Harold Camping Prediction: World Survives Doomsday (Again)

The world refused to end yet again on Friday, despite another prediction from Family Radio network owner Harold Camping that it would.

Earlier this year, Camping claimed Judgement Day was coming May 21. Then, when it did not, he said the actual day of reckoning would be October 21.

That day too passed without incident and now the Daily Mail is having a tough time getting Camping or anyone else from Family Radio to explain why the Earth is still turning. The paper's calls to the company were not returned.

The AP also ran into a roadblock while searching for answers.

"I'm sorry to disappoint you, but we at Family Radio have been directed to not talk to the media or the press," Camping's daughter Susan Espinoza wrote to the AP on Friday.

Reuters caught up with Camping recently, before the big non-event, and the preacher declined to comment.

"We're not having a conversation," he told Reuters. "There's nothing to report here."

In May, thousands of billboards across the country proclaimed the world would end on May 21. One man from New York City said he spent his life savings on advertisements notifying his fellow citizens that the apocalypse was near.

This time, there was no such fanfare, perhaps showing that people have grown weary of trusting a man who is now 0 for 3 when it comes to anticipating Armageddon.

Comments

[jdryv]

11:59 PM on 10/29/2011

consider this: campings calculations were correct. it's the bible that is false.

[mabinog]

05:02 PM on 10/29/2011

stiffed by God again, poor Harold

[tangelan]

10:41 PM on 10/27/2011

I thought the world was supposed to end but I couldn't remember the date as its a moving target.

[WhigPartySpokesman]

10:17 PM on 10/27/2011

The real shame is that anyone paid any attention to this guy in the first place. Granted this fool has thousands of listeners nationwide, but that's really less impressive than it sounds. There are any number of flash-in-the-pan internet phenomena with ten times the followers that don't rate national media coverage.

No one followed this thinking that it was really Armageddon this time. We just follow the coverage so we can revel in the schadenfreude once judgment day rolls past without incident. Harold Camping, like Fred Phelps and Terry Jones, is not worth the attention we give him, but we still give him the attention he wants because laughing at him makes us feel better about ourselves.

[bobmarshallnyc]

08:38 PM on 10/26/2011

"We're not having a conversation," he told Reuters. "There's nothing to report here."
Keep walking, folks; no news here.

[Razpooten]

07:36 PM on 10/26/2011

Oh good, now I can do my laundry and take a bath. I figured since its the end of the world why waste time doing laundry. Now a I have quite a pile.

[Pembrokelib]

04:10 PM on 10/26/2011

There have always been and there will always be crazies like Camping. And suckers who made him rich too. Only good things are the end of the world jokes.

[CoastalNC]

03:57 PM on 10/26/2011

The big question is.....will people give him money again the next time he comes up with one of his "dates"?

[mamahappy]

11:50 PM on 10/25/2011

Wouldn't Harold Camping and Pat Robertson make a great gay couple?

[Liberalicious]

12:48 PM on 10/26/2011

No, I don't need those foul self-haters on my side.

[mamahappy]

01:23 PM on 10/26/2011

I'm sorry, I didn't think about that. Okay, well then wouldn't they be great mute friends? Sorry that's all I could come up with.

[brokerthanu]

03:26 AM on 10/28/2011

A gay couple of what?

[curiousdwk]

10:55 PM on 10/25/2011

I'm still not sure who is more sick - the leaders like Camping or the followers who don't bother to use any critical analysis.

[smoovejef]

12:08 AM on 10/27/2011

Leaders are sick; followers are gullible.

[brokerthanu]

03:27 AM on 10/28/2011

It's symbiotic... or maybe it's natural selection.

[umbriago]

08:54 PM on 10/25/2011

Of course he's silent. Hasn't he been recovering from a stroke?

[Dosadi]

07:29 PM on 10/25/2011

But I'll bet he will be there to pass out the collection plate.

His poor followers are being duped and I think it is against the law for anyone to help them.

[Grimmsd]

07:03 PM on 10/25/2011

According to the bible someone who makes false predictions is a false prophet and should be stoned to death... where are the Bible thumpers now? Shouldn't they be getting busy?

[Razpooten]

07:37 PM on 10/26/2011

Amen, and amen!

[F7]

05:40 PM on 10/25/2011

I went out and bought me a couple of Cohibas and a bottle of good burbon. I sat on my deck all day, just a'waitin' fer that thar fireball to come down and light my cigar.

Dammit, I had to use annother match to get them Cohibas lit. Cain't depend on nobody no more!

[alterego55]

02:48 PM on 10/25/2011

Darn. If I had only shoved that rocket up my asss as Alterego suggested.