Editing Apocalypticism (section)

====Harold Camping====
{{See also|2011 end times prediction}}

American Christian radio host [[Harold Camping]] stated that the [[Rapture]] and [[Last Judgment|Judgment Day]] would take place on May 21, 2011,<ref>{{cite news |title=A Conversation With Harold Camping, Prophesier of Judgment Day |url=https://nymag.com/daily/intel/2011/05/a_conversation_with_harold_cam.html |newspaper=New York Magazine |date=May 11, 2011 |access-date=October 13, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110518220328/http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2011/05/a_conversation_with_harold_cam.html |archive-date=May 18, 2011 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Harold Camping is at the heart of a mediapocalypse |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2011-may-21-la-me-rapture-20110521-story.html |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |date=May 21, 2011 |access-date=October 13, 2011 |first=Christopher |last=Goffard |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110602060425/http://articles.latimes.com/2011/may/21/local/la-me-rapture-20110521 |archive-date=June 2, 2011 |url-status=live }}</ref> and that the end of the world would take place five months later on October 21, 2011, based on adding the 153 fish of John 20 to May 21.<ref name="Harold Camping: End-Time Scenario">{{Cite web | url=http://www.lamblion.us/2011/03/harold-camping-end-time-scenario.html | title=Harold Camping: End-Time Scenario | access-date=2019-05-31 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190531180819/http://www.lamblion.us/2011/03/harold-camping-end-time-scenario.html | archive-date=2019-05-31 | url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=autogenerated1>{{cite web |url = http://www.ebiblefellowship.com/may21/index.html |title = May 21, 2011 – Judgment Day!; October 21, 2011 – The End of the World |publisher = Ebiblefellowship.com |date = May 21, 1988 |access-date =November 29, 2010| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20101028050127/http://ebiblefellowship.com/may21/index.html| archive-date= October 28, 2010 | url-status= live}}</ref> The Rapture, as indicated in 1 Thessalonians 4:17 ({{Lang|grc-latn|harpagēsometha}} {{Gloss|we shall be raptured/taken up}}, ''rapture'' derivable from the Latin translation {{Lang|la|rapiemur}}) is the taking up of believers to a meeting in the air with the Lord Jesus, but for Camping the rapture was also associated with the End of the World.<ref name="Harold Camping: End-Time Scenario"/>

Camping, who was then president of the [[Family Radio]] Christian network, claimed the Bible as his source and said May 21 would be the date of the Rapture and the day of judgment "beyond the shadow of a doubt".<ref>{{cite news |title = End of Days in May? Believers enter final stretch |url = http://www.nbcnews.com/id/40885541 |newspaper = Associated Press, cited at NBC News |date = January 23, 2011 |access-date =May 9, 2011}}{{dead link|date=August 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> Camping suggested that it would occur at 6&nbsp;pm local time, with the Rapture sweeping the globe time zone by time zone,<ref name=Amira>{{cite news |last = Amira |first = Dan |title = A Conversation With Harold Camping, Prophesier of Judgment Day |url = https://nymag.com/daily/intel/2011/05/a_conversation_with_harold_cam.html |access-date =May 21, 2011 |newspaper = [[New York (magazine)|New York]] |date = May 11, 2011| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110518220328/http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2011/05/a_conversation_with_harold_cam.html| archive-date= May 18, 2011 | url-status= live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.slate.com/blogs/blogs/scocca/archive/2011/05/16/countdown-to-armageddon-maybe-the-world-will-end-friday-night-or-sunday-morning.aspx |title=Scocca: Countdown to Armageddon: Maybe the World Will End Friday Night (or Sunday Morning)<!-- Bot generated title --> |access-date=2019-05-31 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110602015818/http://www.slate.com/blogs/blogs/scocca/archive/2011/05/16/countdown-to-armageddon-maybe-the-world-will-end-friday-night-or-sunday-morning.aspx |archive-date=2011-06-02 }}</ref> while some of his supporters claimed that around 200 million people (approximately 3% of the world's population) would be raptured.<ref name=JudgmentDay32>{{cite web |title = Judgment Day |url = http://www.familyradio.com/graphical/literature/judgment/judgment.html |publisher = [[Family Radio]] |access-date = May 16, 2011 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110608095448/http://www.familyradio.com/graphical/literature/judgment/judgment.html |archive-date = June 8, 2011 |df = mdy-all }}</ref> Camping had previously claimed that the Rapture would occur in September 1994.

The vast majority of Christian groups, including most Protestant and Catholic believers, did not accept Camping's predictions;<ref>{{cite web |url = http://relijournal.com/christianity/may-21st-the-new-christian-doomsday/ |title = May 21st, The New Christian Doomsday |publisher = ReliJournal |date = May 6, 2011 |access-date = May 11, 2011 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110519093240/http://relijournal.com/christianity/may-21st-the-new-christian-doomsday/ |archive-date = May 19, 2011 }}</ref> some explicitly rejected them,<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.gracevalley.org/Letter_to_Harold_Camping_True_Prophet_Or_False.pdf |title = Letter to Harold Camping (Family Radio) True Prophet or False? |access-date = May 10, 2011 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20101222183254/http://gracevalley.org/Letter_to_Harold_Camping_True_Prophet_Or_False.pdf |archive-date = December 22, 2010 |df = mdy-all }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.christianpost.com/news/billboards-marking-jesus-return-in-may-misguided-says-nt-scholar-48083/ |title = Billboards Marking Jesus' Return in May 'Misguided,' Says NT Scholar |date = 16 December 2010 |access-date = May 10, 2011 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110722143608/http://www.christianpost.com/news/billboards-marking-jesus-return-in-may-misguided-says-nt-scholar-48083/ |archive-date = July 22, 2011 |url-status = live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url = https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/on-faith/post/end-times-theology-an-insiders-guide/2011/05/10/AFCsXAiG_blog.html |title = End times theology: an insider's guide |date = May 10, 2011|newspaper = The Washington Post|access-date =May 10, 2011 |first=Brian D. |last=McLaren | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120111102343/http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/on-faith/post/end-times-theology-an-insiders-guide/2011/05/10/AFCsXAiG_blog.html | archive-date = January 11, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url = https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/22578/catholic-scholar-dismantles-may-21-judgment-day-claims |title = Catholic scholar dismantles May 21 Judgment Day claims |author = Marianne Medlin |date = May 20, 2011 |publisher = Catholic News Agency |access-date = May 20, 2011 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110522015630/http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/catholic-scholar-dismantles-may-21-judgment-day-claims/ |archive-date = May 22, 2011 |url-status = live }}</ref> citing Bible passages including the words of Jesus stating "about that day or hour no one knows" (Matthew 24:36). An interview with a group of church leaders noted that all of them had scheduled church services as usual for Sunday, May 22.<ref>[http://www.nbc29.com/story/14665758/church-leaders-across-denominations-reflect-on-the-end-of-days ''Church Leaders Across Denominations Reflect on Camping's Prediction''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190531180824/https://www.nbc29.com/story/14665758/church-leaders-across-denominations-reflect-on-the-end-of-days |date=2019-05-31 }} NBC29, May 17, 2011. Retrieved May 18, 2011.</ref>

Following the failure of the prediction, media attention shifted to the response from Camping and his followers. On May 23, Camping stated that May 21 had been a "spiritual" day of judgment, and that the physical Rapture would occur on October 21, 2011, simultaneously with the destruction of the universe by God.<ref name = "G&M">[https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/americas/radio-host-says-rapture-actually-coming-in-october/article2032209/ Radio host says Rapture actually coming in October] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110529011135/http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/americas/radio-host-says-rapture-actually-coming-in-october/article2032209/ |date=2011-05-29 }} – ''Globe and Mail''. May 23, 2011. Retrieved May 23, 2011.</ref><ref name="autogenerated2">{{cite news | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-13516796 | work=BBC News | title=Rapture: Harold Camping issues new apocalypse date | date=24 May 2011 | access-date=September 23, 2011 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110902022258/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-13516796 | archive-date=2 September 2011 | url-status=live }}</ref> However, on October 16, Camping admitted to an interviewer that he did not know when the end would come.<ref name="retire">{{cite news |title=Harold Camping Exclusive: Family Radio Founder Retires; Doomsday 'Prophet' No Longer Able to Work |url=http://global.christianpost.com/news/harold-camping-exclusive-family-radio-founder-retires-doomsday-prophet-no-longer-able-to-work-59222/ |newspaper=The Christian Post |date=October 24, 2011 |access-date=October 25, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111026172548/http://global.christianpost.com/news/harold-camping-exclusive-family-radio-founder-retires-doomsday-prophet-no-longer-able-to-work-59222/ |archive-date=October 26, 2011 }}</ref>

In March 2012, Camping "humbly acknowledged" in a letter to Family Radio listeners that he had been mistaken, that the attempt to predict a date was "sinful", and that critics had been right in pointing to the scriptural text "of that day and hour knoweth no man". He added that he was searching the Bible "even more fervently [...] not to find dates, but to be more faithful in our understanding."<ref>[http://charismanews.com/us/32958-harold-camping-admits-rapture-prediction-was-sinful-statement Letter from Harold Camping to the "Family Radio Family"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120310001154/http://charismanews.com/us/32958-harold-camping-admits-rapture-prediction-was-sinful-statement |date=2012-03-10 }}, reproduced at ''Charisma News,'' March 7, 2012</ref>