Now that May 21, 2011 has come and gone, and the earth and its inhabitants have retained their status quo, I think Harold Camping should be arrested and prosecuted for the terror he unleashed on all the folks throughout the world who believed his asinine, wicked doomsday prophecy. There were hundreds of billboards, signs, newspaper ads and pamphlets warning of the end of the world on May 21st, and people were frightened -- none more so than children. What Mr. Camping did was a form of terrorism, and he profited by it. He is a multi-millionaire, and is president of Family Radio, a California-based radio station that spans more than 150 markets in the United States.
When I was a little girl, my family lived next door to members of a particular religious cult who were always telling me the world was going to come to an end next week, or next month. I spent a good deal of my time in absolute panic and dread. In fact, those folks and their doomsday predictions prompted a form of panic attack in me at the age of seven, that has never really gone away. I remember one beautiful summer afternoon hiding under my bed trembling in fear because the neighbours had told me the rapture was coming that very day and I was going to hell. I wonder how many children have spent the last few months in fear of May 21st? How many people, in fact, have been living in dread? There were reports of folks giving away their homes and all their belongings, including their stocks and investments.There is a vast difference between religion and spirituality, and one does not necessarily relate to the other. Religion has been hijacked by lunatics like Harold Camping, and they have given religion a bad name. Fundamentalists of any kind tend to have narrow thinking, whether Muslims, Jews or Christians. Fundamentalism and the strict adherence to specific theological doctrines leaves no room for humanity. And let's face it, we are all human.
As far as I'm concerned, there is a special place reserved in the Ninth Circle of Hell for people like Harold Camping. The terror that he has wrought on people in the last few months is inexcusable. Apparently he has gone into hiding. Well, good -- I hope he stays there. Anyway, how stupid can the man be? Wouldn't he have known there was no way the rapture could possibly happen just the day before The Donald was about to pick the final Celebrity Apprentice? I mean, for goodness sake, there are priorities.
I wish The Donald would also go into hiding, with or without Camping. In California, the Humane Society collected a cat and two parrots whose owner was about to euthanize them Friday night because he expected to be Raptured. How can people be so idiotic? I'm sure PT Barnum is chuckling in his grave.
ReplyDeleteI am a Christian, but i firmly stand behind your condemnation of such beliefs. The church i was raised in (and the family in which i grew up) were not healthy.
ReplyDeleteI constantly lived in fear. The first YEAR i lived in California as a young bride, i cringed every time a plane went overhead (and we lived under the flight path). I had been taught it was only a matter of time before Russia bombed us and began a war. Living in Los Angeles County, i was sure we would be a first target.
That was long ago now and i left such ugly beliefs behind long ago. Fear is used for control and power. Such fear does not come from God. It makes me sad that churches still preach such things. My nieces and nephews post idiotic things on FB about "the end times coming." My niece said she has prayed to be a mama since she was a small girl, she's a mama now, so Jesus must be coming soon! :P The lack of rational thinking in that statement made me ill.
Camping will probably blame it on his math. Maybe he should get a better calculator (after he's admitted).
ReplyDeleteExcellent point! The terror he instilled in many. Horrible!
ReplyDeleteLuckily, I scoff at such predictions. Forgetting children, and gullible adults. It is a rotten thing, he did.
Same goes for such as happened to you, when you were a child. How dare any adult place fear in any child's heart?!?!?!?!
Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr...
~♥~
I'm not believer in any religion, any more. Happenings like all you mentioned, helped me come to my present path.
ReplyDeleteTo me, all formal religion is just an excuse for some humans, to make rules, for other humans. And to lord-it-over-them. And get money from them too, of course. -chuckle-
~♥~
But, Jo, the number of clever jokes about the Rapture were a source of endless hilarity for me. Of course, I never took it seriously.
ReplyDeleteBut you're right: those who are vulnerable to these things were victimized. I'm sorry for them.
You said it all.
ReplyDeleteYes!! You said it all!!
ReplyDeleteThere are nutters, complete nutters and hopeless fruit-cakes in this world. Campling fits into all these categories, and more. He ought to be sectioned under the mental health act and kept in a loosely padded cell.
ReplyDeleteYou are absolutely right on all counts. I,too, was horrified on behalf of the children involved in this fiasco. It's one thing to scam adults, but they are much more resilient than the youngsters, whose lives have been traumatized forever.
ReplyDeleteCan you begin to imagine the distrust and lack of faith in their parents these children feel today?
I'm sorry you had to experience an awful taste of another charlaton. Dreadful.
Couldn't agree more!
ReplyDeleteI dated a boy in high school and he was uber religious but to the point that he would tell me all the time that it was sad that he would never see me in Heaven. That I would be in Hell for not sharing his beliefs. He never said this with malice but you can imagine how this made me feel. It was,in a way, a form of abuse.
Now people keep talking about the end of the world in everyday conversation and have created such anxiety in my son with autism (who hears whispers from a mile away) that I have to spend hours with him explaining life and death and promising him that tomorrow we will not die because the earth is going to die or be blown up.
Thought I am an Agnsotic, I was raised Muslim by my mother... my father was being raised Christian & has Jewish roots, too.
ReplyDeleteBut both told me that these Doomsday people mostly are Christians. Of course you will always find a Muslim or a Jew doing the same, but Doomsday predictions are an Abrahmic idea after all.
Also I, personally, have never heard of an Imam telling his fellows that he found a date in the Kur'an, that tells him when it is time for us to get 'raptured'...
:D
To me this Camping guy should get a lash for everyone he has scared, driven into a suicide or any other such thing!
Some things never change, do they?
ReplyDeleteI really try to respect people and their religious beliefs, but sometimes it is pretty difficult.
In reality, I have found the most heartless, cruel, selfish and often ignorant people are those who are religious fantatics.
When someone starts talking Jesus talk to me, I just want to get away from them.
Why do people feel the need to control EVERYTHING? That's what I think of when I hear these kinds of things.
ReplyDeleteFalse prophets using scripture to control people for their own ego and finacial gain. People following these prohets because it somehow feeds into their need to feel special. Like they are in control of something.
Like you said, Camping has really shatter the lives of many of his followers. I hope at least some of them will drag his butt into court.
mr. camping certainly has Biblical facts WRONG...
ReplyDeletebut to assert he should be arrested and prosecuted for the "terror he unleashed ..." is asinine.
The news media then who trumpeted his "terror assessment" should be "arrested and prosecuted" for giving a bullhorn to his "terror."
Seriously, if people believe fools like Camping, that's their fault.
But last I checked freedom of speech is STILL a freedom protected under the Constitution, and provided nobody was hurt directly by his words, there is NO injury sustained, ergo, nothing to be arrested, much less prosecuted for!
If someone [chose] to injure themselves on the account of what mr. camping [predicted], well that speaks to the ignorance of the individual.
Give me a break... sheesh.
As a squirrel, I am disappointed that you humans are still around.
ReplyDeleteRussell(said): "In reality, I have found the most heartless, cruel, selfish and often ignorant people are those who are religious fantatics."
ReplyDeleteYou mean like: Pol Pot, Joseph Stalin, Mao Tse-Tung, adolf hitler (atheist, eugenics, and homosexual extraordinaire)? They were all atheists, and responsible for having murdered the greatest number of people combined.
I agree, the religion of atheistic fanaticism has been the antecedent to the greatest manifestations of cruelty, selfishness, and ignorance.
Coming in at a close second is islam.
The - not so - great muslim prophet mohammad himself, historically engaged in the very first recorded jihad/crusade (i.e. Holy War) in around 620 AD (yes, after the death of Christ). mohammad also married a 9 year old girl and consummated that marriage at the girls' ripe age of 9-10 (yes, that's called pedophilia).
What an outstanding archetypal example that founder of the religion of islam.
Quite the contrary, Jesus never on any account caused harm to anyone, but demonstrated the greatest act of kindness, by sacrificing Himself that the world would be saved. All of Jesus' apostles were martyred, and for what? For speaking the truth.
FACT:
- Jesus never committed an act of violence, therefore no Christian is justified in committing acts of violence; thus the crusades were not justified "Christian acts".
- mohammad himself committed acts of violent murder, and pedophilia, therefore muslims are justified in committing acts of both violent murder and pedophilia; thus jihad and pedophilia are justified "mulsim acts".
- atheists, have no archetypal example, therefore are justified in anything and everything they do; thus mao tse-tung, pol pot, joseph stalin, adolf hitler, were all justified in any acts of mass murder, genocide, homosexuality, that they wished to do.
This is called justifying your position with facts. Debate is welcome, sophistry abhorred.
I'm with YOU Russell. Any bible-punching caller at MY door is most unwelcome and their offer to "save me" is swiftly declined and the door closed.
ReplyDeletei wholeheartedly agree with everything you post........TOTALLY!
ReplyDelete"There were hundreds of billboards, signs, newspaper ads and pamphlets warning of the end of the world on May 21st,"
But there is a larger point that needs to be made :an all American value is "FEAR"..and "fear-mongering"....these are nothing but manifestations of these......
I bet you will NEVER hear something like this in Europe or Asia(non-muslim) part.....
Just thinking about the fact that many people actually believe in such non-sense raises interesting questions about their state of mind...
Indian "pundit"(said): "I bet you will NEVER hear something like this in Europe or Asia(non-muslim) part....."
ReplyDeleteTrue, there are MANY things you'll never hear outside of America, because there is NO freedom like the freedom observed only in America.
I'm quite ashamed of anyone on this thread, author included, who has jumped on the anti-free speech, anti-free religion, rights that so much blood was shed to provide them with....
Quite frankly, since I've found so much offense with the outright ignorance on this thread of folks, I'm going to do what a REAL American does, who holds true to freedom, and that is, rather than begging for your - albeit - ignorant voices to be silenced, much as you've all been guilty of here, I'm going [choose] to walk away from this dark corner of the internet.
Thank you all immensely for reassuring me that there is rampant anti-freedom sentiment abroad, and enemies of freedom within our very own country.
Revolting.
"True, there are MANY things you'll never hear outside of America, because there is NO freedom like the freedom observed only in America."
ReplyDeleteSir,
Please provide some examples of meaningful freedom that say a Canadian or an European DONT enjoy but an American does????
Few examples plz...
Also ,
"rights that so much blood was shed to provide them with"
"Rights" that you talk off are provided by relentless activism of the many many American liberals/leftists...NOT but religious groups...
Thanks
According to a news item on the BBC tonight this Camping moron has said something to the effect that his CALCULATIONS on the bible's content were erroneous!
ReplyDeleteHe has alledgedly changed the date of the end of the world to November!
This cretinous christian ought to be laughed at and ridiculed - even by Socrates!
Don't get excited about socrates1's comments. It is obvious he is a whack job.
ReplyDeleteGo to his blog and you will see.
I am glad he is ashamed of us -- if he thought we were okay or if he agreed with us, I would be very concerned - heh!!
I am glad he has decided to crawl back under his little rock. I hope he stays there.
Oh, goodness, I seem to have sparked a debate.
ReplyDeleteI stand by my contention that Mr. Camping should be arrested for public mischief. We have freedom of speech in Canada, too, but it does not include terrorizing people, particularly under the guise of religion. In addition, that horrible old man profited from his *cough* prediction, and now he stands to profit again, because he said he got the date wrong, and it's really October 21st. He's an old man for God sake, how much more money does he need?
People seem to forget how many children were living in fear that the world was going to come to an end. A 17 year-old boy in the States was so happy the world didn't end, that he and his friends celebrated by jumping into a river. The boy misjudged the current and drowned. Mr. Harold Camping has that boy's death directly on his hands. Marigold and Phinnaeus were frightened too. When 6:00 passed, they were both relieved. That story must have played over and over, all over the world, not just the United States.
I am disgusted beyond belief that anyone would defend Mr. Camping's actions. His actions are indefensible.
I agree that he should be locked up in a mental institution and kept there so he cannot do any more harm to anyone. Freedom is a two-way street, and people should have the right not to be terrorized by someone like Mr. Camping. He did a great deal of harm to a lot of people. That is indefensible.
I couldn't agree more with you! So much wasted time and energy geared towards this - crazy!
ReplyDelete@socrates1 - In fact, Adolf Hitler was a Christian!
ReplyDeleteAlso, what has Mohammeds marriage to do with Camping predicting a false Rapture?
You should really think before you comment!
I started to read today's post and had not read this one yet so I had to come see what the hub-bub was about and why you might have lost a follower.
ReplyDeleteI agree with everything you said. Of course I am not a follower of Camping, but I believe that even if I were I would respect your right to voice your opinion on your blog. Would I unfollow you? Of course not, how narrow-minded would that make me?
This was an excellent post and knowing that you follow The Donald and Celebrity Apprentice and hold the show in as high esteem as I do...well I love ya even more dear Jo!
I might stop following a blog only if the blogger and/or his guests choose to attack me prsonally instead of debating with my views.
ReplyDeleteAs for your yesterday's post:
I felt you were a bit too hard on that guy Camping, and I didn't like some of the expressions used by commenters.
I think Socrates shouldn"t have said: "I'm quite ashamed of anyone on this thread" and call your blog "this dark corner of the internet" - but he looks young and has yet to learn some manners.
I missed this yesterday, too, and had to come looking to find the controversy.
ReplyDeleteCamping's a jerk, but PT Barnum said, "Nobody ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American people." If people believed him, as somebody up there said, that's their fault. Along with freedom of speech comes the freedom to be an idiot and a sucker.
As for scaring children . . . every kid gets scared of something. When I was very young, there were lots of television documentaries about the world "beyond the Iron Curtain." I was scared to death that the Russians would take us over and the whole world would be in black and white instead of color.
You've done it again, Josie! lol And I'm glad John Rich won! rotflol
ReplyDeleteWell, I'm a Christian, and I believe that there will be the Rapture someday, but according to the Scriptures, no man knows the day or time. I wonder what has happened to the common sense of man? Look at the people who believe in the 'green gospel'. How about extra-terrestrials, or any of the extreme beliefs out there.
ReplyDeleteAmerica, open your eyes and ears!
I am an Evangelical Protestant Christian. I make this distinction because some folks think that saying you're a Christian automatically means you are Catholic. Not true.
ReplyDeleteAnyways, I hate what Camping has done and anyone like him. He. Is. Crazy. I'm very sorry for the people who were conned by him too.
I do want to say though that I think we have to be careful when making blanket statements. I'm very sorry you were hurt by crazy fanatics when you were young. That was SO WRONG.
But to say that all fundamentalist beliefs are also wrong is not true. If we're going to use theological terms then what you were describing in your post is not fundamentalist beliefs in theological doctrines but Legalism.
I have found plenty of humanity with people who hold fundamental beliefs in theological doctrine. Because theology by its own nature encourages discussion and conversation of ideas. It can be very fascinating and inspiring.
The first person that comes to my mind is Dr. Ravi Zacharias. Amazing fellow! Not a Camping in any way. Thank you for this post. Very thought provoking. :)
You know just how to increase comments to your blog *wink*, but I fully agree with you on this one. The man should be tar and feathered and not be allowed to get away with it.
ReplyDeleteSocrates is a loony. Apparently your freedom of speech is to much for him to handle.
ReplyDeleteI enjoy our freedoms but they should not negatively affect those around us as Campings did. Especailly since he was making money from it all.
Oh, and I'm atheist. Not that that matters. Just putting it out there.