It is easy to make up mathematical equations, throw in a couple of Bible verses to make it sound authentic, and then say the world’s gonna end in 3 years. If I tried this, no one’s gonna listen, because I’m not a respected religious leader. Harold Camping is. He has millions of followers and if he said the world would end in 2 hours, surely they’d be on their knees praying to God the whole time and end up looking foolish when the deadline has come and gone. I would never listen to this man. There are far better leaders out there. There is Lon Solomon from McLean Bible Church, Joel Osteen, who has a collection of inspirational DVDs and CDs, there is the pastor at my church, Reverend Terry, who speaks on the love of Jesus Christ and our responsibility as Christians. She also uplifting and inspirational, and there are countless others. Yes, Jesus will return and I believe this, but we do not know when.
I am proud to be a Christian and I take the good (blessings) with the bad (punishments), but there is more to Christianity than doomsday prophecies and apocalyptic visions. There is the mercy, grace, love, and forgiveness of God. Most good preachers, though they talk about sin and the punishment for sin, they also stress the love of God and his everlasting grace and mercy, and most of all, our salvation. To me, that is the essence of the Christian Religion, not the doomsday prophecies Harold Camping and his fans and followers spread.
