End of the World May 21

I usually don't spend too much time thinking about end of the world predictions, but this one has garnered such a large number of supporters (some who have sold everything they own to go out and preach to others), that I can't let it slip by without comment. Earlier this year I gave a lecture touching on the topic of apocalyptic Christianity. During the lecture I talked about Harold Camping, a pastor originally from Colorado. He has made the prediction, based on "sound" biblical evidence, that the world will forever be changed on May 21st, 2011.. that's right, two days from now will be Judgment Day. The international news agencies have started to pick up the story. It can't get much better than this. Think about it, here is a story about a fair sized organization spending oodles of money putting up billboards all around the world predicting the end of life as we know it, and when it doesn't happen, what will Camping and his followers do? What will the couple do who has given away all their money, and add to that the fact that this young lady is due to have a baby in June (link here)? From one perspective this is obviously sheer stupidity; from another, faith.

Just this morning I was speaking with a group of Jehovah Witnesses about the place of philosophy ("worldly wisdom") in faith. Their take was that it is basically of the devil and misleading. They would do well to consider Camping and his followers. There is some irony here, however, that makes our equation Faith=Stupidity more problematic. Camping arrives at the date he does based on mathematical calculations concerning Biblical numbers, i.e. rationally! (To see how he does it, and how he gets around some other issues click here and here). This is why the facile opposition Science/Reason vs. Faith/Irrational is simply misguided. Camping's work has a rationalistic framework. What an odd result takes place when modern thinking is applied to ancient scripture and prophecy.

Where will you be when the world ends? I'll be camping with a couple of Christian guys in the middle of nowhere. If I wake up May 21st to an empty campsite after a post-meal nap (around 6pm to be precise!), will I feel a sudden panic? No, I'll assume either they got lost somewhere, or are playing a little joke on me, both possibilities (especially the former) that are much more likely to happen than the prediction made by our rather aged gentleman Camping, who, it must be said, will have to meet his own judgment day May 21st.