Doomsday Aftermath - Chris "Preach" Smith

It's May 22nd. Bills are still expected to show up in the mail.
The NBA Playoffs are still going on. And the world is still intact.
The Rapture, known as the Second Coming of Jesus Christ in
Christianity, was supposed to have taken place yesterday at
6 PM exactly. Thousands of people who believed Harold Camping,
the self-styled prophet and evangelist who made this declaration
took to the streets and awaited doomsday. And 6 o'clock came
and went, all over the world with nothing left in its wake but
jokes and extreme disappointment and questions.

I'd like to have hope that this will put an end to such stupidity,
but as I heard on Sportcenter last night, 'the Mayans are on
the clock.' We've got such a fetish for the world coming to an
end, so much so that there's some elements among us making
sure that happens. It's cool to watch the world end. We've seen
it happen so much on movie theater screens, right? What Family
Radio and Camping will probably do is regroup and redirect their
message to keep these followers in their camp, using another
section from the Bible to keep them in line much like they used
that passage from Thessalonians. Probably Jonah and the whale.
They may even splice some scenes from 'The Perfect Storm' into
any Youtube clips they make. They'll do this because any good
con game needs willing participants. And America is a breeding
ground for Christian-themed con artists. Isn't that right Benny
Hinn?


I don't feel sorry for those folks who burned up their savings,
quit their jobs or gave away property and cars because they
thought The Rapture was imminent. If they really studied the
Bible or possessed common sense, they'd know that one man
WHO GOT IT WRONG already is not someone who should be
counted on tell you the truth!! I feel sorry for those close to
them who are affected, their sons and daughters and loved
ones. Some of these young ones have had their college funds
and trust funds drained and given away to Camping who was
reported to have earned 72 MILLION in donations a couple of
years back. Their futures are tainted by this. And in this age
of social media, imagine the jokes and insults they've got to
deal with because their parents made a dumb decision. Don't
be surprised if you hear a couple of tragic stories come out of
this mess.

What needs to happen right now? Well for starters, Camping
and his organization needs to be dealt with seriously. That
means a full examination of his financial holdings and an
outcry for him to give that surplus of money to charity. (I
didn't mention the possibility of followers getting their money
back 'cause they made a choice to donate.) Counseling needs
to be made available to his followers. The media at large needs
to check themselves 'cause this went from a blip in the news
a year ago to constant hype over the past three weeks on a
daily basis. And ultimately, let's not shy away from calling
this movement a cult. Because we really don't need another
Jonestown.

Enjoy your day after Doomsday folks!!