What happens when your end-of-the-world prediction is wrong

[progressoid]

On Oct. 7, eBible Fellowship recommended that everybody listen to its last-ever question-and-answer podcast with Chris McCann, because McCann believed that Oct. 7 would also Earth’s last day. On Oct. 8, the world was still here, and McCann had the unenviable task of explaining what had happened.

“Since it is now October 8th it is now obvious that we were incorrect regarding the world’s ending on the 7th,” he wrote in a statement sent to the many reporters who had reached out to him about his prediction. The statement was also posted on his Web site.

“There was much biblical information pointing to this date and we freely shared it with all. Yet, consistently stressing throughout the entire time period that the world ending on that date was a ‘strong likelihood,’ ” he wrote.

...snip...

Religion Dispatches followed some of those who believed May 21, 2011, would be the day a series of earthquakes would herald God’s judgement. Those who had eagerly anticipated the day constantly revised their theories with each other, including on a now-defunct message board.

Religion Dispatches writes:

When the sun rose on May 21, they were taken aback. Maybe it would happen at noon. When noon passed, they settled on 6 p.m. When that came and went, some thought it might happen at midnight. Or perhaps it wouldn’t happen until May 21 was over everywhere on the planet. “It will still be May 21st in American Samoa (last time zone before the International Date Line),” someone posted on Latter Rain, an online forum for believers.

By Sunday morning, new theories were floated. “It was God’s plan to warn people. It was His purpose to hide the true meaning behind May 21. It’s about us suffering what He went through,” a believer commented.

A year after the prophecy passed, the article found, Camping’s followers were left with real emotional and financial distress.

More..

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-intersect/wp/2015/10/10/what-happens-when-your-end-of-the-world-prediction-is-wrong/?tid=sm_fb