Here we turn to Exodus "The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less than half a shekel, when they give an offering unto the Lord, to make an atonement for your souls. Camping is evidently in the latter camp; he takes this verse as evidence of 5's association with atonement. The figures and math get wispier from there.
To quote from Family Radio's "infallible proof": "The number 10 or 10 multiplied by 10 or 1, multiplied by 10 signifies completeness The Bible speaks of [Satan] being bound 1, years to signify that he was bound for the completeness of God's plan, which in actuality of time was 1, years. That is, people again would go to Heaven.
Let's assume for the moment that the numerological treatment has some merit, that 5, 10 and 17 are somehow as biblically important as Camping believes. A purely mathematical complaint is that 5 x 10 x 17 x 5 x 10 x 17 is a completely arbitrary way to factor , In other words, one could make a more compelling numerological argument for the importance of , if one started with a foundation of 2, 5 and 17 rather than 5, 10 and That's the problem with numerology, of course—you can find meaning in just about anything, and just about any way you want, if you look hard enough.
And the May 21 prediction is certainly not the first time that prognosticators have taken certain patterns if one is so generous as to call them that to be omens of import. As Scientific American columnist Michael Shermer noted in a Wall Street Journal op-ed , human history is threaded by predictions of the apocalypse. We at Scientific American have even speculated on several nonbiblical ways that the world as we know it might come to an end.
It should be noted that Camping himself has made such predictions—and garnered news headlines—before. Back in the s he said he was " more than 99 percent sure " that the end was coming in September The formation of this new congregation may not have been schismatic in itself. Initially they sought a new denomination with which to affiliate and sought a pastor. Camping did not believe that he should be the pastor. The new congregation never found a pastor or a new denomination, however.
Camping had begun a study group on the Heidelberg Catechism and he proceeded to improve or revise the catechism. Once again his arrogant individualism asserted itself. Not surprisingly no Reformed denomination would accept Camping and his congregation on the basis of his revised catechism. At this point he had become schismatic.
Skip to main content. Baugh Bradley J. Bitner Nick Brennan R. On Friday, employees at Family Radio headquarters in Oakland were given a paid day off, though some of them chuckled at the irony that the money would not appear in the paychecks until June. Among many other gatherings, the group American Atheists is hosting rapture parties in Wichita, Kan.
But he has acknowledged that his preoccupation with the apocalypse has alienated him from many of the people he loves. Of his six living children, only one believes his message. I do not envy his life. Tuter is bracing himself for the reaction among Family Radio listeners when next week materializes. For months, dozens of volunteers have been crossing the country in caravan fleets, enduring middle fingers and other forms of ridicule as they distribute brochures.
Camping rarely leaves Oakland, and his life is a circuit between the station and his home a few miles away. Though his organization has large financial holdings, he drives a Camry and lives in a modest house. In an otherwise immaculate living room, the white drapes are unkempt, frayed and torn at the edges.
Were the end of the world not approaching, Camping said, his wife of 68 years, Shirley, would have done something about them. He kept getting interview requests, and some reporters were turning to atheists to rebut his views. He was tired of it. But he seemed to catch his stride as the show progressed. Some callers yelled at him.
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