Post by Ian Wolf-Park on May 13, 2011 12:40:38 GMT -5
May 21
According to a bunch of ads you may have seen on billboards across the country (Canada), the world is apparently coming to an end during the May long weekend. Or not.
An ad campaign by Family Radio, a evangelical Christian group based in California, claims that May 21st is Judgment Day and that on that day, true believers will ascend to heaven and non-believers will be stuck on Earth and be subject to natural disasters and horrible catastrophes. The group has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to put up approximately 2,000 ads around the world, warning non-believers to mend their ways.
According to the Family Radio website, the group is putting up billboards as a warning to those who have not accepted Christ. Once a non-believer learns of the Judgment Day, they are urged to repent:
"Cry out to God for mercy and fully recognize you are a sinner. One must approach God with a broken and contrite attitude, because after all every human being, without exception, is guilty before God.Only God decides whom He will save and it is only Christ's 'gift' of salvation that can save one from destruction and the terrible events coming upon this world on May 21, 2011."
We've heard doomsday proclamations from religious leaders and scholars for centuries — Harold Camping, president of Family Radio, actually wrote a book ten twenty years ago claiming that the world would end in 1994 — and so far, none of them have come true. I'm willing to bet that this prophecy isn't going to hold up either.
So why is Camping and Family Radio's proclamation so dangerous this time? Not because of the prophecy itself, but because of the public relations blitz that has come with it.
The reach of past Judgment Day predictions has been limited to small groups of people who had access to the religious leader. With the new ad blitz by Family Radio, they are reaching thousands more people than they ever would have in history. And while most people who see these ads will disregard them, there is the chance that the increased reach will mean that there will be some people who will buy into the claims and believe them.
People who are swayed by the ads, who believe the message, are more likely to make rash decisions about money and lifestyle based on their belief of Judgment Day — after all, if you really thought the world was going to end in two weeks, what would stop you from spending all your savings on something you've always wanted, knowing that you won't need your savings in the future? For the people that make these rash decisions, May 22nd will bring with it disappointment, but also possible financial ruin and regret.
Of course, some people are hoping to cash in on those rash financial decisions: groups like Eternal Earth-Bound Pets are providing pet-care services to people who believe they will ascend to heaven on May 21st. You can't blame them for wanting to make money off the hype and hysteria, but the success of these kinds of services proves that there a lot of people who are swayed by the advertising and buying into the message of the rapture.
In the past, many of these people wouldn't know about the prophecies and predictions; at least, they wouldn't be bombarded by reminders of it regularly on billboards and subway ads. While it's easy for many of us to be cynical in face of the doomsday advertising, there are people who will be curious enough to want to learn more, and possibly believe the claims. Family Radio's advertising blitz is dangerous because it forces the message outside the small group of believers, and puts the message in front of a possibly gullible public.
As for me, I'm ignoring the billboards and spending the long weekend on vacation with my best friend. I'm guessing that a lot of you will do the same. If the rapture does come, at least I'll be having a great time with someone I love — and that's something we should all strive to do every day, Judgment day or not.
An ad campaign by Family Radio, a evangelical Christian group based in California, claims that May 21st is Judgment Day and that on that day, true believers will ascend to heaven and non-believers will be stuck on Earth and be subject to natural disasters and horrible catastrophes. The group has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to put up approximately 2,000 ads around the world, warning non-believers to mend their ways.
According to the Family Radio website, the group is putting up billboards as a warning to those who have not accepted Christ. Once a non-believer learns of the Judgment Day, they are urged to repent:
"Cry out to God for mercy and fully recognize you are a sinner. One must approach God with a broken and contrite attitude, because after all every human being, without exception, is guilty before God.Only God decides whom He will save and it is only Christ's 'gift' of salvation that can save one from destruction and the terrible events coming upon this world on May 21, 2011."
We've heard doomsday proclamations from religious leaders and scholars for centuries — Harold Camping, president of Family Radio, actually wrote a book ten twenty years ago claiming that the world would end in 1994 — and so far, none of them have come true. I'm willing to bet that this prophecy isn't going to hold up either.
So why is Camping and Family Radio's proclamation so dangerous this time? Not because of the prophecy itself, but because of the public relations blitz that has come with it.
The reach of past Judgment Day predictions has been limited to small groups of people who had access to the religious leader. With the new ad blitz by Family Radio, they are reaching thousands more people than they ever would have in history. And while most people who see these ads will disregard them, there is the chance that the increased reach will mean that there will be some people who will buy into the claims and believe them.
People who are swayed by the ads, who believe the message, are more likely to make rash decisions about money and lifestyle based on their belief of Judgment Day — after all, if you really thought the world was going to end in two weeks, what would stop you from spending all your savings on something you've always wanted, knowing that you won't need your savings in the future? For the people that make these rash decisions, May 22nd will bring with it disappointment, but also possible financial ruin and regret.
Of course, some people are hoping to cash in on those rash financial decisions: groups like Eternal Earth-Bound Pets are providing pet-care services to people who believe they will ascend to heaven on May 21st. You can't blame them for wanting to make money off the hype and hysteria, but the success of these kinds of services proves that there a lot of people who are swayed by the advertising and buying into the message of the rapture.
In the past, many of these people wouldn't know about the prophecies and predictions; at least, they wouldn't be bombarded by reminders of it regularly on billboards and subway ads. While it's easy for many of us to be cynical in face of the doomsday advertising, there are people who will be curious enough to want to learn more, and possibly believe the claims. Family Radio's advertising blitz is dangerous because it forces the message outside the small group of believers, and puts the message in front of a possibly gullible public.
As for me, I'm ignoring the billboards and spending the long weekend on vacation with my best friend. I'm guessing that a lot of you will do the same. If the rapture does come, at least I'll be having a great time with someone I love — and that's something we should all strive to do every day, Judgment day or not.
*raises eyebrows* Uh-huh. It's just nothing more than a publicly stunt, although I do want to know how Christians feel about this. Mods, feel free to move this if this isn't in the right location.
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