Can We Learn From Harold Camping?
I’m going to be careful here because as I mentioned in my previous “Love Wins” post I am quite conscientious of blaspheming the Holy Spirit as God can still work through idiocy. But one of the important things we can learn from Harold Camping is that people will still blindly follow anyone who gives the appearance of speaking authoritatively. This in spite of the fact that Camping made himself even more important than Jesus by claiming to know the day and the hour of the end of the age when Jesus Himself said He didn’t know. This also in spite of the fact that Camping has a history of misleading people.
The whole end of the world debacle instigated by Camping is a vivid reminder that we must choose very carefully who we will listen to and follow, especially when it comes to religious and theological matters. And this stuff happens right here in our own backyard. Nearly three years ago a group of about 30 people also blindly went to hear another charlatan named Eric Barger give a “seminar“ here in Eugene where he also presented misleading information under the guise of “truth”. This in spite of the fact that he has no formal religious or theological education, an important trait shared with Camping. Would you go to a “doctor” who has no formal medical training? Would you fly in an airplane with a “pilot” who has no formal flight training? And yet why do people flock to religious swindlers for matters as significant as faith? Well, these swindlers are very clever when it comes to manipulation and many people are undiscerning to their tactics. These swindlers are also making a lot of money (Camping is reportedly a millionaire) at the expense of unsuspecting people who are looking for “answers”.
I want you to know that religion and the ability to live by faith is a great endeavor. And yet like any other discipline, religion has its abusers who do harm to people rather than good. Don’t be disheartened by religious swindlers who have made careers of misusing religion for ulterior motives. For every religious swindler deceiving people there are a hundred faithful pastors and teachers who truly want God’s best for you. My own denomination, the Church of the Nazarene, has a long and arduous educational process that pastors in training must adhere to in learning to correctly interpret and apply the message of the Bible. A person cannot be ordained as a minister in our church without completing this vigorous process which also includes yearly interviews, mentoring, and continuing educational requirements. We wouldn’t have it any other way. Matters of faith and spirituality are that important.
It can be easy to discount religion and the wonderful message of the Bible altogether after what Harold Camping and his followers have so publically and embarrassingly gone through. But I’m also confident that readers of this blog are intelligent enough to not lump all people of faith with Camping and his group. What Harold Camping can teach us is that we must be very careful who teaches us and who we listen to. What Harold Camping himself can also learn, even at 89 years of age, is that it’s not too late to humble yourself, admit you were terribly wrong, and revisit the message of the Bible but this time not with a doomsday mentality, but with an understanding that God loves the world and wants to save the world, not destroy it.
I do feel sorry for Camping and find myself praying for him -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYftvfyc9Gs&feature=player_embedded
By the way, if there's enough interest, I'd be happy to facilitate a study group here in the area on how we can intelligently approach and try to understand the Bible's message of Christ's return to earth and God's desire to restore creation and not destory it. Email me at jhanna@springfieldchurch.org if you are interested.
The whole end of the world debacle instigated by Camping is a vivid reminder that we must choose very carefully who we will listen to and follow, especially when it comes to religious and theological matters. And this stuff happens right here in our own backyard. Nearly three years ago a group of about 30 people also blindly went to hear another charlatan named Eric Barger give a “seminar“ here in Eugene where he also presented misleading information under the guise of “truth”. This in spite of the fact that he has no formal religious or theological education, an important trait shared with Camping. Would you go to a “doctor” who has no formal medical training? Would you fly in an airplane with a “pilot” who has no formal flight training? And yet why do people flock to religious swindlers for matters as significant as faith? Well, these swindlers are very clever when it comes to manipulation and many people are undiscerning to their tactics. These swindlers are also making a lot of money (Camping is reportedly a millionaire) at the expense of unsuspecting people who are looking for “answers”.
I want you to know that religion and the ability to live by faith is a great endeavor. And yet like any other discipline, religion has its abusers who do harm to people rather than good. Don’t be disheartened by religious swindlers who have made careers of misusing religion for ulterior motives. For every religious swindler deceiving people there are a hundred faithful pastors and teachers who truly want God’s best for you. My own denomination, the Church of the Nazarene, has a long and arduous educational process that pastors in training must adhere to in learning to correctly interpret and apply the message of the Bible. A person cannot be ordained as a minister in our church without completing this vigorous process which also includes yearly interviews, mentoring, and continuing educational requirements. We wouldn’t have it any other way. Matters of faith and spirituality are that important.
It can be easy to discount religion and the wonderful message of the Bible altogether after what Harold Camping and his followers have so publically and embarrassingly gone through. But I’m also confident that readers of this blog are intelligent enough to not lump all people of faith with Camping and his group. What Harold Camping can teach us is that we must be very careful who teaches us and who we listen to. What Harold Camping himself can also learn, even at 89 years of age, is that it’s not too late to humble yourself, admit you were terribly wrong, and revisit the message of the Bible but this time not with a doomsday mentality, but with an understanding that God loves the world and wants to save the world, not destroy it.
I do feel sorry for Camping and find myself praying for him -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYftvfyc9Gs&feature=player_embedded
By the way, if there's enough interest, I'd be happy to facilitate a study group here in the area on how we can intelligently approach and try to understand the Bible's message of Christ's return to earth and God's desire to restore creation and not destory it. Email me at jhanna@springfieldchurch.org if you are interested.
posted by John M. Hanna @ 9:43 AM
2 comments
2 Comments:
Camping’s calculations were wrong and his assumptions naive, but Rapture and Judgment Day are still relevant! Humanity needs to know the truth. Listen to this very compelling recording from a new spiritual group that is making waves and getting the word out to be spiritually prepared with more than a simple prayer and some bible verses.
http://www.merkaba.org/audio/camping.htm
What a suprise pastor John would name something he wrote "Love Wins".
Post a Comment
<< Home