So, the world didn't end Saturday. And Pastor Campings' prediction that it would was treated far and wide as one big joke. Even by fellow Christians who didn't believe the Oakland California pastor scoffed at him and his sheep-like followers.
Oh sure, it was nice to be able to laugh openly at a fool and those who mindlessly accepted his "revelation." After all, in our "tolerant" society we are seldom allowed the privilege of ridiculing a religion or religious leader for his/her stated beliefs - even when those beliefs are so patently absurd one has to struggle to suppress a a hearty and well-deserved guffaw. So, enjoy the moment fellow skeptics. It may be a while before you get another chance.
But there was a serious lesson from this end-of-the-world business that's unfortunately being ignored in as the media-circus has fun with Pastor Camping. It's a lesson that's important for believers and non-believers alike; religion, in all it various forms, sects, denominations, reformed and unreformed, is metaphysics, not physics - belief, not fact.
Throughout the history of mankind's love affair with the spirit world, religious leaders tend to avoid absolutest pronouncements or revelations that come with a specific sell-by date. Well, at least the smart ones did, the ones who wanted to have a future in the ever-lucrative religious sideshow business. They kept things as frightening as possible, but also as vague as possible. Because the last thing they needed was to be standing around some Sunday morning having to explain why, after telling their flock the end was yesterday, so they gave all their worldly possessions up to God (via the preacher of course,) Then nothing. Nothing happens, except of course, those followers are now even more broke than they were before this revelation and homeless and jobless and still profoundly un-raptured.
I read this morning that one of Pastor Harold Camping's followers was so pissed when the world didn't end, even after giving Camping's church his last dime, he burgled Camping's church headquarters during the night, ripping an estimated $25,000 worth of copper from the church's air conditioners. Rev. Camping sowed the wind with his prediction, and now he's reaping a hot blast of whirlwind, which he'll now have to endure sans air conditioning.
But that's a lesson for Camping's fellow travelers - all those other religious sideshow barkers. Camping proved that they can indeed scare their flocks and haul in millions of bucks predicting something miraculous. (Rev. Camping had $72 million in the bank on the eve of destruction.) But, if they take that path, those in the flock-bilking business better hide that money well, because when the miracle fails to materialize there's going to be hell to pay and they will be out of the bringing in the sheaves business.
Rev. Jim Jones, of People's Temple "fame," knew that. He knew the jig was up, which is why he decided at just kill off his entire flock since it was clear they were of no longer use. I don't know if he had calculated the price he'd have to pay as well - a bullet in the head from a trusted follower - but he paid it nonetheless, and good riddance.
Anyway, I'm rattling on now and I don't want to lose the thread. I mentioned the key lesson that should be showcased from this most recent episode of "because the Bible says so." Religion is no or more useful or relevant to modern society than the Qui board, rabbit's feet on keychains, numerology or your astrology reading in the morning paper. The only thing that separates mainstream religions from such silly superstitions is that mainstream religions learned hundreds of years ago not to go around predicting things are going to happen in the physical world based on something they claim was told to them by a source or sources from the metaphysical world. Be they priests, or mullahs or rabbis or self-proclaimed apostles - they're all in the business of leveraging mankind's natural fear of the unknown, the fear of death and the fear that there just might be an outside chance there may be a god, or gods, and it's best to hedge their bets.
The fact is that, in those rare times when a religious leader actually makes the mistake of laying down a marker - like the day and time the world will end -- they come up with nothing, bupkus, nada, the smoke clears and there's nothing there. Because, of course, there never was anything there.
Events like this most recent sham should cause believers in metaphysical nonsense pause. Proof of concept failed, again, as it has ever time one of these preachers/mullah/rabbis/you-name-it made such predictions.
Come on folks. This is 2011. Isn't it hight time to start looking for a belief structure grounded in what's real, rather than imaginary. Because, god knows, we have more than enough real issues to deal with right here in the here and now.
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newsforreal.com
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