesn’t get slammed much is because in most forms it’s fairly benign religion. Even atheistic in some cases. If more religions were like it, we wouldn’t have these problems.
elsie

Religion harms untold millions of people every single day.

Religion doesn’t hurt people, the believers do. The only thing you did with that paragraph was prove Grayson right. Atheists are no better than anyone else, including those who have a religion. Just because the crazy people have the most voice, not every one believes that.

because he’s not trying to stone me to death just because the people i love share my shape of genitals, or take away my civil rights, or impose his religious beliefs on me and everyone else, or telling me that my science and education are worthless and should be mandatorily replaced with mythology. but you freaks? yeah, i’m happy to “kick” you by leaving a mocking comment on an internet website.

jeebus you believers are some weak, insecure whining little children. get over yourselves, already.

You are a horrible person. I’m not Christian myself,I’m Wiccan. I have never once shoved my religion down ANYONE’S throat. I believe that everyone and everything is beautiful, no matter what. I don’t give a flying flip if you’re gay or not. But I do resent you for that comment. I’m guessing that more Christians hate me than they hate you. Did you know that the Presbyterian Church just voted to allow gay ministers? You probably didn’t.
AxeGrrl

Grayson wrote:

To be intolerant of a Christian’s beliefs would to the same as telling an African American that’s its “wrong to drink from the white’s fountain”.

No, it’s not.

I don’t mean to be unkind, but if you really don’t understand why it’s not the same, then you perhaps need to take a course in critical thinking or something.
AxeGrrl

Grayson wroe:

I’ve yet to meet an atheist who didn’t believe they were above someone else for holding onto something that, while immaterial, can mean more to them than anything else in the world.

*extending hand*

Congratulations, you’ve just met one.

(and I know I’m not alone here)
Steve

Religion makes otherwise decent people do horrible things. Religion gives people an excuse to do horrible things and get away with it. Either morally or even legally.

So yeah, without religion many of these cruelties wouldn’t happen. That doesn’t mean religion is the only cause for all the bad things in the world. But it’s a major source of it.
Susi

Wouldn’t it be a hoot to see this become a reality! To date, there are 2,229 people who would like to see a class action lawsuit happen.
Jeff P

If Christians (at least in the United States) just kept their beliefs to themselves and stopped trying to codify their beliefs in laws that effect non-Christians, then this website would loose traffic and Hemant would probably not bother to renew the domain name. I look forward to that day.
Tom

I was doing an “End of the World Report” on my Facebook yesterday. I ended with this:

End of the World Report: This concludes the “End of the World Report”. We will reconvene on December 21, 2012. When I’M SURE (not so much) that the world will REALLY end. Oh, those silly Christians. It’s the MAYANS who know what’s up! This ends this broadcast of the “End of the World Report”. We now return you to less absurd things.
Anice Wayberry

There’s a great short film that addresses this “end of the world” neurosis, it’s called “Take Me 2012” and it’s pretty hilarious!
Scruffy

Clearly Mohamed was the prophet and the bible only a distortion of Allah’s message. Right?

Science and Reason are the only reliable sources of knowledge.
Joanne

Dear Carcharodon,
God is a miracle you will wait for the rest of your life.

~Jeff Mangum
Joanne

More people have been killed in the name of religion than all the diseases and all the natural diasters in the history of mankind. More misery, intolerance and vitriol have been distributed in the name of being in god’s favor than any political system, any philosphy, any school of thought. Any person who uses one book, one source of reference to determine the course of their entire life, who disarms himself of the power of free will and free thought in the name of something “larger” is a danger to all of us.
ckitching

I’ve yet to meet an atheist who didn’t believe they were above someone else for holding onto something that, while immaterial, can mean more to them than anything else in the world.

Well, the important thing is that you’ve found a way to feel superior to both.
Mrs. Kaur

Wow.
An athiest is NOT above anyone else. Neither am I.
I did not expect athiests to be so intolerant. I am frankly surprised.

I do not agree that religions are responsible for the most deaths….governments are.

I am a Sikh. Sikhism was born out of intolerance. All are equal in Gurdwara. Men, women,gay,straight, hindu, etc.

Think outside the box.
Domovix

And what morals do most governments run off of?
It makes my blood boil when governments try to make new laws based on their religious beliefs (i.e. banning homosexual marriage).
People have a right to their religion, and shouldn’t have to obey laws based on someone else’s.
Jess

Religion is what makes me think about suicide while I’m laying in bed at night. its sick.