Adam

If he misses the calendar does that mean an time-independent species gets raptured?
John

And when THAT date comes, and the “world does not end” (except for those who have gone through a natural disaster recently-e.g. Joplin, MO, all of Alabama, and northern Japan!), does this mean, Mr. Camping will remove his head from his ass, and become an atheist?
Raven

John, that is the part that always amazes me. They don’t even question whether their god exists. They just assume they miscalculated.
PCE

I don’t think many here realize that Harold Camping was not accepted by a majority of Christians. It’s not like this is a blow to Christianity. It’s just some nutjob who tricked a lot of people. Christianity takes not hit from any of this.
ChristopherTK

Another weekend? Why not on a Monday instead?
Hugh Kramer

Darts, eh? I thought he just pulled them out of his arse.
Guy Mac

I find it funny that while he’s changed the year, decade, and now month… it’s always the 21st! What’s up w/ that?
James F. McGrath

Maybe we misheard him and this is what he has been talking about. 🙂
Richard Wade

PCE is right, Christianity as a whole is no more affected by this clown’s bumbling than an elephant is affected by a fly on its back. Con artists, nut cases and the combination of the two have come and gone for centuries, but the juggernaut keeps plowing right through civilization by its sheer mass.

I’d be very surprised if anyone at all actually becomes an atheist because of this latest failed doomsday. Maybe a few who were about to fall away anyway, but I doubt that anyone who was strong in their belief will walk away from it all. Another few might stop listening to end times charlatans, but they’ll keep their assumptions about the correctness of their basic religious beliefs.

The doomsday addicts will just go for whoever offers their next fix. Rationality has nothing to do with it. They are really into the drama, and the excitement, and the feeling of importance they think it gives them. Learning from painful experience has nothing to do with it. Gotta have that fix.
Amy

I think it’s awesome that he keeps predicting these on weekends – makes it easier to schedule parties!
Richard P.

I think it’s awesome that he keeps predicting these on weekends

He’s really a promotion expert for the beer companies.
MikeTheInfidel

PCE:

I don’t think many here realize that Harold Camping was not accepted by a majority of Christians. It’s not like this is a blow to Christianity. It’s just some nutjob who tricked a lot of people. Christianity takes not hit from any of this.

*cough*
Min

*cough*

So true. I think the big thing that a lot of Christians don’t realize is that from their perspective, this is a guy who shares a lot of their beliefs but has an additional crazy one… but from a non-Christian’s perspective, they already have N crazy beliefs, this guy just has N+1.
Blacksheep

So true. I think the big thing that a lot of Christians don’t realize is that from their perspective, this is a guy who shares a lot of their beliefs but has an additional crazy one… but from a non-Christian’s perspective, they already have N crazy beliefs, this guy just has N+1

Camping holds many beliefs that are inconsistent with every Christian that I know, and not just about end times. In particular, his doctrine that salvation is an ever-tenuous condition that we can never be sure of and can only hope for. He believes that acknowledging Christ as one’s lord and savior is futile because even that falls under the category of “salvation through works and not faith.” (And that even faith cannot exist unless one is already saved0.
This is in opposition to the belief that most Christians adhere to which is that anyone who chooses to have faith in and follow Christ is assured of their salvation.
Jeff P

@Blacksheep,

so it should be N+3 or perhaps N+4?

What do you think N would be? What is the sum total of things in the bible (and not in the bible) that both Camping and the typical Christian agree on pertaining to Christianity. Could be quite large.
Blacksheep

Good question… I’ll think about it today during the less intersting job of working.
Blacksheep

Jeff P,

One quick thought: to me, the typical Christian disagrees with camping almost 100% on the single most important aspect of Christianity, which is literally what it means and takes to “be a Christian.”

And since without that the rest does not even matter, I would say that Camping is N x 0, which equals 0. In other words, his misunderstanding of the crux of Christianity cancels out everything else and distorts the true meaning of everything else.

On chapters and verses, he’s like an encyclopedia.
Marguerite

Here’s a very dismaying article on the tragic consequences of Camping’s “prophecy”:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/20110524/sc_livescience/faileddoomsdayhasrealdeadlyconsequences
ACN

Camping holds many beliefs that are inconsistent with every Christian that I know, and not just about end times. In particular, his doctrine that salvation is an ever-tenuous condition that we can never be sure of and can only hope for. He believes that acknowledging Christ as one’s lord and savior is futile because even that falls under the category of “salvation through works and not faith.” (And that even faith cannot exist unless one is already saved0.

This sounds like a John Calvin-esque predestination guy. Don’t get me wrong, I despise John Calvin’s philosophy and find it muddle headed and predicated on ludicrous premises. But Calvin’s position on predestination is considered mainstream in presbyterian, baptist, and other denominations of christians. I don’t think it’s reasonable on this basis to say that he misunderstands the crux of christianity.
Jeff P

@Blacksheep,

Its been my experience that most Christians don’t really know what they believe. Al they agree on is that they consider themselves Christians and like being part of that in-group. Also, most people I know consider the typical Christian to be just like them. So therefore, anyone that has different beliefs, is not a typical Christian. By that definition, Camping is not a typical Christian. Although, if you were to articulate your specific beliefs, few may consider you as a typical Christian. 🙂
Jeff

@Jeff P: Al they agree on is that they consider themselves Christians and like being part of that in-group. Also, most people I know consider the typical Christian to be just like them. So therefore, anyone that has different beliefs, is not a typical Christian.

Bingo.

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