118 replies to this topic

[mrmando]

Persiflage, on 11 May 2011 - 05:05 PM, said:

Earth-Bound Pets must be raking in the cash.

Well, they did raise their rate from $110 to $135 because of all the Family Radio hysteria. Still, I bet there are plenty of Christians who don't want to entrust their pets to an atheist. Maybe I should start a business with the pitch: "Look, I'm a Christian who thinks Camping and LaHaye are full of it, but if it turns out that I'm wrong I'll rescue your pets for just 5 bucks more than the atheists."

I wish this were purely a laughing matter, but it's not, of course. NPR interviewed people who had quit their jobs and planned to live on their savings until May 21. On May 22 those people will be broke, out of work, and facing a completely uncertain future, and Harold Camping will be to blame for it. If I were a lawyer I'd be working on a class-action suit already. Seriously, he should be required to compensate people who have dismantled their lives on his advice, even if it means he has to sell off Family Radio's assets.

[SDG]

I have just seen a sign, unmistakably identifying Judgment Day as May 21.

Literally. It was on the roadside at my exit off the Parkway as I came home from work today. It was about the size of a local political lawn sign -- a real printed sign, not a handmade cardboard job. It had the words "Judgment Day" and "May 21," with scripture references in smaller letters.

Edited by SDG, 12 May 2011 - 05:01 PM.

[mrmando]

Where ya been, Steve? We've got billboards in Seattle, people in T-shirts handing out literature on the Mall in D.C. ... they're everywhere, man. Camping is really pulling out the stops for this.

[Ryan H.]

Yup. I've seen plenty of doomsday campaign materials.

[morgan1098]

Full-page ad in USA Today today.

[SDG]

mrmando, on 12 May 2011 - 05:06 PM, said:

Where ya been, Steve?

In northern New Jersey. No billboards here, and I've seen no other materials. Just the one sign.

[mrmando]

Evidently, some areas of the country are more worthy of being raptured than others.

[SDG]

mrmando, on 13 May 2011 - 12:31 PM, said:

Evidently, some areas of the country are more worthy of being raptured than others.

Yes, but which are which? It is not the healthy who need a physician.

Edited by SDG, 13 May 2011 - 12:38 PM.

[Thom Wade]

Yeah...I kinda doubt New Jersey will witness the rapture. I mean...it's New Jersey.

[mrmando]

SDG could be right ... maybe everybody in northern NJ is already saved.

Try to be outdoors around 6 p.m. on May 21, Steve. Being raptured through a roof could give you a nasty bump on the head.

[SDG]

mrmando, on 13 May 2011 - 01:07 PM, said:

Try to be outdoors around 6 p.m. on May 21, Steve.

EST or EDT?

[David Smedberg]

Interestingly enough, the fellow said that it would be 6 PM in every time zone, and thus would ripple across the world beginning at the date line.

[SDG]

David Smedberg, on 13 May 2011 - 02:59 PM, said:

Interestingly enough, the fellow said that it would be 6 PM in every time zone, and thus would ripple across the world beginning at the date line.

No, I got that. My question was Standard Time vs. Daylight Savings Time.

[mrmando]

Whatever time you are currently observing, I should imagine.

The Navajo Nation observes daylight time while the rest of Arizona does not, so I am interested in seeing whether the earthquake/rapture encompasses the state all at once, or pauses at the border of the reservation. Similarly, Saskatchewan stopped using daylight time and now observes Central Standard Time year round, even though geographically it's in the Mountain Time zone. So folks there should be raptured along with the Albertans, although if it were wintertime they should expect to go with Manitoba. We'll see whether the earthquake/rapture can get this straight or not.

When the rapture hits New Jersey, we'll still have three hours to go out here on the Left Coast. With luck that'll mean we'll have time to repent. God is merciful...

Edited by mrmando, 13 May 2011 - 03:21 PM.

[J.A.A. Purves]

mrmando, on 13 May 2011 - 01:07 PM, said:

... Being raptured through a roof could give you a nasty bump on the head.

Funniest line so far on this thread. Allow me to recommend Right Behind if you haven't read it yet, where some Christians actually do get stuck for a bit on some of the more well-constructed rafters of older buildings. Here's a few other excerpts to give you the general idea -

"Yes," Buff said. "It's in the Ivy League."
"I know," the lady said.
"Good, Buff said."
"How tall are you?" the lady said.
"Tall, Buff said."
"Do you always say, 'Buff said,' after all of your dialogue?" the lady said.
"You obviously are unfamiliar with apocalyptic literature," Buff said. "The first is as follows: When writing dialogue, at the end or the middle of every line the author must insert the phrase 'he said,' 'she said,' or someone's name followed by the word 'said.' Of course, real authors who don't write apocalyptic fiction prefer the word 'said' to all the many creative options that an amateur will come up with. But they will lace it through their dialogue, not distracting from what is being said by saying 'said,' but using it so the reader can keep track of the speaker. Only the good apocalyptic writer, or an eighth grader writing for an assignment, will give you the 'said' phrase following every speech" ... Buff said.

or

The newsman was also talking about the differences.
"As you can see in this home video clip, only the child who is actually celebrating his birthday remains. He is the oldest child at the party and is turning twelve. All the eleven year olds were gone in a twinkling, including the one falling out of the tree in the background. Experts have explained this particular age discriminatory phenomenon as something called the 'age of accountability.' Apparently, the eleven year olds were unaware of the consequences to their sin, while now that the birthday boy is twelve he is tried as an adult and gets to stick around for the Tribulation."
"Which brings us to our next story - Who will the Antichrist be? ..."

or

Buff was sitting in a booth at Lefty's Behind. Scott hadn't shown yet. Buff had assumed that Scott had meant immediately when he had said, "Meet me at the pub." Well, he would know better next time. He had already drunk half of his beer and was beginning to feel the buzz. He had asked for popcorn to absorb the alcohol, but, like Scott, it hadn't come yet. Buff wasn't much of a drinker. In reality he would have been, but because of the Evangelical context of this story, he couldn't hold his liquor. Not that this was any flaw of Buff's. It's just that the authors of his story are unfamiliar with the effects of alcohol in its various forms. So, Buff had a buzz ...

or

"You've had too much to drink."
"No. It's just that this story is so contrived to fit its preachy message, and I guess I'm just irritated that I had to come to Mauritius at all ... Plus, I already know the end of the book, and it is such a bunch of nothing, it depresses me to be a part of it!" Buff began sobbing and put his face on the table.
"You're drunk and disgusting," Scott said and he stood up.
"I've only had one beer, not even that," Buff said looking at his glass.
"You're in an Evangelical story, by Evangelicals, for Evangelicals, written in an attempt to make more Evangelicals. One beer does it for them."
"Dammit, you're right. I'm tanked."
"You probably shouldn't say that. People will be offended."
"Why?"
"It just isn't done. Besides it's in your contract. They will probably just edit it out anyway and then fine you for contract violation. Do you want to back up and try again?"
"Humph. May as well."
"Okay, I'll start. You're in an Evangelical story, by Evangelicals, for Evangelicals, written in an attempt to make more Evangelicals. One beer does it for them."
"Dammit, you're right. I'm tanked ..."

[metalfoot]

One does wish that Camping's followers knew enough Scripture to cotton on that the guy is a religious quack.

[mrmando]

'Tain't necessarily a lack of Scripture knowledge. It's a lack of awareness that theology doesn't work like a pinball machine.

[old wave]

I live in Berkeley, which is next door to Family Radio's headquarters in Oakland, and the entire city is plastered with billboard ads proclaiming Judgment Day to be on the 21nd. In some of the immigrant neighborhoods in Oakland, they've got signs in Spanish. They even got a five-story ad at Oakland Airport. I've never seen anything quite like it. I wouldn't be surprised if Family Radio goes bankrupt on 5/22.

[metalfoot]

mrmando, on 14 May 2011 - 10:54 AM, said:

'Tain't necessarily a lack of Scripture knowledge. It's a lack of awareness that theology doesn't work like a pinball machine.

Fair enough. Busted hermeneutical keys will do that to you.

[Persona]

mrmando, on 14 May 2011 - 10:54 AM, said:

'Tain't necessarily a lack of Scripture knowledge. It's a lack of awareness that theology doesn't work like a pinball machine.

Actually I think theology does work like a pinball machine. You flip the flippers and the ball still goes right down the middle. Adventures in Missing The Point.