Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Doomsayer confused as world doesn't end (Meet the man who spent his $150,000 savings to warn us)
New York Post ^ | 05/22/2011 | Heather Haddon & Douglas Montero

Posted on 05/22/2011 9:49:10 AM PDT by SeekAndFind

That's a Wrapture.

When the world did not end at precisely 6 p.m. yesterday, Doomsday prophet Robert Fitzpatrick's fragile grasp on reality crumbled.

"I don't understand why nothing is happening," said Fitzpatrick, flipping through his Bible for clues to why Rapture failed to show up on time.

"It's not a mistake. I did what I had to do. I did what the Bible said," he said, looking increasingly disheveled and confused as he stood in Times Square before mocking crowds.

A kooky Christian cult predicted that corpses would line the streets and deadly earthquakes would swallow up sinners beginning at 11:59 p.m. Jerusalem time on May 21, 2011.

Fitzpatrick, 60, a retired MTA engineer who became the city's self-appointed siren of the Apocalypse, spent $140,000 of his life savings on 3,219 bus, subway and commuter-rail ads trumpeting the coming "global earthquake" and urging sinners to repent to Jesus.

Fitzpatrick is a follower of Harold Camping, 89, an Oakland, Calif., evangelist who promised that on Judgment Day the righteous would be sucked up to heaven while sinners -- even children -- were to rot among fires, earthquakes and tsunamis engulfing the Earth. People would slowly die off until Oct. 21, 2011, when God completely KO'd the earth and all of its inhabitants.

Even cynical city dwellers got into the spirit of Doomsday, with New Yorkers hawking T-shirts, holding Judgment Day parties and Mayor Bloomberg deadpanning that he'd suspend alternate-side parking if the Earth crumbled.

Fitzpatrick's self-published tome on his predictions, "The Doomsday Code," earned $1,400 in royalties, he said. But his publicity stunt wasn't about getting checks. On Judgment Day, after all, money wouldn't matter.

(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: apocalypse; dommsayer; haroldcamping
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061 next last
To: calex59
It’s insane nut cases like these that give all Christians a bad name, because left wing idiots take the actions of one or two people and attribute them to all Christians.

I believe as you do. Even though I have devoted my "about page" to the discussion of the rapture and the apocalypse, I have not given a date and time of when the rapture will occur. As I have stated: There is far too much debate over the meaning and scope of the rapture. This is not God’s intent. Rather, in regards to the rapture, God wants us to “encourage each other with these words” (1 Thessalonians 4:18).

That said, one only has to wonder just how close we are to this happening though. With all that is happening in the Mideast and the events that are being centered on Israel.

21 posted on 05/22/2011 10:16:46 AM PDT by Evil Slayer (Onward, Christian soldiers, marching as to war)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind
When the world did not end at precisely 6 p.m. yesterday,...

Oh but it DID end precisely at 6pm yesterday.

Just a select few of us are allowed to know that however.

22 posted on 05/22/2011 10:18:30 AM PDT by EGPWS (Trust in God, question everyone else)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

HUMMMM, gave the Christian haters something to ridicule All Christians. frankly I hope they find out what it’s like to challenge GOD.


23 posted on 05/22/2011 10:18:43 AM PDT by Marty62 (Marty60)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

What a sad and confusing day for this fool’s followers. That otherwise apparently functional folks are able to be deluded so deeply is amazing. I haven’t read the numbers- were there really more than a couple of hundred who believed this?


24 posted on 05/22/2011 10:19:12 AM PDT by SE Mom (Proud mom of an Iraq war combat vet)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

Maybe Dumbplayer would more appropriate title.


25 posted on 05/22/2011 10:22:31 AM PDT by jerseyrocks
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

> “I don’t understand why nothing is happening,” said
> Fitzpatrick, flipping through his Bible for clues to why
> Rapture failed to show up on time.

Maybe somebody tore the following verse out of his Bible.

Mark 13:32 But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.

Now, if the Lord Jesus, God in the flesh (!) didn’t know when He was returning, how was THIS clown supposed to know?


26 posted on 05/22/2011 10:22:53 AM PDT by Westbrook (Having children does not divide your love, it multiplies it.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: happilymarriedmom
My attitude about all this has been, if it causes one non-believer to open a Bible or to question their own beliefs, then thats a good thing. And many now know about the Rapture so when it does come and they realize the Christians were right, they will go to their Bible to find out whats coming next and hopefully repent.

The sad reality is that far more people will be turned off to religion because of circus freaks like Camping who cheapen Christianity and make it a laughing stock.

Camping should be tarred and feathered.


27 posted on 05/22/2011 10:23:07 AM PDT by reagan_fanatic (A communist is just a liberal in a hurry)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: Outlaw Woman

“It’s too bad that a Christian didn’t, at that point, offer the man compassion & love & assurance.As to the cynics, it’s all fine and good that they carried on like the heathen that they are but I bet some of them were just a tad bit anxious before yesterday. And at the end, the true end, they will still be mocking and partying and will be caught unaware. Tragic.”
Well said. I feel very badly for those who trusted in Harold Camping to interpret God’s Word. I do believe that there are many churches out there who are prepared to help the disillusioned repent of their misplaced alliance and offer the comfort and fellowship of believers. You are also right to indicate that at the true end, all those who stand mocking now will continue to mock to their doom. This is not the time to make fun of those people, but to feel the sadness that always accompanies tragedy.


28 posted on 05/22/2011 10:28:26 AM PDT by sueuprising (The best of it is, God is with us-John Wesley)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies]

To: Evil Slayer
That said, one only has to wonder just how close we are to this happening though.

That is precisely why this story 'grew legs'. Each of us sense that there are forces at work beyond our control and those of us that have studied the bible see the various signs of prophecy being fulfilled with increasing intensity. Those people may have mocked this man and mock Christians in general, but this 'prediction' had just enough plausability to it that many probably believed it.

Those people may have been mocking and laughing at him yesterday but I bet some of the emotion was a 'whewww, we dodged a bullet' relief for some of them.

29 posted on 05/22/2011 10:28:34 AM PDT by Outlaw Woman ("...; because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee,... "Hosea 4:6)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 21 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

I feel sorry for this poor, deluded man. OTOH, I think Camping has a lot of ‘splainin to do - to God.


30 posted on 05/22/2011 10:30:59 AM PDT by iceskater (11/2/10 - the beginning of the beginning of restoration.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Outlaw Woman

He will claim he meant Rupture.


31 posted on 05/22/2011 10:32:23 AM PDT by screaminsunshine (Shut up and eat your Beans!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies]

To: sueuprising

Thank you.

My heart ached for this man when the story described his reaction/demeanor when nothing happened. Very, very sad.

We are all susceptible to being led astray and the only way to prevent it is to stay firmly grounded in the Truth, the Bible.


32 posted on 05/22/2011 10:34:15 AM PDT by Outlaw Woman ("...; because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee,... "Hosea 4:6)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 28 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

I get no joy from this picture.

My heart goes out to him. Yes, he fell for a lie. But he’s a victim just like if he fell for a Nigerian scam. He’s lost his life savings. That’s so sad. And the people with him - they may never come to real understanding of Jesus Christ because of this.


33 posted on 05/22/2011 10:36:10 AM PDT by I still care (I miss my friends, bagels, and the NYC skyline - but not the taxes. I love the South.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind
After 6 p.m. came and went, Fitzpatrick blamed himself for the wrong date with Doomsday, as "God is never wrong."

You didn't do anything wrong, Robert. The world did end yesterday. Just not in this universe.

34 posted on 05/22/2011 10:37:47 AM PDT by LibWhacker
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Outlaw Woman

I’ll be praying for our misled brothers Camping and Fitzgerald, if they are indeed our brothers.


35 posted on 05/22/2011 10:40:13 AM PDT by Graybeard58 (Eccl 10:19 A feast is made for laughter, and wine maketh merry: but money answereth all things.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 32 | View Replies]

To: Graybeard58

That’s probably the best thing we can do. I do hope that someone that is solid in scripture reaches out to this man. He probably is mortified and vulnerable right now; sometimes though, that is the position we have to be in to be open to the Truth.


36 posted on 05/22/2011 10:44:41 AM PDT by Outlaw Woman ("...; because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee,... "Hosea 4:6)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 35 | View Replies]

To: Outlaw Woman
It's too bad that a Christian didn't, at that point, offer the man compassion & love & assurance.

Amen, Sister FReeper. While I think the man was goofy because the bible states clearly and repeatedly that no one, not the angels nor Jesus, knows the exact time when it all starts to hit, I am moved and touched that the guy spent $140,000 to try to warn his fellow humans -- including me -- about it. He put his money where his mouth was. An admirable quality.

37 posted on 05/22/2011 10:55:18 AM PDT by Finny ("Raise hell. Vote smart." -- Ted Nugent)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

Typical Global Warming Doomsday Nutcase Obama voter.


38 posted on 05/22/2011 10:58:06 AM PDT by alice_in_bubbaland (DeMint/Ryan 2012!!!!!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

I woke up this morning and turned on the television, Obama was on... I immediately knew the end had indeed come....... and that I was in Hell.


39 posted on 05/22/2011 11:05:08 AM PDT by Gator113 ("GAME ON." I'll be voting for Sarah Palin, Liberty, our Constitution and American Exceptionalism.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Graybeard58
I’ll be praying for our misled brothers Camping and Fitzgerald, if they are indeed our brothers.

I will join you.

God will sort out whether or not they're our brothers; in my heart, every human alive is my brother or sister, and even if I had to kill in self defense, would remain so and my prayers would be even more fervent.

Several years ago I knew a man, a foul, drug-abusing, sexually perverted man, and I was compelled to always be friendly to him in order to keep the local peace and also because my heart told me it was right to be so. I got to know him slightly; he was a military veteran, a lost soul, a sad person, but he was still a man, my brother. He was foul, disgusting, shiver-inducing. I'd bet money that he derided and scorned Christianity, though we never talked about it.

I learned not long ago that he committed suicide, bleeding slowly to death in a place he'd deliberately chosen so no one would find him for weeks. For some reason, his death hurt me, pained me, caused me grief, to an enormous degree, and still does even thinking about it now. I don't really know how to pray for someone's soul, I'm not even sure God would want me to pray for this guy's soul ... but I do pray for it. I do pray that God gave him comfort and hope at the end, and that he now knows God's love and mercy.

40 posted on 05/22/2011 11:11:19 AM PDT by Finny ("Raise hell. Vote smart." -- Ted Nugent)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 35 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson