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Posted on 05/23/2011 9:09:12 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
Harold Camping emerged from his Alameda, California home yesterday to face reporters for the first time since the Rapture that never happened. Wearing a light jacket and speaking over chirping birds, Camping told the San Francisco Chronicle he was "flabbergasted" that the world did not end on Saturday. "I'm looking for answers," he told the reporter. "But now I have nothing else to say. I'll be back to work Monday and will say more then." Camping followers are similarly perplexed. "I don't think I am going to stop listening to him," one man added, heaving a deep sigh before continuing: "I don't know, I gotta listen to him on Monday, see what he says on the radio.
"Somewhat bewildered" and "mystified is how Camping's wife described her husband, before he finally emerged from his home yesterday afternoon. The International Business Times managed to capture Camping on camera, refusing to surrender any more than a few words and promising. "Give me a day, no interviews at all today -- sorry," Camping said. "You know this is a big deal, big deal, and I've got to live with it and I've got to think it out. So no interview please."
Camping's relative silence since Saturday's anti-climactic continuation of life on Earth weighs heavy on his followers' confidence. Robert Fitzpatrick, the 60 year-old retired New York transit worker who spent $140,000 on billboards for the coming apocalypse, responded with bewilderment as well. "I can't tell you what I feel right now," he told a crowd of reporters and tourists in Times Square Saturday evening. "I haven't understood it correctly because I'm still here."
At least one person may benefit from Camping's failure.
As we pointed out last week, author and would-be Doomsday prophet Tim Lahaye is next in line
(Excerpt) Read more at theatlanticwire.com ...
Sorry folks...the man from Nazareth isnt returning.
He’s 0 for 2.
Tim LaHaye next in line?
I don’t think so...he has never sat a date.
While the Bible states that we will not know the day and hour, it does say we can recongize the times and seasons, and LaHaye belives we are in the “season” (not fall, winter, etc), as do I.
Ha, the “excerpt” was precisely ten words short of the whole article
RE: Sorry folks...the man from Nazareth isnt returning.
Isn’t or has not yet?
BTW, this book was written in 1881; you wouldn't believe how accurate it is!
In the late nineteenth century, Father Charles Arminjon, a priest from the mountains of southeastern France, assembled his flock in the town cathedral to preach a series of conferences to help them turn their thoughts away from this life’s mean material affairs—and toward the next life’s glorious spiritual reward. His wise and uncompromising words deepened in them the spirit of recollection that all Christians must have: the abiding conviction that heavenly aims, not temporal enthusiasms, must guide everything we think, say, and do.
When Father Arminjon’s conferences were later published in a book, many others were able to reap the same benefit—including fourteen-year-old Thérèse Martin, then on the cusp of entering the Carmelite convent in Lisieux. Reading it, she says, “plunged my soul into a happiness not of this earth.” Young Thérèse, filled with a sense of “what God reserves for those who love him, and seeing that the eternal rewards had no proportion to the light sacrifices of life,” copied out numerous passages and memorized them, “repeating unceasingly the words of love burning in my heart.”
Now the very book that so inspired the Little Flower is available for the first time in English.
Let the pages of The End of the Present World and the Mysteries of the Future Life fill you with the same burning words of love, with the same ardent desire to know God above all created things, that St. Thérèse gained from them. Let them also enrich your understanding of certain teachings of the Faith that can often seem so mysterious, even frightening:
Jesus commands us to be ever-watchful for his return, and ever-mindful that we have no lasting city on earth. The End of the Present World and the Mysteries of the Future Life is an invaluable aid to inculcating in your spirit that heavenly orientation, without which true human happiness cannot be found—in this world or the next.
God doesn’t want us to be fearful. He wants us to be happy and enjoy the day he has made.
how did this become such a media hype? I’m sure that less than 1% of Christians really believed such a thing would happen this weekend.
I agree, that’s why “fear not” is one of the most frequent quotes in the Bible.
He does not want us to fear and we are to be joyful (his children that is), but you will find no place in scripture that instructs us that He wants us to be happy. Christ suffered and so will we. The servant is not greater than his master.
I’d be surprised if it were 1% of 1%.
It was kind of an interesting story though.
You go right on ahead and suffer all you want. I’m going to enjoy my life and try to be a good Christian without trying to be miserable.
Hey Harold if you are scanning this site we Christians have a word for you to heed. It’s called REPENT, seek Godly council and get your act together. You have been exposed by God as a false teacher and prophet.
God’s Word clearly identifies you as this. Pay attention to verse 2 as this shows what you have done to the Gospel and cause of Christ:
II Peter 2:1-3
1But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive opinions. They will even deny the Master who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves. 2Even so, many will follow their licentious ways, and because of these teachers* the way of truth will be maligned. 3And in their greed they will exploit you with deceptive words. Their condemnation, pronounced against them long ago, has not been idle, and their destruction is not asleep.
Also try this on for size:
Deuteronomy 18:15-22
15 The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet* like me from among your own people; you shall heed such a prophet.* 16This is what you requested of the Lord your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly when you said: ‘If I hear the voice of the Lord my God any more, or ever again see this great fire, I will die.’ 17Then the Lord replied to me: ‘They are right in what they have said. 18I will raise up for them a prophet* like you from among their own people; I will put my words in the mouth of the prophet,* who shall speak to them everything that I command. 19Anyone who does not heed the words that the prophet* shall speak in my name, I myself will hold accountable. 20But any prophet who speaks in the name of other gods, or who presumes to speak in my name a word that I have not commanded the prophet to speak—that prophet shall die.’ 21You may say to yourself, ‘How can we recognize a word that the Lord has not spoken?’ 22If a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord but the thing does not take place or prove true, it is a word that the Lord has not spoken. The prophet has spoken it presumptuously; do not be frightened by it.
Yours is one of the few sensible - and scriptural - comments I’ve come across on this subject. It is to be hoped that many, many are thinking what you have said.
Yes he is. We just don’t know when.
Maybe He already has returned, but it’s just not at all the way people believed it would be?
The man has mental problems obviously. Read the Bible Mr. Camping. That’s all you need to do. Shame on his followers as well. It’s not that tough.
No.
This has been a test of the Rapture Broadcast System. This has been only a test. Had this been the actual Rapture, you would have had no warning whatsoever, and whether you’d been caught up or not, you’d be going “Whoa! What just happened?”.
And no, as embarrassing as it might be for him, Mr. Camping’s not having a really tough weekend. A really tough weekend would be if he’d pulled this foolishness back in Old Testament days and got stoned as a false prophet when it didn’t happen.
Camping has read, and reread, and reread it again many times over.
He sees all kinds of subtle clues for his views hidden throughout the text.
This advice is commonly given, but individuals like Camping are a constant result of this advice.
You know this for a fact?
Don’t be so hard on the poor ol guy. Harold, we all make mistakes. It’s not like its the end of the world. :)
No, he’s seen what he wants to see. Reading the Bible over and over doesn’t cause mental illness.
Yes.
Isn’t this the guy that made a similar prediction in the 90’s?
RE: how did this become such a media hype?
Same way the Koran Burning church became a huge media hype.
Practice makes perfect.
“....but it’s just not at all the way people believed it would be?”
Some preterists think that....
RE: Maybe He already has returned, but it’s just not at all the way people believed it would be?
_______________________________________________________________________________
“Look, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of him. So shall it be! Amen.” (Revelations 1:7)
He's not insane.
What reading the Bible over and over often does is to create a sense in the reader that they have "mastered" its contents and that all of their own personal opinions and views are clearly and repeatedly affirmed in its pages.
The number of people who insist that they are able to tell you what the Bible "really" means are legion.
That isn't insanity. It's pride.
These people (Camping followers) apparently haven’t read the WHOLE Bible (or at least the part where Jesus states even He doesn’t know the exact time-and-day)..
“Camping has read, and reread, and reread it again many times over.
He sees all kinds of subtle clues for his views hidden throughout the text.
This advice is commonly given, but individuals like Camping are a constant result of this advice.”
It appears Camping could not see the forest for the trees...
Not when you make such a public declaration of knowing when the world ends and the Bible clearly tells you that no one knows that except the Father. And he’s done it once before with the same result. What’s the definition of insanity?
You should contact Mr. Camping and compare facts.
Maturity in Christ and years of studying the bible have lead me to this conclusion. Unfortunately there is a huge problem in churches across America, feel good gospel with no depth. They want to be happy, enjoy life and just get through this life and graduate to heaven, forgetting the reason they are here on this earth. I feel great sorrow over those that believe they are saved but have no evidence of their faith.
Maturity in Christ and years of studying the bible have lead me to this conclusion. Unfortunately there is a huge problem in churches across America, feel good gospel with no depth. They want to be happy, enjoy life and just get through this life and graduate to heaven, forgetting the reason they are here on this earth. I feel great sorrow over those that believe they are saved but have no evidence of their faith.
What does preterist stand for?
There are various clinical definitions of insanity.
The "repeating an action but expecting a different result" vernacular definition is a nonstarter: people routinely repeat actions that are initially futile (like drilling for oil) and are not actually considered insane.
People routinely talk their way out of supposed dilemmas: "no man knows the day or the hour" isn't the same as "no man will ever know the day or the hour" they will argue.
Many congregations and groups are built on similar hairsplitting.
>>Maybe He already has returned, but it’s just not at all the way people believed it would be?<<
The problem with Camping’s prediction is that it was diametrically opposed to what scripture says. Scripture clearly teaches that we can know the approximate time, but nobody will know the exact day.
Your comment is diametrically opposed to what scripture says as well. It warns us not to believe anyone who says he has “secretly” come and can be found somewhere. It says that when He comes, everyone will know it. Everyone.
Think of the movie “Independence Day”, only much more so.
“t individuals like Camping are a constant result of this advice. “
I don’t think advising people to read the Bible produces the constant result of people obsessing with numerology. I think that is Camping’s particular problem.
Also a narcissism, a believe that he alone can interpret the thing, which I also don’t think is a constant result of telling people to read their Bible.
>>how did this become such a media hype?<<
\
Just wait ‘till the last couple of months of 2012. You ain’t seen nothin’ yet! ;)
And we’ll have a election and its results in the news at the same time.
And the economy will certainly be in MUCH worse shape than it is today.
The last half of 2012 is gonna be one interesting time in history.
>>...but you will find no place in scripture that instructs us that He wants us to be happy.<<
Beat me to it. Thanks for calling it out.
Again, I agree with you. Keep it up.
I will add only one point. You said: “I feel great sorrow over those that believe they are saved but have no evidence of their faith.”
The real tragedy is that others have no evidence of their faith. That is to say, a Christian needs no good works to secure his or her salvation. It is all accomplished in Christ. Nor does a Christian need further evidence of saving faith than the testimony of God Himself, i.e., the Gospel. However, the world badly needs the good works that must of necessity proceed from saving faith. Or, to put it another way, our neighbors need the love of God that flows from one who first was loved by God. Thus God would have us love our neighbor as He has loved us.
Blessings to you this day.
Camping doesn’t read the Bible, he reads INTO the Bible. He has a world view and he looks to the Bible for confirmation of it. It’s a bad way to read anything because you’re not getting anything out of it.
Harold Camping isn’t the issue. He’s just another kook on the street. It’s the fact that this became a media event that’s the issue. Why do I even know who this nobody is? Why did the press build this up when it wasn’t a story in the first place.
>>It appears Camping could not see the forest for the trees...<<
Or could not see the REAL forest for the imaginary trees.
He reminds me of the folks that used to look for “backwards masked” “evil” lyrics in rock and roll songs, ignoring the fact that what they were looking for was often in plain site in the actual lyrics of the songs.
He’s in charge of a radio network that has 66 stations, he’s not exactly and has the ability to make a pretty big media event all by himself. Then people start liquidating their life saving to spread his message even farther and you have a legitimate media event to cover.
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