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Betting Against the End of the World
The Atlas Society - The Center for Objectivism ^ | May 17, 2011 | Edward Hudgins

Posted on 05/18/2011 1:24:23 PM PDT by Ed Hudgins

Throughout human history and especially in recent centuries, cults of all kinds have predicted the end of the world. You’ve probably noticed that they’ve all been seriously wrong.

The latest such silliness has come from 89-year-old Harold Camping’s Family Radio network of 66 stations. Based on his study of the Bible, Camping calculates that doomsday will be on Saturday, May 21, 2011.

Christianity is particularly prone to such nonsense. After all, the Book of Revelation is all about doomsday, though with details from a clearly delusional mind. The “son of man” appears out of the clouds with a two-edged sword coming out of his mouth: that makes it tough to eat and talk! He has seven stars in his hand: a star is a million miles in diameter and a million degrees at its core, making things pretty hot and crowded on the Earth. You get the picture.

American history is full of cults that saw no future for the world. Starting in 1843, William Miller and his followers predicted a dozen doomsdays. One would think that after the first few predictions failed, followers of the cult would disappear. Remarkably, more such cults and followers followed.

The problem is not only found in fringe Christian sects. The landscape of the twentieth century is littered with the failed predictions from a plethora of mystic and New Age groups. The members of the Heaven’s Gate flying saucer cult, to get ahead of the game, all committed suicide.

Rich Suckers

What is perhaps most disturbing about the adherents to cults that make such failed predictions or, more generally, are as crazy as March hares, is that they are not just the most poor, ignorant, or downtrodden in society.

(Excerpt) Read more at atlassociety.org ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events; Philosophy
KEYWORDS: armageddon; doomsday; endoftheworld; judgementday
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1 posted on 05/18/2011 1:24:26 PM PDT by Ed Hudgins
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To: Ed Hudgins

May 21, 2011 is going to be doomsday for the ministry of Harold Camping.


2 posted on 05/18/2011 1:27:51 PM PDT by DarthVader (That which supports Barack Hussein Obama must be sterilized and there are NO exceptions!)
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To: Ed Hudgins
After all, the Book of Revelation is all about doomsday,

No, it is about the hope of a glorious future that all can share.

3 posted on 05/18/2011 1:29:36 PM PDT by DManA
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To: Ed Hudgins

Anyone who accepts this end-of-=world date please contact me to divest yourself of the material possessions you won’t need after going to your reward. Time is running out.


4 posted on 05/18/2011 1:30:02 PM PDT by luvbach1 (checked your profile)
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To: DarthVader

Told my boss that I wouldn’t be coming in to work Saturday. She said that the world doesn’t end until my shift is over so I still have to show up.

Oh well.....


5 posted on 05/18/2011 1:30:34 PM PDT by dis.kevin (Dry white toast)
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To: Ed Hudgins

“....He has seven stars in his hand: a star is a million miles in diameter and a million degrees at its core, making things pretty hot and crowded on the Earth...”

Oh good grief! This guy must have a mind that cannot process imagery, metaphors, or symbols. He must think it is impossible for there to be 50 stars on an American flag.


6 posted on 05/18/2011 1:30:39 PM PDT by Monterrosa-24 (...even more American than a French bikini and a Russian AK-47.)
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To: dis.kevin

Depends on what time zone you’re in!


7 posted on 05/18/2011 1:33:04 PM PDT by Ed Hudgins (Rand fan)
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To: Ed Hudgins

“But of that day and hour no one knoweth, not the angels of heaven, but the Father alone.”

-Matthew 24:36


8 posted on 05/18/2011 1:33:15 PM PDT by Emperor Palpatine (One of these days, Alice....one of these days.....POW!! Right in the kisser!!!!)
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To: luvbach1

Exactly the point of my challenge!


9 posted on 05/18/2011 1:34:02 PM PDT by Ed Hudgins (Rand fan)
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To: Ed Hudgins

Below is a pair of emails I sent to Camping and his marketing people. No reply. Duh.


To: frbillboards@gmail.com; frcaravan@gmail.com; frinterviews@gmail.com
Please see that this message is forwarded to the appropriate people.
It is my intent to allow Mr Harold Camping an opportunity to prove how much he himself believes the words he has spoken to the world.
I am inclined to believe that he is a fraud, and that he will not accept my challenge.

-—— Forwarded Message ——

To: familyradio@familyradio.org; webservant@familyradio.org; webservant@familyradio.org
Sent: Tue, May 10, 2011 9:29:48 AM
Subject: A Challenge For You

Dear Mr Harold Camping,

I have a proposal for you.
Please exercise your faith by selling me everything you own for $1.
We can contract it so that I take possession on May 22, 2011.
According to your ‘prophecy’, you and all the other believers will have departed the Earth the day before, so you will have no need for your possessions any longer.

I am dead serious. I want your home(s), car(s), cash, investments, other real estate, contracts, account payable, securities, any position if leadership that you occupy, and any interest in any form of business (sole proprietor, non-profit, corporation).

If you refuse, then I must take that to mean that you don’t really believe your own words to be true, which would make you a false prophet.

Sincerely,


10 posted on 05/18/2011 1:34:51 PM PDT by dadgum (Overjoyed to be a Pariah)
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To: DarthVader

It’s been pointed out to me that one can sign up to make regular donations to his ministry for month to come—or not come!


11 posted on 05/18/2011 1:35:35 PM PDT by Ed Hudgins (Rand fan)
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To: Ed Hudgins

12 posted on 05/18/2011 1:36:57 PM PDT by starlifter (Pullum sapit)
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To: Ed Hudgins
While you're laughing up your sleeves at the religious kooks how about setting aside some snide for the "scientific" cults of global warming, er, um I mean climate change and the Malthusian population explosion or nuclear winter.

The only difference is the scientific cults expect us to pay them for our salvation.

13 posted on 05/18/2011 1:37:16 PM PDT by Pietro
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To: Ed Hudgins
The Center for Objectivism ^

This guy needs a reminder of what Objectivism means. It's fine to have your own opinion (rather impossible to avoid, really), but objective this piece ain't. Childish forms of atheism often put objectivism on a pedestal, but then fail woefully in practicing it.

14 posted on 05/18/2011 1:37:38 PM PDT by Liberty1970 (Liberty, not License. Freedom, not Slavery.)
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To: Ed Hudgins
What is perhaps most disturbing about the adherents to cults that make such failed predictions or, more generally, are as crazy as March hares, is that they are not just the most poor, ignorant, or downtrodden in society.

What? it would be less disturbing if only the most poor, ignorant, or downtrodden got roped in?

I don't get it. Anyone who gets sucked into this stuff is a victim.

15 posted on 05/18/2011 1:39:49 PM PDT by Smokin' Joe (How often God must weep at humans' folly. Stand fast. God knows what He is doing.)
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To: Emperor Palpatine

Emperor Palpatine wrote: “But of that day and hour no one knoweth, not the angels of heaven, but the Father alone.”

-Matthew 24:36

And that is the end of this matter. Scripture tells us all we need to know.


16 posted on 05/18/2011 1:41:27 PM PDT by Aleya2Fairlie
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To: Pietro

As I posted on the other thread,

Wouldn’t it be something, if by accident he got the date right?

Or, if the date passed, and it turned out to be the next day?

We must always be ready for Jesus...


17 posted on 05/18/2011 1:41:37 PM PDT by Judith Anne ( Holy Mary, Mother of God, please pray for us sinners now, and at the hour of our death.)
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To: Ed Hudgins

The members of the Heaven’s Gate flying saucer cult, to get ahead of the game, all committed suicide.

So the world DID end for them !
Scary how that works.


18 posted on 05/18/2011 1:41:45 PM PDT by tet68 ( " We would not die in that man's company, that fears his fellowship to die with us...." Henry V.)
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To: dadgum

What an idiotic waste of time. Did it make you feel better?


19 posted on 05/18/2011 1:43:27 PM PDT by DManA
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To: Smokin' Joe

Since when do Randians care about the downtrodden?


20 posted on 05/18/2011 1:45:27 PM PDT by DManA
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