rivendellrose | apocalypse-predicting twit figures out how time-zones work

Harold Camping, the twit who has been (once again) predicting the end of the world, this time for the 21st of this month (aka "tomorrow"), has finally figured out that if, as he originally said, the end days would begin at 6pm local time in each time zone starting on the west coast... that would mean it wouldn't get to most of the world until the 22nd. Oops!

But don't worry. He's figured it out now. The end of the world actually starts tonight!

Which is fine with me, as I always like to have a bit of a party during a supposed apocalypse, and we already had plans to go out with one of The Boy's friends and his wife this evening. Copper River salmon, here I come. ♥

And before anyone asks (not that I really think anyone would, but you never know...); no, I don't think the world will end tonight. Although I am starting to suspect that the beautiful sun Seattle has had the last few days is leaving us, and it may even rain. Which would suck, as I'm wearing a sundress and very non-waterproof flats. I don't believe the world will end in one big go, I don't believe in the rapture (although if I did, I would harbor a distinct suspicion that most of the people with "In case of Rapture, this car will be un-manned" bumper stickers will be stickin' it out with us heathens, because...), I don't believe in pretending to know the mind of God. If you believe in a god, that's just plain arrogant. And, for my money, not very smart - the universe loves to make people look stupid after they've made a big public statement of certainty.

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However, I heard that only the people who listen to the dude's radio program/believe only what HE says will be raptured. So the world's still gonna be quite full after the weekend.

...Seriously? Who does this guy think he is, talking like that?!

. . someone who's world is going to end, approximately Sunday, one way or another. I feel kinda sorry for the guy.

Oh, no it won't. He's done this before. He did it back in, what, 1994 or something like that. He now claims "that research was very preliminary." I can't decide if he's deluded or just a total con-man.

Con man, definitely. His marks, er, followers, otoh....

That's the thing that pisses me off the most about this kind of charlatanism. I mean, yeah, you and I and many of our friends are having a good laugh at the stupid, but there are people who take this shit seriously, people who have quit their jobs and sold off all their possessions because they genuinely believe this man speaks the truth. Worse, a friend who works in animal rescue reported yesterday that they've been called in to save a fair number of pets from owners who were planning on killing them rather than leave them homeless once the Rapture comes.

Worse, a friend who works in animal rescue reported yesterday that they've been called in to save a fair number of pets from owners who were planning on killing them rather than leave them homeless once the Rapture comes.

Oh, fuck that. I do genuinely feel terrible about the people who are quitting their jobs and clearing out their bank accounts and all that, but it is... unacceptable beyond thought to me, to think of people that deluded and callous. And I realize they don't think it's callous, but for god's sake, you do not kill your pets, ever. They're innocent. They're the ones a just god would be saving, you freaking morons.

See, but they think it's a kindness, and that they're doing the responsible thing by not leaving their animals behind to suffer.

What scares me is the potential this has for turning into another Jonestown-type thing, with someone deciding that the way to bring about the Rapture is by killing themselves and their families like that that group that committed mass suicide when the Hale-Bopp comet came 'round in the 90s. Or that believing parents will murder their non-believing children because, like the true believing pet owners, they think it would be a mercy.

That really is the worrying thing. I just... don't even know what to do with people who are that far off in their own mental worlds, honestly. Not okay is about as far as I can go with it. And for crying out loud, this guy has been wrong before! Why the hell would anybody put that kind of faith in a guy who's used exactly this line fifteen years ago and nothing happened? And I know he's got excuses - they always do - but he sure as hell wasn't saying then that the "research" was "preliminary." Bullshit. Absolute, dangerous, ill-spirited bullshit.

There's a lot of doomsday cults all the time who don't go offing themselves or anyone else. I hope this one turns out to be one of those.

Then there's This lovely example of parenting where the parents buy into it to the point of telling their (non-believing) children that they will get left behind.

Go family values!

There's a bunch of those. They keep throwing around the bit about Jesus telling people they had to love the church more than their family. Which made a lot of sense in the early church when they thought Jesus was going to show up any day. To me, it makes a bit less sense 2,000 years later.

And I don't think in either time that Jesus meant you should tell your kids they're going to hell if they don't believe the same random little nuances that you do. Somehow, I just doubt it.

Maybe he thinks he's God. I dunno. He's just a looney.

I wouldn't be surprised if he did think he's the 2nd coming. :P

apocalypse-predicting twit figures out how time-zones work

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