By GARANCE BURKE, Associated Press Garance Burke, Associated Press – Tue May 24, 3:56 am ET
OAKLAND, Calif. – A California preacher who foretold of the world's end only to see the appointed day pass with no extraordinarily cataclysmic event has revised his apocalyptic prophecy, saying he was off by five months and the Earth actually will be obliterated on Oct. 21.
Harold Camping, who predicted that 200 million Christians would be taken to heaven Saturday before catastrophe struck the planet, apologized Monday evening for not having the dates "worked out as accurately as I could have."
He spoke to the media at the Oakland headquarters of his Family Radio International, which spent millions of dollars_ some of it from donations made by followers — on more than 5,000 billboards and 20 RVs plastered with the Judgment Day message.
It was not the first time Camping was forced to explain when his prediction didn't come to pass. The 89-year-old retired civil engineer also prophesied the Apocalypse would come in 1994, but said later that didn't happen then because of a mathematical error.
Through chatting with a friend over what he acknowledged was a very difficult weekend, it dawned on him that instead of the biblical Rapture in which the faithful would be swept up to the heavens, May 21 had instead been a "spiritual" Judgment Day, which places the entire world under Christ's judgment, he said.
The globe will be completely destroyed in five months, he said, when the apocalypse comes. But because God's judgment and salvation were completed on Saturday, there's no point in continuing to warn people about it, so his network will now just play Christian music and programs until the final end on Oct. 21.
"We've always said May 21 was the day, but we didn't understand altogether the spiritual meaning," he said. "The fact is there is only one kind of people who will ascend into heaven ... if God has saved them they're going to be caught up."
Josh Ocasion, who works the teleprompter during Camping's live broadcasts in the group's threadbare studio sandwiched between an auto shop and a palm reader's business, said he enjoyed the production work but never fully believed the May 21 prophecy would come true.
"I thought he would show some more human decency in admitting he made a mistake," he said Monday. "We didn't really see that."
Follower Jeff Hopkins said he spent a good deal of his own retirement savings on gas money to power his car so people would see its ominous lighted sign showcasing Camping's May 21 warning. As the appointed day drew nearer, Hopkins started making the 100-mile round trip from Long Island to New York City twice a day, spending at least $15 on gas each trip.
"I've been mocked and scoffed and cursed at and I've been through a lot with this lighted sign on top of my car," said Hopkins, 52, a former television producer who lives in Great River, NY. "I was doing what I've been instructed to do through the Bible, but now I've been stymied. It's like getting slapped in the face."
Camping's hands shook slightly as he pinned his microphone to his lapel, and as he clutched a worn Bible he spoke in a quivery monotone about some listeners' earthly concerns after giving away possessions in expectation of the Rapture.
Family Radio would never tell anyone what they should do with their belongings, and those who had fewer would cope, Camping said.
"We're not in the business of financial advice," he said. "We're in the business of telling people there's someone who you can maybe talk to, maybe pray to, and that's God."
But he also said that he wouldn't give away all his possessions ahead of Oct 21.
"I still have to live in a house, I still have to drive a car," he said. "What would be the value of that? If it is Judgment Day why would I give it away?"
Apocalyptic thinking has always been part of American religious life and popular culture. Teachings about the end of the world vary dramatically — even within faith traditions — about how they will occur.
Still, the overwhelming majority of Christians reject the idea that the exact date or time of Jesus' return can be predicted.
Tim LaHaye, co-author of the best-selling "Left Behind" novels about the end times, recently called Camping's prediction "not only bizarre but 100 percent wrong!" He cited the Bible verse Matthew 24:36, "but about that day or hour no one knows" except God.
Camping offered no clues about Family Radio's finances Monday, saying he could not estimate how much had been spent advertising his prediction nor how much money the nonprofit had taken in as a result. In 2009, the nonprofit reported in IRS filings that it received $18.3 million in donations, and had assets of more than $104 million, including $34 million in stocks or other publicly traded securities.
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11:33 AM
PFF
System Bot
jimbolaya Member
Posts: 10652 From: Virginia Beach, Virginia Registered: Feb 2007
Seeing that this guy was a retired civil engineer, and now knowing that he has a history of getting his calculations wrong, maybe someone should go back and do a double-check on some of his work.
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11:48 AM
Fformula88 Member
Posts: 7891 From: Buffalo, NY Registered: Mar 2000
Why do they keep equating rapture with the end of the world? Even if it were to happen, the rapture doesn't mean the world comes to an end on that day.
By GARANCE BURKE, Associated Press Garance Burke, Associated Press – Tue May 24, 3:56 am ET
Harold Camping, who predicted that 200 million Christians would be taken to heaven Saturday before catastrophe struck the planet, apologized Monday evening for not having the dates "worked out as accurately as I could have." It was not the first time Camping was forced to explain when his prediction didn't come to pass. The 89-year-old retired civil engineer also prophesied the Apocalypse would come in 1994, but said later that didn't happen then because of a mathematical error.
Apology not excepted: The scriptures alone indicate that Harold Camping is a false prophet and is misleading. If Jesus Christ doesn't know the hour-how on earth would man? Also, what about the dozen of things mentioned in the Bible that must take place FIRST before the end shall come? The 89-year old civil engineer should go back to working on engineering.
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12:49 PM
NEPTUNE Member
Posts: 10199 From: Ticlaw FL, and some other places. Registered: Aug 2001
As soon as I heard that the end was nigh, I prayed and prayed about this. God told me that the preacher (Camping) pizzed him off, so he gave him bad information...... At least thats what I BELIEVE God said. Then He told me that the REAL Rapture will occur on or about January 15, 2012. God is kind of iffy about dates and times, because He doesn't wear a watch, and he's so busy deciding the outcome of football, baseball, and NASCAR games and such that he sometimes forgets dates. After all, He's only human. But thats what God told ME, so I believe it, and God said it, and you can go pound sand if you disagree.
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01:00 PM
Marvin McInnis Member
Posts: 11599 From: ~ Kansas City, USA Registered: Apr 2002
Camping offered no clues about Family Radio's finances Monday, saying he could not estimate how much had been spent advertising his prediction nor how much money the nonprofit had taken in as a result. In 2009, the nonprofit reported in IRS filings that it received $18.3 million in donations, and had assets of more than $104 million, including $34 million in stocks or other publicly traded securities.
That's all we need to know. Did someone say "Charlatan?"
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01:11 PM
jimbolaya Member
Posts: 10652 From: Virginia Beach, Virginia Registered: Feb 2007
Dozens, if not hundreds, of Christian sects started off with someone saying just this.
So you're implying that I'm starting a sect? OK, everybody line up. I'm starting a sect based on religion and political threads. Jazzman, no need to worry cuz you stay out of those type threads. I don't even know where you coming from with a remark like that. I've intentionally stayed out of these rapture threads because I just didn't feel the need to get involved, but I felt it important as someone who professes Christianity to at least state that this Harold Camping guy is way off base, and I get that. Wow. Please tell me I misunderstand your intent.
Jim
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01:11 PM
jimbolaya Member
Posts: 10652 From: Virginia Beach, Virginia Registered: Feb 2007
So you're implying that I'm starting a sect? OK, everybody line up. I'm starting a sect based on religion and political threads. Jazzman, no need to worry cuz you stay out of those type threads. I don't even know where you coming from with a remark like that. I've intentionally stayed out of these rapture threads because I just didn't feel the need to get involved, but I felt it important as someone who professes Christianity to at least state that this Harold Camping guy is way off base, and I get that. Wow. Please tell me I misunderstand your intent.
Jim
I didn't read it that way. (But then I am a bit naive at times.)
I just got that there are all sorts of different flavors of Christianity, formed because people didn't believe that the people in charge (or in this case getting all the press) were doing it right.
Me? I think the guy (Camping) is a moron at best, but more likely a charlatan. I think his 15 minutes are about up. But then, at least he isn't trying to get us to drink Kool Aid.
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02:40 PM
Marvin McInnis Member
Posts: 11599 From: ~ Kansas City, USA Registered: Apr 2002
I'll get a brand new 88 with zero miles when I get to heaven--I'm pretty sure it's in there somewhere.
Think again. I've always been taught that Heaven is pretty much a Communist system: no private property, and no need for it. Heaven transcends physical possessions.
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02:47 PM
jimbolaya Member
Posts: 10652 From: Virginia Beach, Virginia Registered: Feb 2007
I didn't read it that way. (But then I am a bit naive at times.)
I just got that there are all sorts of different flavors of Christianity, formed because people didn't believe that the people in charge (or in this case getting all the press) were doing it right.
Me? I think the guy (Camping) is a moron at best, but more likely a charlatan. I think his 15 minutes are about up. But then, at least he isn't trying to get us to drink Kool Aid.
If I took it wrong, I apologize.
Jim
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02:48 PM
jimbolaya Member
Posts: 10652 From: Virginia Beach, Virginia Registered: Feb 2007
Think again. I've always been taught that Heaven is pretty much a Communist system: no private property, and no need for it. Heaven transcends physical possessions.
So that's why Obama wants to shift to communism. He thinks it's heavenly! I agree with Heaven trancending physical possesions, but I don't even get where you make the connection with communism or who taught you that. Communism is still an economic and political system. Heaven is neither.
Jim
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02:53 PM
nosrac Member
Posts: 3520 From: Euless, TX, US Registered: Jan 2005
Think again. I've always been taught that Heaven is pretty much a Communist system: no private property, and no need for it. Heaven transcends physical possessions.
Alot of sarcasm going on most of it funny. You knew we were joking right?
I was going to ask him if it would be a Formula or a GT!
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04:33 PM
frontal lobe Member
Posts: 9042 From: brookfield,wisconsin Registered: Dec 1999
I've always been taught that Heaven is pretty much a Communist system: no private property, and no need for it. Heaven transcends physical possessions.
Heaven is actually a dictatorship.
The best form of government for all is a benevolent dictatorship. The problem is finding a benevolent dictator on earth.
Regarding the topic, there is no mulligan with dates. You nail it or you are out. He is out.
Edit to say he never SHOULD have been "in", because he should have known not to even set a date.
[This message has been edited by frontal lobe (edited 05-24-2011).]
Think again. I've always been taught that Heaven is pretty much a Communist system: no private property, and no need for it. Heaven transcends physical possessions.
Since you are being *forced* to share by the dude in charge, it would be more socialist than communist.
No private possessions? Ill pass on going. I like my stuff. And its MINE.
Listen....I live in California about 20 minutes from Cokeland where this guy resides and this guy is nothing but an old hippie bastard with a mind that got lost in his uppers and downers in the 60's. Much like that moron and his followers during the Hail-bop comet fiasco years ago. Besides, my birthday is on October 21st so nothing bad can happen on that day
[This message has been edited by IMSA GT (edited 05-24-2011).]
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09:37 PM
MidEngineManiac Member
Posts: 29566 From: Some unacceptable view Registered: Feb 2007
Camping offered no clues about Family Radio's finances Monday, saying he could not estimate how much had been spent advertising his prediction nor how much money the nonprofit had taken in as a result. In 2009, the nonprofit reported in IRS filings that it received $18.3 million in donations, and had assets of more than $104 million, including $34 million in stocks or other publicly traded securities.
This just pisses me off. What a crock.
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11:43 PM
Boondawg Member
Posts: 38235 From: Displaced Alaskan Registered: Jun 2003