'Rapture' apocalypse prediction sparks atheist reaction

US atheists are to hold parties in response to an evangelical broadcaster's prediction that Saturday will be "judgement day".

The Rapture After Party in North Carolina - "the best damned party in NC" - is among the planned events.

Harold Camping, 89, predicts that Jesus Christ will return to earth on Saturday and true believers will be swept up, or "raptured", to heaven.

He has used broadcasts and billboards to publicise his ideas.

He says biblical texts indicate that a giant earthquake on Saturday will mark the start of the world's destruction, and that by 21 October all non-believers will be dead.

Mr Camping has predicted an apocalypse once before, in 1994, though followers now say that only referred to an intermediary stage.

"We learn from the Bible that Holy God plans to rescue about 200 million people," says a text on the website of Mr Camping's network, Family Radio Worldwide.

"On the first day of the Day of Judgment (May 21, 2011) they will be caught up (raptured) into Heaven because God had great mercy for them."

'Countdown to back-pedalling'
The Rapture After Party in Fayetteville, North Carolina, is a two-day event organised by the Central North Carolina Atheists and Humanists.


This prediction has been given an unusually high level of publicity
"Though the absurdity of this claim is obvious to the majority of the world, it's a great opportunity to highlight some of the most bizarre beliefs often put forth by religious fundamentalists and raise awareness of the need for reason," said a posting about the party on the group's website.

Atheists in Tacoma, Washington, have headed their celebration "countdown to back-pedalling".

Events are also planned in Houston, Florida and California.

An atheist and entrepreneur from North Hampshire, Bart Centre, is enjoying a boost in business for Eternal Earth-bound Pets, which he set up to look after the pets of those who believe they will be raptured.

He has more than 250 clients who are paying up to $135 (£83) to have their pets picked up and cared for after the rapture.

They would be disappointed twice, he told the Wall Street Journal. "Once because they weren't raptured and again because I don't do refunds."

'No Plan B'
Meanwhile Mr Camping, who has been criticised by more mainstream Christians, says he knows "without any shadow of a doubt" that "judgement day" is arriving.

He says he will spend Saturday with his wife, close to a TV or radio.

"I'll be interested in what's happening on the other side of the world as this begins," he told Reuters.

There is no "Plan B", he says.

His campaign has been unusually widely promoted - both in the US, and overseas, including in the Middle East.

In Vietnam, thousands of members of the Hmong ethnic minority gathered near the border with Laos earlier this month to await the 21 May event, the Associated Press reported.

Chris McCann of eBible Fellowship, one of the groups helping to spread the message, said it had been publicised in almost every country.

"The only countries I don't feel too good about are the "stans" - you know, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, those countries in Central Asia," he said.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-13468131

Awesome. It would great if those who believe in this shit actually do get raptured away... the world will be better off without them. But alas that's not going to happen.

charvaka wrote:Awesome. It would great if those who believe in this shit actually do get raptured away... the world will be better off without them. But alas that's not going to happen.

how so? not supporting foolish beliefs but most of them cud be harmless people. wats wud be so great about them being raptured away?

this is crazy lol...i saw a judge judy episode where a wife was divorcing her husband and suing him for money bcz he spent all his time preparing for the day of judgement )
chanting AUM and making funny gestures to save himself from the apocalypse lololol and the husband was trying to convince judge too to join him and save herself )))

i'd like to hear their thoughts day after tomorrow lol

seven wrote:how so? not supporting foolish beliefs but most of them cud be harmless people. wats wud be so great about them being raptured away?

The world would be a better place with fewer stupid people. That's how.

charvaka wrote:

seven wrote:how so? not supporting foolish beliefs but most of them cud be harmless people. wats wud be so great about them being raptured away?

The world would be a better place with fewer stupid people. That's how.

i still dont understand how getting rid of few people with a foolish belief will make the world a better place in anyway. according to u if all stupid people died, the world will be a better place

how do u know some of them are not social workers or the do gooders? making world a better place for many other people?? they shud all die bcz of one stupid belief???

i believe india will be a better place without muslims. bcz their beliefs are stupid. if we were to kill all muslims in india that wud mean killing 4 out of every 10 people !!!
Does that sound like something which will make any place better to live in ?

seven wrote:i still dont understand how getting rid of few people with a foolish belief will make the world a better place in anyway.

I didn't say anything about getting rid of people. I said if the stupid people got raptured away as they believe they will, the rest of us may have it easier.

seven wrote:according to u if all stupid people died, the world will be a better place

According to the stupid people, rapture has nothing to do with death.

seven wrote:how do u know some of them are not social workers or the do gooders?

They would still be stupid social workers and stupid do-gooders.

according to stupid people rapture has nothing to do with death but it does according to you, does it not?

and you didnt say rest of us may have it easier...you said word will be a better place if they got raptured away ( which can also mean die in general terms- to reach heaven or where ever) and i said getting rid of...not very different from wat u meant.

anyway that was not the point. i was only testing u to see if u will admit to the stupidity in ur msg and say u didnt really mean it or u will try to justify ur statement.

thats all.

I think the world will be a better place without those who seriously believe in this bullshit. That's all.

If you ppl don't see my posts on Monday...consider that I am raptured

But...I may be posting from heaven and give updates....keep watching...lol

@ carvaka

well...fair enuf...u have right to ur thinking ( just like they have to theirs)

charvaka wrote:I think the world will be a better place without those who seriously believe in this bullshit. That's all.

uh uho...you worry about other people and that qualifies you as a good person and automatically puts you in rapture list.

I am so worried coz I have always been good and worried about others....

Sasthi wrote:If you ppl don't see my posts on Monday...consider that I am raptured

But...I may be posting from heaven and give updates....keep watching...lol

When I post on old CH with all its problems, I already feel like I am posting from heaven and providing updates.