Harold Camping's Rapture Doomsday a Scam?
Judgment Day in California, where Harold Camping resides, never came.
It's now well past 6 p.m. PST, the time when Camping expected to be raptured.
The Family Radio president predicted that earthquakes would begin at 6 p.m. in each time zone on May 21 to alert the world that the end of the world has begun and that a small percentage of the world's population would rapture.
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But now his following, many of whom gave up their jobs and spent their life savings, is left feeling confused and, unfortunately, with nothing.
Millions of dollars were spent on billboards and other ad campaigns to warn the public about Judgment Day. The ads led people to wecanknow.com which also featured a link for donations.
Though the link was taken down about a week before the predicted rapture date, visitors were given other opportunities to donate by being led to other ministry websites such as Family Radio, EBible Fellowship, Bible Ministries Intl., and The-Latter-Rain.
Each site, which claimed no affiliation to each other, advertised May 21 as Judgment Day, yet most continued to ask for donations.
Just recently, EBible Fellowship posted a message that it was "no longer accepting donations due to the shortness of time until May 21, 2011."
But it went on to state, "If you still wish to make a donation, please make it to Family Radio" and provided the ministry's Oakland, Calif., address along with a link to a "secure donation form."
Currently, the Family Radio website is down.
According to MinistryWatch.com, which grades Christians organizations on financial transparency, Family Stations, Inc. (dba Family Radio), which Camping founded, has a transparency grade of "C."
The organization relies mainly on contributions, MinistryWatch.com reports.
Its total assets as of 2007 – which was the most recent year MinistryWatch.com had financial statements for – was $152 million. Contributions in 2007 totaled nearly $16 million. In the period between 2003 and 2006, the organization received around $13 million to $15 million in contributions each of those years.
IRS filings indicate that in 2009, contributions totaled around $18 million. Total assets were also recorded for that year as $72 million.
Though Camping does not receive a salary or other financial compensation, according to Family Radio, he and his ministry have been accused of running a scam.
And with high interest surrounding the end times, Pastor Juan Sanchez, preaching pastor at High Pointe Baptist Church in Austin, Texas, acknowledges there is a market.
"Whether it’s 'The Left Behind' novels or 'The Left Behind' movies, there has always been a market," Sanchez said.
Christian Post Contributor Maya Carpenter contributed to this report.
