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Did the non-rapture affect public opinion about religion?

MatildaGage

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MatildaGage
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Do you think it helped erode confidence in mainstream religious beliefs, or did people just compartmentalize it as "just one kook"?

I wonder if it made any difference. Of course, all I have is anecdotal evidence....

The people I've heard talk about it just chalk it up to a single nutter. Some people have even remarked the rapture isn't in the bible, trying to distance themselves from Camping, I guess. (But it does mention the rapture.)

:confused:
 
MatildaGage said:
The people I've heard talk about it just chalk it up to a single nutter. Some people have even remarked the rapture isn't in the bible, trying to distance themselves from Camping, I guess. (But it does mention the rapture.)
Click to expand...

Where does it mention the rapture?

It says a lot of things. Some people interpret parts to mean a day still to come when a bunch of people will suddenly be taken to heaven. Some don't.
 
I heard one girl say "I believe the rapture is coming...just not tomorrow." If someone is religious and believe the rapture is coming, then they knock Camping for believing it will be on such-and-such date, they don't come off as any less nuttier, IMO.
 
Matthew 24:36 says that no man knows the day nor the hour. Most believers I think, because of this, were skeptical of Camping anyway.

Of those that believe, there's the same psychological phenomena on post-rapture disappointments that there always was. Paradoxically, this often increases the believer's degree of belief.

So, no, I don't think anything changed to any significant degree. Unbelievers will mock prophecy in general, most Christian believers get confirmation from their own bible, and followers taken in face minimal dissonance resolution from cognitive dissonance.
 
"Did the non-rapture affect public opinion about religion?"

No.

I am not even sure it changed the point of view of the proponent of the 21st may rapture view on their own belief...
 
No. It barely made a splash around here. Most people I know didn't even know about it, and those that did thought it was either yet another religious loony to be ignored, or a prank.

In general, Australians are a whole lot more relaxed about religion.
 
arthwollipot said:
No. It barely made a splash around here. Most people I know didn't even know about it, and those that did thought it was either yet another religious loony to be ignored, or a prank.

In general, Australians are a whole lot more relaxed about religion.
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The Brits too. Most of us hardly ever think about it.
 
Like some of you have said most of the religious folk I know (co-workers mainly) just wrote this guy off as a false pastor.

Remember religious people have no problem believing that others are following made up fairy tale stories. They only take offense when that same notion is directed at them.

I'd be most interested to hear what Camping's followers are saying, but they're strangely quiet. Well not raptured quiet but still....
 
MatildaGage said:
Do you think it helped erode confidence in mainstream religious beliefs, or did people just compartmentalize it as "just one kook"?

I wonder if it made any difference. Of course, all I have is anecdotal evidence....

The people I've heard talk about it just chalk it up to a single nutter. Some people have even remarked the rapture isn't in the bible, trying to distance themselves from Camping, I guess. (But it does mention the rapture.)

:confused:
Click to expand...

I'd imagine that most religious people in Europe would have had their opinions confirmed, about religion and about America.

If it were to change anyone's opinion, it wouldn't be the non-rapture - it would have been the prediction that people knew wasn't going to happen. The number of people expecting the rapture who ended up disappointed was tiny, even in the USA.
 
Yeah, I mean, how many people actually followed this guy? Over half the USA population believes in 'The Rapture', but surely it was a small percentage of those who believed Camping.
 
MatildaGage said:
Do you think it helped erode confidence in mainstream religious beliefs, or did people just compartmentalize it as "just one kook"?

I wonder if it made any difference. Of course, all I have is anecdotal evidence....

The people I've heard talk about it just chalk it up to a single nutter. Some people have even remarked the rapture isn't in the bible, trying to distance themselves from Camping, I guess. (But it does mention the rapture.)

:confused:
Click to expand...
Camping doesn't represent religion -- he is just a twisted part of it. His action was a negligible peanut in comparison to what certain banks promised to prospective home buyers, which led to the infamous mortgage crises that send shock waves through the banking industry.
 
PGH said:
Like some of you have said most of the religious folk I know (co-workers mainly) just wrote this guy off as a false pastor.

Remember religious people have no problem believing that others are following made up fairy tale stories. They only take offense when that same notion is directed at them.
I'd be most interested to hear what Camping's followers are saying, but they're strangely quiet. Well not raptured quiet but still....
Click to expand...

epix said:
Camping doesn't represent religion -- he is just a twisted part of it. His action was a negligible peanut in comparison to what certain banks promised to prospective home buyers, which led to the infamous mortgage crises that send shock waves through the banking industry.
Click to expand...

What did I tell you?

"Who that guy? Pffft! Crazy nutter believes in biblical code and end times and all sorts of nonsense! Now you have a seat and let me tell you about the true story of Noah's Ark."

p.s. nice distraction technique at the end there. Because we're really looking to debate about bank practices in this thread. :rolleyes:
 
PGH said:
p.s. nice distraction technique at the end there. Because we're really looking to debate about bank practices in this thread. :rolleyes:
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As always, you are going to debate things that don't exist; you just blow the bubble and keep your sermon going in Harold Camping's style. LOL.
 
I'm sorry...am I holding a mirror that I don't know about?
 
If internal contradictions, oceans of blood, drained pocketbooks, and power in the hands of people who should not be wielding it don't change their minds, this won't even be a blip on the radar.

Which is kind of sad really, i can honestly say i don't think it will even effect MR. Camping that much.
 
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