Ask Slashdot: What To Do When the Rapture Comes?

I live in Vegas so by makubesu · 2011-05-20 15:10 · Score: 4, Funny

I'll probably have to check the internet to see if it actually happened tomorrow night.

Re:I live in Vegas so by DJRumpy · 2011-05-20 15:27 · Score: 5, Funny

Last Post!
Re:I live in Vegas so by TheWanderingHermit · 2011-05-20 15:53 · Score: 2

It's all in the question -- ask the right question and the answer is obvious.
It's not if something happened because you're in Vegas.
It's not what we should do.
It's who we can contact for help -- in other words, "Who ya gonna call?"
And that question pretty much tells us who should be dealing with this whole thing.
Re:I live in Vegas so by morari · 2011-05-21 01:38 · Score: 3, Insightful

The Rapture? I'd celebrate finally be rid of all of those self-righteous assholes. If only I could wake up one day and hear "all of the religious nut jobs disappeared today", I'd be a happy person.

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"He who can destroy a thing, controls a thing." --Paul Atreides, Dune

Set piles of clothes out by PitaBred · 2011-05-20 15:11 · Score: 5, Funny

I'm planning on setting piles of clothes out on the sidewalk. Should be good for a laugh :)

--
My blog. Good stuff (when I remember to update it). Read it.

Re:Set piles of clothes out by Anonymous Coward · 2011-05-20 15:15 · Score: 5, Funny

The nasty plan I saw was spare shoes with dry ice in them. Or inflatable... dolls filled with helium let to float into the sky.
Re:Set piles of clothes out by houghi · 2011-05-20 17:20 · Score: 4, Interesting

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1F1OpRxY-k
That should scare the living hell out of people if you have enough.

--
Don't fight for your country, if your country does not fight for you.
Re:Set piles of clothes out by Chris+Mattern · 2011-05-21 02:18 · Score: 4, Informative

Actually, yes, most fundamentalists believe you will be naked in Heaven. However, there will be no lascivious thoughts because that sort of nastiness just doesn't happen in Heaven.
Re:Set piles of clothes out by Mindcontrolled · 2011-05-21 03:42 · Score: 2

Which reminds me - anyone heard of Dawkins today? Not me. Guess you haven't either. This leaves only the conclusion that Dawkins alone has been raptured. In other news, Hitchens is furious.

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Ubi solitudinem faciunt, pacem appellant.

At work by Nidi62 · 2011-05-20 15:11 · Score: 5, Funny

I'll be at work, waiting for my shift to end in 3.5 hours. At that point, I would probably welcome an apocalyptic earthquake.

--
The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for it to be pitted against a slightly greater evil

Re:At work by ColdWetDog · 2011-05-20 15:31 · Score: 5, Funny

I'll be at work, waiting for my shift to end in 3.5 hours. At that point, I would probably welcome an apocalyptic earthquake.
I'll be at work and an apocalypse would be just Business As Usual.

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Faster! Faster! Faster would be better!

Killing zombies by saleenS281 · 2011-05-20 15:11 · Score: 4, Funny

I will be killing zombies. With fire. Just brushed up on my cardio and stocked up on twinkies so I think I'm legit.

Re:Killing zombies by chill · 2011-05-20 15:19 · Score: 2

Been reading the Centers for Disease Control website, have you?

--
Learning HOW to think is more important than learning WHAT to think.

Loaded question! by DWMorse · 2011-05-20 15:11 · Score: 5, Funny

You're just trying to get us to admit that we'll be gearing up to loot our local Frys, Best Buys, and other such electronic appliance stores.

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There's a spot in User Info for World of Warcraft account names? Really?

Going out on a limb here... by t33jster · 2011-05-20 15:12 · Score: 5, Funny

RTFM. Matthew 24:36.

Even if the world does happen to end tomorrow, it's not because this kook knew it.

--
Take off every 'sig' for great justice.

Re:Going out on a limb here... by ZaphDingbat · 2011-05-20 15:22 · Score: 5, Informative

Then perhaps you missed the one two verses before that: "I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened."
Perhaps even a little of: "I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom." Matthew 16:28.
Or: "After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever." I Thessalonians 4:17.
"Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour." I John 2:18
"This is what I mean, brothers: the appointed time has grown very short. From now on, let those who have wives live as though they had none..." I Corinthians 7:29.
"They said to you, 'In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.' These are the people who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit." Jude 18-19.
I don't think Harold Camping was the first kook by a looong shot.
Re:Going out on a limb here... by biryokumaru · 2011-05-20 15:23 · Score: 2, Insightful

What makes this kook any more kooky than the kook who wrote that trash?

--
When you're afraid to download music illegally in your own home, then the terrorists have won!
Re:Going out on a limb here... by jamesh · 2011-05-20 16:07 · Score: 5, Funny

I don't think Harold Camping was the first kook by a looong shot.
We can take some comfort in knowing that if he's right, he'll be the last kook.
Re:Going out on a limb here... by mellon · 2011-05-20 16:14 · Score: 2

The implication I've always understood for "[they] shall not taste of death" was that some people present at that sermon would in fact be brought up to heaven without dying first. So either they're still alive, and really bloody old, or they got raptured long ago, and hence aren't our problem anymore. The bit about it being the last hour is that we don't live as long as we think we do, and we will run out of runway sooner than we think, so we'd better gun it and rotate.
Re:Going out on a limb here... by mellon · 2011-05-20 16:16 · Score: 3, Insightful

This "nobody knows the day and hour" stuff is about your own death. People make it be about armageddon and rapture because that's more abstract, less personal, and hence easier to face.
Re:Going out on a limb here... by gandhi_2 · 2011-05-20 16:23 · Score: 3, Informative

To be fair, most people who are sure that tomorrow ISN'T the rapture have exactly the same amount of evidence behind them as those who think it IS.

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THL phish sticks
Re:Going out on a limb here... by the_saint1138 · 2011-05-20 16:39 · Score: 5, Informative

Mod parent informative... Even Jesus didn't know when the rapture was to occur. This guy somehow knows better?

For those who don't want/care to look this up, Matthew 24:36 states (in reference to the rapture) "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father." - NIV translation

Unrelated note: For some reason, I mis-read the slashdot headline as "What To Do When the Raptors Come?"

what do you do when the raptors come?
Re:Going out on a limb here... by Anonymous Coward · 2011-05-20 16:39 · Score: 3, Interesting

You missed the original question(s).
They asked him what they thought was one question (with several parts.) They thought these things would happen at the same time.
He gave an answer with several parts - because these things (didn't/wouldn't) happen at the same time.
Ever since then, people have let themselves be confused by that.
The important thing isn't when the world will end for everybody.
The end of the world for the individual is more significant.
And more importantly, how did the individual live his/her life.
Was it a good life or selfish one?
There is an even more important question, but I see your mind is already made up.
Re:Going out on a limb here... by ceoyoyo · 2011-05-20 17:49 · Score: 3, Informative

Yes, books that tell you how to live your life should always be written in such a way that they are unclear and require lots of interpretation, preferably by highly trained specialists. Because there's no way THAT system could be abused. God is so wise!
Re:Going out on a limb here... by astrodoom · 2011-05-20 19:22 · Score: 4, Informative

"I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened."
You should probably read the section before that. At the beginning of the chapter, Jesus said in reference to the temple that not one stone would be left on another. The disciples then asked him when these things would happen, and he proceeded into a rather lengthy explanation with one "rabbit trail" into the end times to address/correct the idea that Jews thought the end of the world would come when the temple was destroyed. He then wrapped it up by answering their initial question of when the prophecy about the temple would come to pass. The structure of the passage makes a lot of sense when you think of the flow of a conversation. People tend to not really look at the surrounding text when talking about this verse and instead take it out of the context of the conversation, a dangerous practice albeit a common one on both sides.
FYI, destruction of the temple was around 70 A.D. Within the timing of the current generation prophecy.
Re:Going out on a limb here... by nedlohs · 2011-05-20 19:23 · Score: 5, Insightful

I'm as sure that tomorrow isn't the rapture as I am that the Moon won't sponteneously turn into cheese tomorrow, and that my house won't become a monster and eat the local children tomorrow, and that the sun won't go supernova tomorrow, and that 1+1 will still equal 2 tomorrow.
Yes I could be wrong on any of those, but if you are going to say I can't be "sure", then the word is meaningless since no one can be sure of anything.
Re:Going out on a limb here... by nyctopterus · 2011-05-20 22:44 · Score: 2

Problem of induction aside, all the current evidence suggests such events are physically impossible, so I would say all the evidence suggests that tomorrow isn't the rapture.
Re:Going out on a limb here... by DRMShill · 2011-05-21 01:02 · Score: 4, Insightful

I remember this verse quite well from Christian school. And the following verses: And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all [these things] must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these [are] the beginning of sorrows. These are often quoted as signs of the Apocalypse. The thing is these events have occurred on a regular basis since the dawn of time so they really aren't very good signs. I don't think Jesus and his apostles were that stupid so I can only conclude that this section really should have been written in Sarcastica. I kind of imagine it going like this: Apostle: When will you return. Jesus: None of your God Damn Business. That's when. Apostole: Come on tell us. Please!! Jesus: (rolls eyes and groans, then says in his best Dr. House mocking tone) Okay I'll give you the signs. There will be wars! Men will do anything for sex and money! People in power will screw over their subjects!! Apostole: OK Jesus, I was just asking. You don't need to be an ass about it.
Re:Going out on a limb here... by Attila+Dimedici · 2011-05-21 01:11 · Score: 2

As an Anonymous Coward pointed out, the problem with understanding this passage is that Jesus is answering two questions posed by the disciples as one. "When will this happen,.." referencing the comment that Jesus had just made about not one stone being left on another (a reference to the Roman sacking of Jerusalem in 70AD). And "...what will be the sign of your coming and the end of the age?" The reason for believing that the part that says no one knows the day or the hour applies to the end is that there are one or two other passages in the New Testament that refer to the Second Coming being as a "thief in the night" or otherwise coming as a surprise.

--
The truth is that all men having power ought to be mistrusted. James Madison
Re:Going out on a limb here... by Artifakt · 2011-05-21 01:55 · Score: 2

The common raptors of the Middle East include the Golden Eagle, the Greater Spotted Eagle, the Imperial Eagle, and the Steppe Eagle (which winters in locations such as Oman but is a European bird in the summer.), All of these species are frequent carrion eaters, and historically existed in numbers much larger than the (more specialised) vultures. (for non-biblical reference, see Pliny or just about anyone commenting on what the Romans stocked for their games.).
So yes, in this particular case, the religious types got their science exactly right.

--
Who is John Cabal?
Re:Going out on a limb here... by maxwell+demon · 2011-05-21 05:53 · Score: 2

and that 1+1 will still equal 2 tomorrow.
Yes I could be wrong on any of those
No, you can't be wrong on the last one (the one I quoted), because it's not a fact of nature, but a fact of math. Basically, 1+1=2 because we defined it that way. What could change is that there are processes in nature which are adequately described by this equation. But that doesn't affect the validity of the equation any more than the fact that even today there are processes not well described by it; e.g. one drop of water and one drop of water going together give one (bigger) drop of water, not two.

--
The Tao of math: The numbers you can count are not the real numbers.
Re:Going out on a limb here... by FoolishOwl · 2011-05-21 06:17 · Score: 2

I have Occam's Razor, by which I mean the reasonable assumption is the null hypothesis, by which I mean that unless I had some reason to believe that some unprecedented phenomenon would occur, I shouldn't expect it to occur.
In addition, given the text that Harold Camping is supposedly basing his beliefs upon says, specifically, that neither he nor anyone else can know when the Rapture will occur, it's obvious that Camping is too stupid to think coherently even within the bounds of his own declared belief system.
The real pity is that Camping and his followers are among the most foolish people in the world, that almost all of them will still be here tomorrow, and that most of them won't even reconsider their own beliefs in light of this spectacular folly.
Re:Going out on a limb here... by rgbatduke · 2011-05-21 06:27 · Score: 5, Informative

Superb example of Bayesian reasoning and the application of maximum entropy! Bravo!

The real problem isn't Harold Whacko. The problem is cognitive dissonance. Even though he will be proven wrong -- again -- in a little over three and a half hours (or less -- I would guess that the Bible doesn't account for EDT) will his followers, the ones who have showered him with money, go "Gee, were we dumb! We actually believed this crazy loon!"? No, instead they will find a way of making the non-event into the event, or they will start rumors of some people disappearing, and pretty soon all of them will "know" somebody that was taken up, and then there will be an after the last minute second chance or the good news that Jesus decided not to end the Universe after all because of the faith of Harold's followers.

Leon Festinger observed all of this, documented it, and named it way back in the 60's, and it is what keeps religion alive in spite of the lack of evidence, in spite of the positive evidence that they are wrong, that their predictions are false, that their theistic scripture is a collection of lies and myths, that many of those that preach it are con artists who suck the blood of the gullible.

rgb

--
Even when the experts all agree, they may well be mistaken. --- Bertrand Russell.
Re:Going out on a limb here... by js_sebastian · 2011-05-21 07:27 · Score: 2

FYI, destruction of the temple was around 70 A.D. Within the timing of the current generation prophecy.
Except that the gospels, that contain the prophecy in question, where written a couple centuries later... Let me see... I can make a prophecy that civil war will break out on the united states, and the slavers will lose...

The Brain by chill · 2011-05-20 15:14 · Score: 5, Funny

The same thing we do EVERY night, Pinky -- try to take over the world!

--
Learning HOW to think is more important than learning WHAT to think.

Re:The Brain by Moryath · 2011-05-20 15:44 · Score: 2

I'm on a rampage!
Re:The Brain by countertrolling · 2011-05-20 16:13 · Score: 2

with no name?

--
For justice, we must go to Don Corleone
Re:The Brain by sconeu · 2011-05-20 16:45 · Score: 2

Dammit! You've been on that thing for two weeks. Give him a fucking name already!!!

--
General Relativity: Space-time tells matter where to go; Matter tells space-time what shape to be.
Re:The Brain by lpp · 2011-05-20 17:01 · Score: 2

Yeah, pouring the astroglide on the linoleum and locking a cat in with the German Shepherd *IS* pretty amusing...
That's what you were talking about right?

Re:How can it be tied to local time zone? by saleenS281 · 2011-05-20 15:17 · Score: 3, Funny

Because God created timezones, duh!

No sense holding back. by Anonymous Coward · 2011-05-20 15:18 · Score: 2, Funny

I'm going to turn my virus scanner off and just enjoy the shit out of the extra speed.

HR gets in the way of planning by hawguy · 2011-05-20 15:23 · Score: 5, Funny

My HR department vetoed my plan to survey the IT staff to see if they were expecting to be raptured. Some crap about religious discrimination or something.

Not that I'm worried, I think we're only going to lose one IT guy to Rapture, and no one wants to hang out with him anyway.

Finding people... by bky1701 · 2011-05-20 15:24 · Score: 4, Funny

...who thought the rapture would come, and asking them the obvious question, "Where is your god now?"

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Great Intellect...

Re:Finding people... by jamesh · 2011-05-20 16:32 · Score: 3, Funny

Finding People ...who thought the rapture would come, and asking them the obvious question, "Where is your god now?"
Or even better... ask them why they didn't ascend when some of your other Christian friends did.
Re:Finding people... by Black+Parrot · 2011-05-20 17:20 · Score: 5, Funny

Finding People ...who thought the rapture would come, and asking them the obvious question, "Where is your god now?"
Or even better... ask them why they didn't ascend when some of your other Christian friends did.
Or even bester, ask them why they're still here and your Hindu friends aren't.

--
Sheesh, evil *and* a jerk. -- Jade
Re:Finding people... by JackDW · 2011-05-21 01:33 · Score: 2

If you are Christian and you expect to be raptured, you have already committed a major sin, namely pride. If you find any Christians who actually think they're good enough to deserve priority entry to Heaven, you could always point out that just entertaining that particular belief probably excludes them.

--
You're an immobile computer, remember?

Re:How can it be tied to local time zone? by LordRobin · 2011-05-20 15:26 · Score: 5, Insightful

This is by far and away the single most hilarious thing about this prediction. Time zones are established by man's laws, yet this heavenly event is supposed to follow them. So let me get this straight:

-- If I live on the border of the Eastern and Central time zones, and see my friends floating into the air, and I don't want to go yet (because I want to tweet to everybody about what I saw), I can run a few feet to the east, and God will grant me 60 more minutes on Earth?
-- Will God start the Rapture in Venezuela 30 minutes before the rest of South America?
-- What about the International Date Line? Will some islands have to wait a full day to be raptured?
-- And God respects Daylight Savings Time too?

That last one makes me think... Y'know, if God is bound to obey the local time set by the local laws of the local humans, what's to stop a government from passing a law turning the clocks ahead one hour precisely one minute after 5:59 PM? No rapture for you, comades!

------RM

Re:So if this doesn't happen... by bky1701 · 2011-05-20 15:26 · Score: 2, Funny

Silly atheist. Religion doesn't have to be true for people to buy into it. That's the beauty of it. Most Christians would probably shit themselves if it turned out to be true.

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Great Intellect...

Visiting rapturefail.org by g_adams27 · 2011-05-20 15:27 · Score: 5, Insightful

Visiting and/or updating rapturefail.org, and hoping that Harold Camping's followers take to heart the open letter on that site:

Many of you will be tempted to go back to the scriptures in search of new clues for a new date. Let me plead with you to consider instead the importance of solid, basic, principles of reading and interpreting the Bible and stop looking for hidden or secret “truths.” In particular, let me encourage you always to be suspect of any major emphases in any person’s teachings that are founded on allegorical teachings. In particular, be very careful around those who push numerological interpretations. Numerology has some basis in truth, but it is highly subjective and should be approached very humbly, very cautiously, and definitely with a “less-is-more” attitude. The Bible is not a puzzle to be unraveled or a set of hidden numerical clues. What God says He says openly. Live in the clear passages of the Bible and be very suspect of those who claim to have discovered major truths in some of the more obscure portions.

Re:Visiting rapturefail.org by jesseck · 2011-05-20 15:48 · Score: 2

You know, somewhere in the Bible it says that we won't know when the Rapture happens... so I welcome these predictions. It theoretically prolongs our time on Earth.

Its good to know an Atheist by hedgemage · 2011-05-20 15:28 · Score: 5, Funny

I am a follower of "that Jesus guy" and while I am very skeptical of the prediction, I made sure to ask an atheist friend of mine to feed my cat after I ascend. I mean, it would be pretty dickish of me to leave my cat to starve, wouldn't it? After all, it will only be for 6 months until the complete end of the world.

Re:Its good to know an Atheist by chaim79 · 2011-05-21 02:12 · Score: 2

The specifics aren't really spelled out, the general understanding is that we will ascend to meet Jesus 'in the clouds', so ducking airliners here and there... From there we go to be with Him in heaven.
The exact location of heaven isn't spelled out. My personal theory is that it is actually outside the universe, outside of space-time (one easy way to get a human body to live forever). However that is mostly personal speculation, I'm sure there are theologists who would better answer your question.
And yes, I am a Christian, I do believe the rapture will happen, I expect to mow the lawn and do some other chores over the weekend, and going to work Monday.

--
DEMETRIUS: Villain, what hast thou done?
AARON: Villain, I have done thy mother.
Shakespeare invents 'your mom'

Re:Im going to be jerking off by Anonymous Coward · 2011-05-20 15:30 · Score: 3, Funny

It's the Rapture. I don't know, it just seems like we should do something out of the ordinary for once.

I have bellsprouts planted outside my house by Anonymous Coward · 2011-05-20 15:31 · Score: 3, Funny

to shoot peas at any zombies that may approach.

Re:I have bellsprouts planted outside my house by Trilkin · 2011-05-20 17:02 · Score: 2

We don't like zombies on the lawn.

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Nobody cares what the CAPTCHA for your post was.

Re:So if this doesn't happen... by captjc · 2011-05-20 15:31 · Score: 3, Insightful

No, just that some dude and his followers are whack-jobs.

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Slow Down Cowboy! It's been 1 hour, 47 minutes since you last successfully posted a comment

Re:How can it be tied to local time zone? by hawguy · 2011-05-20 15:36 · Score: 2

This is by far and away the single most hilarious thing about this prediction. Time zones are established by man's laws, yet this heavenly event is supposed to follow them. So let me get this straight:

Timezones were created so everyone sees the sun rise and set at the same (approximate) time. Timezones don't obey Man's law, they obey God's law.

Re:How can it be tied to local time zone? by Allicorn · 2011-05-20 15:36 · Score: 2

Any time you see something that doesn't make sense... ...a wizard did it.

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OMG!!! Ponies!!!

Re: Why wait by bmearns · 2011-05-20 15:39 · Score: 2

Not for another 22 minutes or so. See here: http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/full.html?sort=2.

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Slashdot is not a game, Slashdot is not a game. Crap, I just lost points.

Googling "Pre-Rapture Suicide Methods" by Greyfox · 2011-05-20 15:41 · Score: 4, Funny

Over and over, trying to get it on trends. That'd be good for a laugh.

--

I'm trying to teach myself to set people on fire with my mind... Is it hot in here?

Jetpack gogogo by mustPushCart · 2011-05-20 15:42 · Score: 2

I am obviously going to build my jetpack. It should give me enough altitude incase you know i dont get caught up in the clouds myself (and looking at my pron collection its not likely). So I am going to jetpack up and grab on to one of those bible thumpers legs (hopefully it'll have a skirt on it which would be a great inflight movie) and totally get into like... heaven or whatever.

Re:Christians think this guy is insane by Anonymous Coward · 2011-05-20 15:47 · Score: 2, Insightful

An overwhelming majority of Christians think Jesus is alive in heaven and his mom never had sex. They shouldn't talk about nuts.

Re:Make the story end by Chuq · 2011-05-20 15:48 · Score: 3, Informative

The sad thing is some people *are* arranging their finances on such a decision...

http://www.npr.org/2011/05/07/136053462/is-the-end-nigh-well-know-soon-enough (Search for "Martinez", about 1/2 way down)

--
- Chuq

Re:How can it be tied to local time zone? by oztiks · 2011-05-20 15:49 · Score: 2

The problem I have with this Mayan and other silly calendar based EOD prophecies. Since I was indoctrinated by Roman Catholic values (thanks mom and dad!) one thing I know is that the Caesar occupation of Rome lead to the butchering of our 10month calendar ... October is the 10th month of the year FFS and July and August was introduced out of some need to satisfy a bunch of ancient egotistical usurpers.

I never really did the math but if you were to ever use our contemporary calendar to predict anything that factors in events pre AD events your going to over shoot it by at least few years!

Surprising no body ever factors in the little details :)

Getting Laid by NicknamesAreStupid · 2011-05-20 15:54 · Score: 3, Funny

I am going to guarantee that at least one person will be in rapture tomorrow.

Re:How can it be tied to local time zone? by Anonymous Coward · 2011-05-20 15:58 · Score: 5, Funny

Time zones are established by man's laws, yet this heavenly event is supposed to follow them. So let me get this straight

Our product follows proper internationalization guidelines. We do also have full Unicode support.

-- If I live on the border of the Eastern and Central time zones, and see my friends floating into the air, and I don't want to go yet (because I want to tweet to everybody about what I saw), I can run a few feet to the east, and God will grant me 60 more minutes on Earth?

Yes. You can actually can get a full day if you're fast. Think of it like a consolation prize.

-- Will God start the Rapture in Venezuela 30 minutes before the rest of South America?

Yes, if there's a Christian Anglo Saxon expat there. Otherwise it'll be skipped like the rest.

-- What about the International Date Line? Will some islands have to wait a full day to be raptured?

Yes.

-- And God respects Daylight Savings Time too?

Unfortunately this feature is not supported on this version.

Y'know, if God is bound to obey the local time set by the local laws of the local humans, what's to stop a government from passing a law turning the clocks ahead one hour precisely one minute after 5:59 PM? No rapture for you, comades!

This will show up as a bug in our issue tracking system and the responsible will be sent to hell manually. Also, additional charges will be billed against your account.

Hope this helps,
Vijay
Heaven Customer Service Representative.

Re:How can it be tied to local time zone? by hawguy · 2011-05-20 16:02 · Score: 4, Interesting

But Camping's prediction is that the earthquakes will follow the sun... just as man's timezones do:

Harold Camping: Beginning at about 6:00p May 21st in New Zealand there will be a great earthquake. This earthquake will actually follow the Sun and as each timezone reaches 6:00p it too will experience this earthquake.

The timezone is just a convenience to describe when the earthquake will start -- as he says, it will be about 6:00pm, so someone on East side of the timezone will feel it before someone on the West side. Since the earthquakes will follow the sun, then man's definition of "timezone" doesn't matter - whether there are 24 timezones or 36 timezones, the earthquake would still appear to follow the timezones.

There may be many reasons to discredit his prediction, but timezones aren't one of them.

I know what I will carry by houghi · 2011-05-20 16:07 · Score: 2

I will print out a copy of the following and carry it around with me:
http://groups.google.com/group/net.religion/msg/30925fd2c9a20cbd?pli=1

A long read, but well worth it.

I will probably sign it with my own blood, just to be sure.

--
Don't fight for your country, if your country does not fight for you.

It's 6.17 and nothing happened! by dutchwhizzman · 2011-05-20 16:16 · Score: 2

In the Netherlands.... I guess it really is a local event for the US then

--
I was promised a flying car. Where is my flying car?

Kool Aide by Anonymous Coward · 2011-05-20 16:17 · Score: 3, Funny

I will be investing a ton in Kool Aide stocks. Should be a killer Monday on the stock market.

Re:How can it be tied to local time zone? by countertrolling · 2011-05-20 16:18 · Score: 2

...I can run a few feet to the east, and God will grant me 60 more minutes on Earth?

Go West young man...

--
For justice, we must go to Don Corleone

Goin' fishin' by chebucto · 2011-05-20 16:18 · Score: 5, Funny

This time, no size limits, and screw the limit.

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The English word fart is one of the oldest words in the English vocabulary.

Re:Goin' fishin' by sconeu · 2011-05-20 16:49 · Score: 2

Thank you. That's one of my favorites.

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General Relativity: Space-time tells matter where to go; Matter tells space-time what shape to be.

Watching Lord of the Rings by Anonymous Coward · 2011-05-20 16:25 · Score: 2

I'm hosting a LotR extended edition Marathon. We will have a meal in between every disc change, breakfast, Second Breakfast, Elevensies... you get the picture. At 6PM we will be starting the Return of the King.

Re:I live in New Zealand so... by black3d · 2011-05-20 16:42 · Score: 5, Funny

Ditto - I used the opportunity to rush out and buy packs of ciggies and condoms to stuff into my pockets. I'm guessing both are in short supply in heaven. ^^

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"The true measure of a person is how they act when they know they won't get caught." - DSRilk

Re:jacking off by Brucelet · 2011-05-20 16:43 · Score: 3, Funny

Maybe if you took your hand out of your pants you'd have posted in time to actually get first.

Re:I live in Japan so... by telekon · 2011-05-20 16:52 · Score: 5, Funny

Pfft... Everyone knows God calculates the rapture as a 32-bit unsigned int representing seconds since beginning of epoch UTC. So, sometime before 2038, obviously, but 'local time'? Please.

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To understand recursion, you must first understand recursion.

Re:I live in New Zealand so... by nanospook · 2011-05-20 16:59 · Score: 5, Funny

It's only 10 minutes away for me! No WAIT! My clock is wro

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Have you fscked your local propeller head today?

Hmmm... thousands of "missing" people... by VortexCortex · 2011-05-20 17:16 · Score: 2

So, any one who gets crossed off the hit list becomes known as a "true believer" afterwards...

I wouldn't be surprised to find out years later that all the disappeared folk were the outspoken freedom advocates that had actually just been permanently silenced by a coordinated global conspiracy...Perfect opportunity for a cover up, just sayin'.

Hey, that's more believable than a Super Sky Zombie, coming back after thousands of years to take his followers to a magical utopia, where he'll finally marry them all, then subjugate them in service to his father for 1000 years of constant worship...

You know -- If the aliens arrive tomorrow and abscond with a shit load of gullible "volunteers" as their "chosen people", I'll be skipping the ride to eternal slavery camp, no matter how hellish they promise to make our world afterwards. -- Life Free or Die is what I believe in.

P.S. Didn't they make a movie about this already? IIRC: the aliens finally arrived at their destination, Earth. Their purpose: To retrieve the long lost secrets of the most flavorful food in the universe. All the Hispanics were abducted, mind-reamed to discover their collective recipes for Authentic Mexican Cuisine, then returned, unharmed. The world wept without knowing why -- There was a great disturbance in the force due to the psionic-emotive resonances of the aliens, who all joyously celebrated after finally having achieved their holy quest.

Re:How can it be tied to local time zone? by Black+Parrot · 2011-05-20 17:17 · Score: 4, Interesting

The problem I have with this Mayan and other silly calendar based EOD prophecies. Since I was indoctrinated by Roman Catholic values (thanks mom and dad!) one thing I know is that the Caesar occupation of Rome lead to the butchering of our 10month calendar ... October is the 10th month of the year FFS and July and August was introduced out of some need to satisfy a bunch of ancient egotistical usurpers.

Actually January and February were the late additions. The early Roman agricultural year started in March (named after the God of war, of course - this is Rome we're talking about). The Sept- Oct- Nov- Dec- are off because we start our year at (approximately) the solstice rather than the beginning of spring.

July and August were merely renamed.

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Sheesh, evil *and* a jerk. -- Jade

Re:Ob. by Technician · 2011-05-20 17:20 · Score: 2

No, My kids will inherit it.

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The truth shall set you free!

It's really the ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE! by PixieDust · 2011-05-20 18:01 · Score: 3, Funny

1st Thessalonians 4:16

For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.

Prepare accordingly

Re:I live in New Zealand so... by black3d · 2011-05-20 18:10 · Score: 5, Funny

UPDATE: I didn't get raptured, but on the plus side - I now have party supplies. Ladies?

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"The true measure of a person is how they act when they know they won't get caught." - DSRilk

Re:I live in New Zealand so... by hairyfeet · 2011-05-20 21:11 · Score: 3, Insightful

As a non believer all I have to say is.....can I have your stuff? After all you won't be needing it, right? Oh and as a common courtesy please clear all nasty porn from your PCs, although feel free to leave the lesbian gangbangs and be sure to label the folder as "Tools and Utilities" so my GF won't find it. Thanks!

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ACs don't waste your time replying, your posts are never seen by me.

Re:I live in New Zealand so... by Adambomb · 2011-05-20 21:30 · Score: 2

Don't be silly, he wouldn't Submit "Aaargghh", would he.

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Ice Cream has no bones.

Um, did he factor in the Gregorian Adjustment? by davide+marney · 2011-05-20 22:28 · Score: 2

According to The Origins of our Modern Calendar", in 1582 10 days were dropped from the calendar to account for a centuries-long accumulation of a rounding error in calculating the length of a year (Caesar calculated a year to be 365.25 days long, but it's actually 365.2422 days.) Ever since then, we've been adjusting one day every 4 years, but that has it's own rounding problems too, resulting in 1 day of error every 3,000 years.

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"We receive as friendly that which agrees with, we resist with dislike that which opposes us" - Faraday

Re:I live in New Zealand so... by asylumx · 2011-05-20 22:41 · Score: 2

*crickets chirp*

Re:prediction by bondsbw · 2011-05-21 00:00 · Score: 4, Interesting

As a Christian, I say mod parent up.

The problem with these people is that they won't stop believing, because this really won't prove the Bible untrue. Which would mean that this isn't unambiguously predicted by the Bible. So then, what's this all about... fame? Money?

My beliefs have nothing to do with attempting to gain fame or money by (ab)using my faith or my position. My evangelism starts and ends with my telling you my beliefs, and my hope that you'll at least entertain the ideas... but there is no expectation that you must listen or change your mind on the spot. For these people, though, they need more... they need to convince the world of their views using scare tactics.

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All my liberal friends think I'm a conservative, all my conservative friends think I'm a liberal.

Re:I live in New Zealand so... by karnal · 2011-05-21 00:14 · Score: 3, Funny

Tools and Utilities sounds like a folder for the male gangbangs... just saying.

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Karnal

Re:I live in New Zealand so... by RabidStoat · 2011-05-21 07:21 · Score: 2

UPDATE: I didn't get raptured, but on the plus side - I now have party supplies. Ladies?

Oh come on, this is only the rapture. It's going to take a lot more than that to get chicks to talk to us

No rapture: What will Harold Camping do? by Theovon · 2011-05-21 07:54 · Score: 2

So, it comes to pass that it is "about" 6PM in the timezone where Harold Camping is, and nothing happens to him. What will Harold Camping do?

Things he's likely to do:
(a) Figure he got his calculations wrong and start over on his math.
(b) Worry a little that perhaps he wasn't as Christian as he thought he was supposed to be, but then dismiss the idea immediately.
(c) More steadfastly ignore all naysayers, insisting that his beliefs are sound and that there WILL be a rapture.
(d) Shove his head further into the sand.

Rational things he ought to do but won't:
(a) Take seriously the idea that he wasn't as Christian as he was supposed to be.
(b) Take seriously the idea that the Rapture was a mythological idea to begin with and isn't going to happen.

Things he's probably not smart enough to do, right or wrong:
(a) Reinterpret the Rapture in a more philosophical light, suggesting that the rapture did indeed happen; it just doesn't LOOK like it did to the untrained eye. In fact, all raptured people have been transformed in some way and are now "in heaven", which happens to be a parallel dimension to Earth, and raptured people are straddling that dimensional boundary.
(b) Reinterpret his entire belief system and consider that perhaps he was taking certain Christian scriptures or traditions too seriously.
(c) Take seriously the works of scholars that have suggested that Revelations describes events that already happened before the book was written.

What else will Harold Camping do?

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