More on the end of the world

I snapped this picture today whilst sitting in traffic:

If only I hadn’t been driving, perhaps I could have better captured the splendor of this SUV, which is pimped out for the glory of some crazy person’s god. On the back there you can see the main message: “The End of the World is Almost Here!” Then something about god bringing judgment, and the date: May 21, 2011. The sides of the truck were all done up, too, with some more Bible verses and other crazy talk, and a reference to a radio station.

I sent the picture out on Twitter, which seemed like all the attention it deserved. But of course I can’t resist a chance for research and mockery, so I went and looked it all up. My conclusion: the “LV2BAK” personalized license plate here must be a reference to heavy marijuana usage, not to cookies and pies.

The May 21, 2011 date was baked up by a nutjob named Harold Camping, who has predicted the return of Jesus on a few previous dates as well. He admits he may have made a mathematical error the last time, says this San Francisco Chronicle article, but this time he’s totally sure. Besides, “We are now translated into 48 languages and have been transmitting into China on an AM station without getting jammed once…How can that happen without god’s mercy?” Yep, that clinches it.

His “proof” is the usual sort of obsessive, delusional, circular-logic claptrap. He comes up with a date and some numbers that “predict” the date, then goes looking for things in The Bible to explain what those numbers “mean.” I won’t even try to explain it—you’ll have to go read it yourself at the Web site of his ministry, Family Radio (thus the reference to the local radio station I saw on the side of the crazy car). Once you get to the 1980s vintage frames-based Web site, click the “Another Infallible Proof” link on the left (or just go here, but then you’re missing out on the full effect and the links to other useful information).

I just hope Camping remembered to factor in the 11 days the world lost in the conversion to the Gregorian calendar. It would be a shame if he got the whole thing wrong over such a rookie mistake.

Camping is one of those people who thinks that The Bible is the literal and inerrant word of god, and I’m always curious how those people explain the myriad internal contradictions in The Bible (like the two contradictory versions of the creation of the world). I went and read Family Radio’s “How Do I Know the Bible is True” article (not written by Camping himself, but presumably reflecting his beliefs), and it’s what you’d expect: The Bible is totally true because it says it is! The Bible‘s (alleged) “unity” is further proof: “And yet, even though all these different men wrote at different times, the message they wrote is always the same, without any contradiction in any details.” Right, no contradiction.

But wait! There’s more!

Nope, couldn’t be an insane and evil deception.

Watch out for Poe’s Law as you read the Family Radio site or any of the many discussions about Camping and his prophecies that abound on the Web. For example, someone at Yahoo Answers wants to know “Will may 21 2011 be horrible for those left out?,” because

You can get yourself a free bumper sticker here (only available to “individuals that understand and agree with the Biblical information being presented on this site and have a earnest desire to spread this message,” so try to sound sincere if you order one). You can find out why Harold Camping is a heretic and a false prophet, in case you were in doubt, here (one bit of evidence: Family Radio “has aired Mormon advertisements”!).

We all know how I feel about religion generally, but this here is some serious big-time fucked up batshit-crazy nonsense that is even further than normal beyond my powers of comprehension.

And now I think there was something useful that I meant to be doing with my afternoon instead of wasting my time on this crap. It always seems so funny when I start writing about it, but by the end it’s just sad and baffling and a little scary and I haven’t accomplished anything at all.

P.S. Don’t forget to mark your calendar.