Left Behind

I'm so sad today. I was seriously hoping for some dramatic events to take place by 6pm yesterday by way of the Rapture predicted by Harold Camping at Family Radio. Unless you're living under a rock, you've undoubtedly heard about his prognostications for an imminent return of Jesus Christ by 6pm yesterday, May 21, 2011.  For the record, I waited until after 6pm PT before I started posting about this and furthermore I was certain there would be nothing unusual happen.

Camping's non-profit has raked in a little over $18M in revenue from well wishers, fans and devotees suckered into this, his second, failed prediction for an end time apocalypse - his first being for 1994 but the math was wrong, so...

How did this go so very wrong? I'm young by some standards at 44, but I remember a number of doomsday scenarios being published or broadcast in one way or another, none of which has come to pass. I said that to say this: at the heart of the Christian doctrine concerning the return of Christ is the idea that no one knows the day or time, not even the angels. Did these folks not READ their Bibles? Let's think about the Bible's dire warnings against false prophets - many shall arise it says, pay them no mind and shun them, they are not of God. There it is; simple, obvious, totally incongruent for a Christian to follow Camping's campaign.

This points to a bigger problem. Generally speaking, sheople tend to believe whatever they are told, accepting without question and begging for more. "Feed me", the sheople say, "for am an hungered, lazy and without an iota of common sense".  We're all to blame - I blame the federalization of education for starters. History isn't what it was, the parts that are taught are slim on useful facts and heavy on feel good agenda. As parents (if you have kids or even influence them) we've failed to give our kids a good dose of common sense, something learned by challenging children to think for themselves, solve problems on their own. Okay not you, ardent reader, but you know what I'm talking about.

We have a culture of apathy (not my problem, I don't want to get involved), complaceny (well you know, whatcha gonna do) and sloth (that just seems like so much work, someone else will do it). Kids sit in front of the television and/or video games becoming dull consumers, adults would rather be consumed by American Idol, Desperate Housewives or some other reality show than read a book or pay attention to what's going on in the world around them.

How we gonna fix this? Probably won't, things will continue to decline until the mindless masses actually have to undergo a serious catastrophe. If it comes, will they know how to live off the land and survive? Probably not, more likely they will turn to the goverment for help and I think that's the plan overall. 

Now WOULD be a great time for something apocaplyptic, we need shaken up while there is still a shred of non-internet community left.