The End Is Here! Oh Wait. Not Quite.

May 21st came and went. And we’re still here.

Normally, I would give no special thought to the date except Twitter, Facebook, mainstream media and everyone in between was completely abuzz of one particular man’s prediction that the Rapture would occur on that date. As Catholics, we don’t believe in the Rapture—the notion that Christ will take up all believers before the end of the world. It’s just something that’s never been in the Tradition of the Church and a particularly interesting way to read a couple of Bible verses. Diving into the theological arguments is for a different day.

I was struck by the people who actually believed that this gentleman and how many people seemed to believe that this man’s proclamations prove that religion is worthless.

The preacher, Harold Camping, has been called many unfavorable names over the past few weeks. Jay Leno last night on The Tonight Show mentioned “That Rapture guy…what was his name? Harold Scamming? Scamming? Oh, right, Camping!” Let’s judge not (lest we be judged), but it seriously stumps me that people believed him.

For the sake of discussion, let’s ignore that the idea of Rapture isn’t compatible with Tradition and the interpretation of Scripture passed down. Let’s just focus on the idea that someone could know when this world was going to end. Anyone who reads the Bible should be clear that none of us will ever have any idea that the end of the world is here until it is actually here.

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