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Today's countdown to the predicted end of the world was a bit like watching a rerun of reality TV … been there, done that doomsday. Nevertheless, radio preacher Harold Camping's Rapture rerun provided a good opportunity to revive the old jokes and prepare for the new doomsday hype ahead in 2012.
The hype was a lot heavier five months ago, when Camping set a high-profile date for a biblical-style ascension of the elect to heaven. Millions of dollars were spent by Camping's Family Radio International as well as followers who spent their savings to get out the word about the end of the world. During this week's spaceflight conference in New Mexico, one of my colleagues on the space beat, Jeff Foust, happened to mention that he saw a billboard that still touted Judgment Day's approach on May 21.
The hubbub sparked a backlash of black humor — ranging from animated cartoons to "Rapture bombs," which involved setting out clothes and shoes, as if the wearer had been transported (nude) to the pearly gates. The Sociolatte and Mashable websites revived some of the best of the bombs, including "Rapture Dad," a photo that shows Kyle Riesenbeck surrounded by the leavings of his luckier family members. (Kyle kept the meme going, but according to his Twitter account, Rapture Dad has "decided to take it easy on the Rapture this time around.")
That's just one of the signs that the Rapture has really run its course. Camping may well come up with yet another explanation for why prophecy failed, and yet another set of arcane calculations that reveal doomsday is just a little further down the road. But based on the weak ratings for today's Rapture rerun, the 90-year-old Camping is finished as a prophet of doom. The Freedom From Religion Foundation is even capitalizing on his past pronouncements in a new "Fool Me Once" billboard campaign.
Still more evidence of Rapture fatigue comes from a Crimson Hexagon analysis of 55,537 Twitter mentions related to Camping's October prophecy, gathered from Oct. 16 to today:
- 14 percent of the mentions expressed negativity toward Camping, many indicating they thought he was crazy or an idiot.
- 26 percent shared jokes or were sarcastic about the rapture and Camping’s predictions.
- 18 percent mentioned that Camping was at it again, and dubbed this prediction as Rapture 2.0 or Rapture2s.
- 13 percent expressed excitement for the end of the world and saw it as an excuse to throw a party.
- 14 percent shared the report that today was the predicted date of the Rapture.
- 8 percent voiced a religious response, such as saying Camping was a false prophet.
- 7 percent wondered whether the Rapture was for real this time.
For years, doomsayers have been talking about the prospects for a 2012 apocalypse foretold by the Mayan "long-count" calendar, even though there's really no scientific or even anthropological basis for the alarm. I've tried to provide some reality checks for the 2012 worries — including concerns about solar storms and the supposed return of Planet X. But today's non-Rapture may be an even more valuable lesson for anyone who's concerned about 12/21/2012: Just because someone makes a big to-do about the end of the world doesn't mean that it's coming.
So what do you think about the Rapture and other doomsdays? Heard any good end-of-the-world jokes lately? Feel free to add your comments below.
Review all of the postings from Rapture 1.0 by checking CosmicLog.com/Rapture. You can also connect with the Cosmic Log community by "liking" the log's Facebook page, following @b0yle on Twitter or adding me to a circle on Google+. And for something completely different, check out "The Case for Pluto," my book about the controversial dwarf planet and the search for new worlds.
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Alan, covering this nonsense should have been beneath you. You might want to consider going back to covering science on your science blog. Unless, of course, you're chasing down readership and are willing to lose the smaller smarter crowd to gain a larger audience of idiots.
All the good jokes were taken?
Raptures can be so depressing.
We are actually already raptured.
1. The people that do not believe are "normal".
2. The people that do believe are "zombies".
3. Maybe it is "normals'" divine duty to put the "zombies" where they want to be. Just a thought, I am not suggesting any kind of violence, just a redistribution of resources. Let's send them all to Canada to work in the tar sands to make the rest of us sinners gas. Let's face it, Canada is mostly unspoiled, uninhabitable, gods' country.
Everyone, please, read the Bible. Do not spout absurd comments about what you have not read or studied... meaning doing more than simple word studies with a concordance. Genesis clearly describes the Big Bang, evolution, and the fact that humankind is responsible for keeping the world "ki tov", or, "spectacular." That we, including me as a part of humankind, allow wicked people to continue doing evil, is to our shame. So don't blame God for the crap in the world when you are not willing to help clear up the mess... by "overcoming evil with good." That does not mean war or destructive revolution. And, if there is something like the rapture, it could not possibly happen for a very, very long time. Why? Because the end will not come until the times are like the days of Noah, or like Sodom and Gomorrah... meaning that only one or two families will be left on the earth who have faith in God. So, if there are two or more families on the earth who have faith in God, regardless of theology, the world is not even close to the end, or the rapture.
Why is this religious junk in the Cosmic Log? More proof that the US has no clue what science is.
I thought there'd be more humor in these postings. There's a lot more religion-bashing going on here than jokes.
Personally, I spent End-of-the-world day planting my bulbs for spring. I want to see which comes 1st, the daffodils blooming, or the good rev making his next nofoolin'thistime Rapture date prediction. I'm rooting for the daffodils, but I could be biased.
And where does one put in an order for their own cabana boy? Tina, Suze, a little help?
Mayan 1: "Oh crap! I can't continue the calender."
Mayan 2: "Why?"
Mayan 1: "I ran out of stone to chisel on."
Mayan 2: "Oh don't worry about it. 2000 years is more than enough to look forward to, and if we run out we can make more."
Mayan 1: "Think we'll last that long?"
Mayan 2: "Sure! And if we don't, what's the worst that can happen?"
Jesus is coming
in your mouth
BTW- the picture of that guy sitting on the couch watching tv is hilarious!!!
Fools and their money...LMAO
I see a new fast food restaurant from all this nonsense. Only thing is--this 'idea' is probably a billion dollar idea! So if anyone runs with this, please give me the logo designing job and a small royalty!!
"RAPTUREBURGERS!!"
"So delicious, they disappear leaving only the wrapper!"
that's why they have you prepay for your burgers when you go to a fast food restaurant. They don't want to be hanging around with unpaid for burgers, and clothing all over the floor.
I wish I knew someone who actually believed this stuff. I would beat it into their heads everyday how wrong they were the first, second, and third time, then I would ceaselessly recommend a course in critical thinking.
Well, God set the bar pretty high, to discourage this kind of nonsense. In the Old Testament it's clear that people like Camping are false prophets and should be stoned. I wouldn't go that far, but do think you'd have to be stoned to listen to a nut like him. Nobody knows when the world will end. More importantly, none of us know when our time here will be over It's important to make wise choices, seek truth, love God and be kind to each other .. oh, and avoid becoming a nut, like Camping.
Funny how the religious right are sweating on some kind of 'Apocalypse or Armageddon or Rapture(which is not even specifically mentioned in the bible).
Best guess for the end of the world would be ...an massive asteroid or asteroids. Man may wipe out life on the planet a lot sooner than that though via pollution or war.
Not exactly correct. The word rapture doesn't exist in the Bible. The concept is fairly well spelled out by Jesus in the gospels and in Paul's letters and in John's book of the Revelation. However, so much of that talk is so mystical, it's hard to determine if it was meant to be taken literally or was metaphor. The concept of Jesus' return is much more clear.
Very little of the bible is meant to be taken literally.
That's what gets folks in trouble.
Hey , maybe the rapture did happen, and we are all going to hell.
Then I'm glad I'm still here.
If heaven is filled with the likes of the people who believe in the Rapture, I'd rather not go.
Tina, my Mom always said she wanted to go to "Midtown" instead of "Uptown", because at Midtown, you get to smoke and drink beer. LOL
Actually, Willow, that is my idea of heaven!
Poor Harold Camping - predicted the end of the world 3 times, and was wrong 3 times.
Harold, 3 strikes and your OUT!
No man knows the way or the time that this world ends , there also is no mention of any rapture in any book of any major religion .
And his coming back is two fold: In the sky for Christians and to the earth for Israel.
For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout and with the voice of an archangel and with the trump of God (sorry for paraphrasing)
As soon as you (general 'you') start with the bible quotes, I quit reading your post. Waste of my time.
@Zapper
1) the word "Rapture" is not in the bible, Correct however the latin word for the event is "Rapturus" which is why it's referred to as such.
2) If you don't believe why post?
3) almost as overbearing as those who place their faith in other belief systems such as agnosticism/atheism that constantly call you "stupid" or "ignorant" for believing in Christ.
4) There are jerks everywhere, But i wonder if that's all you saw because that's all you wanted to find?
5) see 4, and by the way if you don't believe how can you make a reference?
If the rapture did happen, I hope you know what happens to those who aren't called home. It sounds like you believe (or once did) in the back of your mind. You can either resist the call or not. But as a former agnostic that finally took the time to do my own research instead of clinging to other's arguments without daring to look at the counter argument, I can tell you that I am now a firm believer. But please, do the research yourself and stop trolling flawed arguments, either way I hope you find happiness.
Can someone explain to me why Christians are so bent on threatening everyone who doesn't believe what they believe?
And then they accuse the non-Christians of denigrating religion. They give us just cause.
Alan, please get back to science reporting. This topic is just too open to personal opinions and brings out animosity from both sides of the aisle.
you wouldn't have any religion if morons didn't take their 5 year olds to church for the mind f*cking for the last 2k years.
I had some shirts printed up as a joke regarding these predictions. They depict as if Harold Camping started a Universirty to teach his methods of calucation, prediction, etc. They can be viewed at DesignsByBrandon [dot] storenvy [dot] com. There are a few left if you want to pick one up :)
removed my link in the above post... it is DesignsByBrandon [dot] storenvy [dot] com.
Drat. Still here. Thought I could get out of paying that phone bill this month.
Why not a followup story to what happened to all the fools that gave away their stuff? A "Where are they now" piece.
I'm sure they'd be here complaining, but they gave their computers away.
In the end, Rapture turns out to mean Homeless.