How Harold Camping brought Christianity into disrepute

Dr Bruce Manners
Senior minister
Avondale College Seventh-day Adventist Church

The world was supposed to end on Saturday, May 21. In case you missed it (the announcement, not the end of the world), Harold Camping predicted Jesus’s return to rolling earthquakes around the world bringing destruction—at 9.00 AM, May 21 (California, USA time).

After the failure of his prediction, 20,000 people were asked what his most likely response would be. Here’s what they said:

1. 54 per cent believed he’d claim a calculation error and predict another date.
2. About 19 per cent said he would claim God had mercy on humankind and spared the earth.
3. Almost 16 per cent believed he would claim it did happen, but in some invisible way.
4. Eight percent predicted he would say he was wrong and apologise.

Their predictions were far more accurate than Camping’s.

On the Monday, Camping said, “The timing, the structures, the proofs, none of that has changed at all.” The day of Judgment came on May 21, but “it was spiritual.” That is, unseen and without earthquakes.

But wait, it will happen. Camping now reckons the world will end on October 21.

And there was an apology—when a journalist pressed him: “If people want me to apologise, I will apologise. . . . I did not have all that worked out as accurately as I should have had it. That doesn’t bother me at all.”

It doesn’t bother him? It doesn’t bother him people gave up their jobs and sold their homes to support and promote his false prediction? It doesn’t bother him he brought anxiety and fear without cause? It doesn’t bother him he’s brought Christianity into disrepute?

“We don’t always hit the nail on the head the first time,” Camping said. “All I am is a humble teacher. I search the Bible. I search the Bible.”

Search harder, Mr Camping. Try Matthew 24:36 for starters: “No one knows the day or hour when these things will happen . . .” (NLT).