Goodbye Cruel World - Postponed to Oct 21st

[EliteM3]

Well duh, you can't expect them to walk all the way to heaven - obviously they'd wait or a Jesusbus.

Hahah xDD

[Observe]

This has been a very unfortunate situation.

"I had some skepticism but I was trying to push the skepticism away because I believe in God," said Keith Bauer.....I was hoping for it because I think heaven would be a lot better than this earth, he said.

My guess is a lot of these folks shared the feeling of "heaven would be a lot better than this earth" as the basis for their hope that this prediction would come true.

I don't know anything about this particular church/denomination, but possibly they spend a lot of time bemoaning the condition of life on earth, complaining about 'sinners", emphasizing "evil", and basically failing to recognize there is much they have yet to learn in this life.

Pessimism feeds the kind of mental illness these people suffer from, and they (congregation) would be best joining some other less fire-and-brimstone group; or better yet, throw the self-imposed false authority of religion off their backs altogether.

[mrbadger]

One chap was apparently so horribly in debt that he thought the end of the world thing was pretty much a good thing. Mind you, rather then spend all his money (what with not having any) he drove his family round the states seeing things he never had 'before the end'.

In that case this event might be a plus for him.

Things like this do tend to appeal more to people who don't think they can succeed. It gives them a handy excuse not to bother trying any more, because there's no point, god's coming to collect the rent and demolish the building.

From what I've read events like this tend to be followed by suicides. if it does in this case? Well I admit to being a little short on sympathy, but if I were nearby I'd likely volunteer to try and help these morons get over trashing their lives and those of their dependants.

I don't think much of the atheists who were releasing those balloons and doing the 'I told you so' thing outside family radio. The actual beleivers needed help, not gloating, many were in a state of shock.

[cj-spartacus]

I knew we'd be fine.

I'll only be concerned about the planet if all the dolphins disappear suddenly.

[mrbadger]

I'll only be concerned about the planet if all the dolphins disappear suddenly.

Hang on.. Has anyone actually checked to see if they're still here?

[Observe]

Hopefully this will raise a red flag for other churches being led by someone claiming superior knowledge or attainment.

I don't belong to any church (or religion), but I see advantage for lay people with church representing a community of like-minded members in pursuit of common goals and relationships.

The real danger comes when individuals are permitted to set themselves up as religious authorities in possession of advanced spiritual knowledge. Then the church becomes a cancer that corrupts the entire society. This is the stuff wars are made of.

[Incubi]

hehe

can you name the days the world was suppossed to end but didn't?

http://www.sporcle.com/games/picard/day ... sed-to-end

[Incubi]

apocolyptic double post


may as well add an article I found about how to cope when doomdays do not pan out. I know some of oyu was hoping to to be sipping on martinis watching naked angels dance for you by now.... maybe this article will help you cope.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/201 ... ggletocope

[philip_hughes]

One chap was apparently so horribly in debt that he thought the end of the world thing was pretty much a good thing. Mind you, rather then spend all his money (what with not having any) he drove his family round the states seeing things he never had 'before the end'.

In that case this event might be a plus for him.

Things like this do tend to appeal more to people who don't think they can succeed. It gives them a handy excuse not to bother trying any more, because there's no point, god's coming to collect the rent and demolish the building.

From what I've read events like this tend to be followed by suicides. if it does in this case? Well I admit to being a little short on sympathy, but if I were nearby I'd likely volunteer to try and help these morons get over trashing their lives and those of their dependants.

I don't think much of the atheists who were releasing those balloons and doing the 'I told you so' thing outside family radio. The actual beleivers needed help, not gloating, many were in a state of shock.

Agreed. Belief can be a personal thing. I would hate it if my beliefs were so publicly laid bare. There will be a lot of sadness in the coming days and plenty of opportunity for skeptics to rub salt in the wound. I sincerely hope they dont

[mrbadger]

There will be a lot of sadness in the coming days and plenty of opportunity for skeptics to rub salt in the wound. I sincerely hope they dont

Prepare to be disappointed...

Sadly being an atheist does not guarantee that you won't be an asshole.

As you may recall I didn't start out as an atheist, I even went so far as to enter a monestary. Before that I even dabbled seriously in spiritualism, although the absurdity that didn't take long to demonstrate itself. Ok, the main motivation was a very pretty girl I wanted to impress (and totally failed with), but still, I did it.

I know what it feels like to have to cope with the realisation that you are mistaken, and it isn't nice. my 'conversion' to atheism was a painful thing, triggered by the very process of better religious education that was supposed to turn me into a monk. I understand now why it happened now I'm older and (one assumes) wiser, and I'm not in any danger of reverting to beleiving in imaginary beings, but at the time it was a very unpleasant process.

Thus I can understand to some extent the pain and confusion that fool pastors followers are going through. If I could help them I would. Yes I have some deficiencies when it comes to sympathy, but people in pain need help, not derision, and I understand this.

[Drainy]

Well they have apparently set up suicide help lines across america for the inevitable wave of people wanting to take their own lives.

This is all really quite tragic in a way.
We jest about it but there are so many people who genuinely believed this man. Now I am not a man of faith, at all, never have been and... well I can't predict the future.
But, its clear that these poor people had faith in their religion and he appealed to them in a way nothing else had before.
Before they know it, all their faith has been ripped away like a carpet being pulled from under them.

I honestly do feel for them to an extent.

[LV]

I honestly do feel for them to an extent.

Can't say i do and 99% of the crassness i show on here is roleplay but they were daft enough to buy their ticket

It was ok for them to plaster billboards telling everyone we are going to die wasn't it

Newton's 3rd law and all that scientific fact eh?.......

[Drainy]

Well, I added the word extent for a reason.
I am currently sat with a Carlsberg and watching Wall-E

Obviously I am that upset about it I can't do anything else...

But seriously, I can bring myself to understand someone believing in something so much that they loose all their money and being genuinely lost when it fails to pass.
Obviously I think that the idea of believing it in the first place is completely stupid and they seriously need to sort themselves out if they want to make it through this life. A rapture would be too easy an escape for some.
But, my point is that I like that people have the right to belive in this crazy crap and I do feel sorry when it all goes a little bit wrong. Like now.

But don't worry, I won't loose sleep about it

Why do people feel the need to advertise that we are going to die? was it earlier in this thread somebody asked why their god felt such a need for death etc?

I've always believed that if there is a god, and he truly made me, then he made me to have fun, enjoy booze, women and life and that he doesn't give a crap if I worship him or not. Because that is the way he made me.

[Usenko]

I find this person infuriating.

One of the basic tests the Bible gives for a prophet is that what he/she predicts comes true. Now, if someone predicts stuff that's yet to happen, that's a tricky thing. But if someone predicts something that is easily proveable (such as this guy), and it fails to happen, the Bible is clear - "That prophet has spoken presumptuously. Do not listen to him."

So we have a guy who has bombed out before in 1994. That means that anyone who actually believes the Bible should have run this clown out of town on a rail before he even started yacking about 2011!

*Disgusted, Mosman.*

[mrbadger]

Trouble is, their brand of christianity isn't big on promoting critical thinking skills. They are the very exemplar of the poorly educated and obedient flock.

[philip_hughes]

Too true mrbadger. Too often people think that being a christian means abandoning all critical thought. I cannot say I am perfect either, but we do say that in our church we do NOT check our brains at the door.

[amtct]

11 pages long thread about something said by a crazy old guy

[EliteM3]

yeah, the guy is 89 years old, and he is talking rubish -.-
If there was no him, we could live in peace, but if he dies in 2012
We will live in peace

[Cpt.Jericho]

11 pages long thread about something said by a crazy old guy

Do I see jealousy here?

[amtct]

Do I see jealousy here?

Yes .He is 89 .I don't think I'm able to achieve that
Also he has over 100 millions $ from his rapture thingy ...I only have the rapture