Rapture victims: Sue Harold Camping!

Of course you’ve seen the billboards. Everyone has by now. They all proclaim that the world ends Saturday. Millions of gullible people have emptied their bank accounts and sold their belongings to “help spread the word” about the imminent coming of Jesus.

But did you notice what else they spread the word about? They’re all advertising an allegedly non-profit chain of 66 radio stations across the country.

The man who started this whole nonsense is a huckster named Harold Camping. His stations (a number of which, despite supposedly being non-profit, are on commercial frequencies) call themselves “Family Radio” and bring in tons of money from donations. This latest rapture scare alone has netted them more than $100 million in “donations” according to KGO-TV. Millions more are being spent directly by people who have been taking out billboards and road signs, all of which tell you to “Listen to Family Radio” and the frequency of the station.

In other words, Harold Camping has conned millions of gullible, desperate people into paying for his advertising.

How do I know this is all nonsense? Because Jesus was very specific when he told us no one knows the time of the Second Coming. He says it over and over throughout the Gospels. He even tells us that Jesus himself does not know when he is coming back! So how is Harold Camping so much better than Christ himself that he supposedly knows exactly when Christ is returning? And why would anyone who’s actually read their Bible believe him?

Originally I had planned to hold these Campingites up for ridicule when Sunday comes and the world has once again not ended. But now I’m starting to feel sorry for them. The message of Christianity is supposed to be comfort and relief to the weak and oppressed. Now we have an actual false prophet like Jesus warned us about who is preying upon those peoples’ desire for eternal joy and hope for an end to their suffering here on Earth. I feel sorry, even angry, on their behalf.

So if you donated money to Harold Camping to “spread the word,” or took your money to buy one of those billboards advertising his stations, then I suggest you call a lawyer Monday morning and sue the Hell out of Harold Camping. This is fraud and deception pure and simple, and he fraudulently got all of you to pay to advertise his radio stations. Maybe a few of you out there might end up owning some of those stations yourself.

This man tried it back in 1994, and this time he’s been successful with his con. Don’t let him get away with it. Seek restitution and damages from this trickster.

And as for your belief in a false prophet? Jesus will forgive you Sunday morning. Just be more careful next time.