Camping's Final Letter? I'm Not So Sure . . .

Given his track record (1994?), we know that Harold Camping is beyond shame.  Here's his final letter, his "farewell."

Or is it? 

What is he going to say on May 22?  What will his post-May 21 fund-raising letters and correspondence be like?

My take is that he'll announce that he miscalculated, and then retrench in some way.  This is what he did before when he got this wrong.

I'll be very surprised if there is the least sign of repentance from Camping.  He has too much invested in being right about this in the face of scoffers to back down now.

So, what do you think he'll say in his next letter?  Leave your proposed post-May 21 "Harold Camping letter" in the comments section below. 

Have fun with this one!

Comments

[Paul L.]

On May 22, Harold Camping tranforms Family Radio from a Christian network into a sports talk network. He also starts his own sports betting picks service, using the same "guaranteed" methodology for selecting winners as he used to come up with the May 21 date.

If has was able to convince so many people to belive his May 21, 2011 prediction after being wrong about 1994, then he will no doubt be able to persuade people to subscribe to his sports picks. To be fair, Camping's sports picks service will really be not be any worse than all the other sports picks services.

[JN]

Camping goes into retirement and issues no more letters, books, or other communication releases. His followers claim he was secretly raptured on the 21st and everyone else in the world, themselves included, were left. They will say that even they didn't "one hundred percent" believe him and now just have to "wait it out" with the rest of the world. Family Radio programming will get increasingly "prophetic" (read: legalistic) telling listeners that even those who thought they were saved blew it and have five months or less to get things in order. Paranoid, "fans" will begin doubting their every move wondering if it was the sin that kept them out of heaven. "Did I breathe too many times or not enough times over the last minute? What is the perfect number of breaths per minute?"

[Lloyd I. Cadle]

He will say that he miscalculated, and then regroup and sell more books.

Unfortunately, this is a leader like Jim Jones of the Heavens Gate cult and other like false teachers. The blind leading the blind.

What an embarrassment for all Christians.

[Mike W.]

Whether Camping is correct or not, the issue is - Are you ready to meet Jesus? It might be tomorrow, or the next day, or next month. Are you ready? How about your cousin? Your brother-in-law? Your neighbor?

Truth is, Jesus is coming. To Camping's credit he does get us to think and talk about that fact because it will happen. Unfortunately, I remember the boy who called wolf - eventually no one listened or cared anymore. Hopefully all the Camping's of the world don't cause people to stop listening or caring.

[William the Contractor]

"Practice makes perfect!"

[Richard]

Lloyd,

Maybe he will start broadcasting Diamondback games. And go swimming.

[Ryan H.]

As the old adage goes, "If at first you don't succeed....give up and try something else!"

[reg]

He miscalculated. He failed to account for the transition from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar and for the fact that there is no leap year in years divisible by 400. Somehow it will end up the Mayan's were right all along- December 21, 2012 is the correct date. And then he will get to ride this cause celebre for another year plus and enjoy an additional 15 minutes in the spotlight.

[Lloyd I. Cadle]

Rapture update..........

I don't know how it is where my fellow Riddlebloggers are, but at 2:45 in the afternoon in the Phoenix area (this place loves politics and world events) folks are laughing and going ballistic all over the place. All of the different radio broadcast's are blasting Harold Camping as a nit-wit cult leader and the jokes are getting pretty crazy to say the least.

Phoenicians are calling in to local radio stations discussing their last meal, etc. One guy just called in a local rock 'n roll station and said that he will be dressed the same way as the way he entered the world, while waiting for the rapture in his back yard.

One of Camping's billboard signs is in a town called Wickenburg, on the way to Vegas, that is bringing more jokes. Camping has another rapture sign near the ASU campus in Tempe, more laughter.

[Lloyd I. Cadle]

Richard -

Camping needs to spend some time with Kirk Gibson. Dirty Harry Kirk will straighten him out!

[Bill Weber]

First, Camping's letter is a bit strange. The analogy to Paul's leaving Ephesus and Camping's farewell really doesn't work. Why be sad, since his Family Radio supporters will be with him when Christ returns? The guy never could rightly divide Scripture.

Second, I suppose his letter for June will look something like this:

The May 21 date was wrong, but look at how much good we've done in bringing Christ's return to the attention of the nation! I've recalculated and I forgot to carry over from the tens column, therefore the new day is now....

Third, the sad thing is how Christ is made the object of scorn in all this. Kim, is right, the man is shameless, and I do not think he will repent. I have an acquaintance who has followed Camping out of the church, and who does not believe in sola fide. It is a sad thing to see a soul ruined.

[Matt]

To Mike W.

The issue is that Camping could not be right. Check your notes (read your bible).

[Kevin Thompson]

Rapture? No, I meant raptor. Dinosuars are now roaming the remote parts of the earth and will evently do some damage... Sory for the typo.

(not original)

[presbyterian_keith]

He'll say nothing, nothing at all in his attempt to pretend he's been raptured making the rest of his followers to wonder if they've been left behind!

[Patrick Yamada]

"I said the world would BEGIN to end on May 21. This is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning (of the end)."

[Janelle]

Wouldn't it be funny if, just by chance, the judgment day DOES happen tomorrow? It might happen at any time, including tomorrow. It would sure surprise me :-)

[Bill Weber]

It could happen, Sunday, Janelle, and any time after, but it will not happen on Camping's date because Jesus plainly said that no one knows the exact time.

[Lloyd I. Cadle]

Rapture update.............

Chuck Smith of Calvary Chapel predicted the rapture would take place before 1981. He used the fig tree as an example, and Pope Chuck said that 1948 would be the last generation before the return of Christ. (Dang, this is sure getting to be an old generation!)

He had the folks at Calvary Chapel congregated in a tent at midnight before 1982 kicked in.

When the rapture didn't happen as predicted, they left the tent that evening and went "Camping"........no pun intended.

This is Lloyd, reporting on Rapture watch...............

[BBywaters]

I think Harold Camping will flat out admit to being wrong...sort of. He will affirm that God's Word is inerrant even though Harold Camping is not. However, I think Camping will go on to say that he still believes God has revealed the truth about Jesus' second coming in His Word, and that everything Harold Camping said about it was true...except that he was unable to decipher the whole meaning of it. He will then challenge others to pick up the task where he left off, to discover the hidden truth of Christ's second coming and reveal it to the world.

[Perry Robinson]

I say you burn him at the stake or stone him on the spot where Servetus was executed. Teach all these fools a lesson. Use all his literature as kindling.