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'Left Behind' Author Tim Lahaye Says May, 21 2011 Judgment Day Won't Happen

May 21 2011

First Posted: 05/18/11 10:16 PM ET Updated: 05/19/11 11:02 AM ET

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The author of the popular "Left Behind" book series, Tim Lahaye, has written on his website that he does not subscribe to the growing belief that May 21, 2011 will mark the end of the world.

The "Left Behind" series lays out a fictionalized image of the Christian prediction for the end of the world and suggests that the Rapture may be imminent. In addition to his career as an author and evangelical minister, Lahaye has recently drawn attention for identifying the earthquakes and tsunami that hit Japan in March and President Obama's administrative agenda as signs of the coming apocalypse.

With this seemingly eager attitude, it is somewhat surprising that Lahaye has come out in opposition to Harold Camping's judgment day bandwagon. Instead, Lahaye sticks to the oft-cited passage from the Gospel of Matthew that is interpreted to mean the apocalypse will not be predicted:

But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father (Matthew 24:36).

Lahaye points out that Camping has been wrong about the date of the end times before, and he goes on to explain:

You can be sure the rapture will not occur when anyone sets a date because God wants us all to live every day as though Christ could come today. A great motto for daily living is PERHAPS TODAY. For one day it will happen and we don't know when, but we don't want you to be left behind!

What do you think? Does the rejection of conservative Christians like Tim Lahaye affect the credibility of the May 21 movement?


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The author of the popular "Left Behind" book series, Tim Lahaye, has written on his website that he does not subscribe to the growing belief that May 21, 2011 will mark the end of the world. The "L...
The author of the popular "Left Behind" book series, Tim Lahaye, has written on his website that he does not subscribe to the growing belief that May 21, 2011 will mark the end of the world. The "L...
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ThinkCreeps
7 hours ago (3:55 PM)
He doesn't buy it?

But he could. Publishing ordurical novellas is a good business.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
zwyziec
datur cuique suum
22 hours ago (1:12 AM)
Rapture is not a word found in the bible. The theory was conjured up by John Nelson Darby an Irish evangelist in the 1800's.

The rapture theory grew in popularity among evangelica­ls largely due to a preacher named William Eugene Blackstone (1841-1935­). His book, Jesus is Coming, sold more than one million copies.

For those who believe in a future Rapture, it is regarded to be a sudden and cataclysmi­c event that will be unlike any other phenomenon in history. Millions of people will disappear from the Earth without warning.

As a result, tragic and unexplaine­d accidents will occur on a wide scale basis, ushering in the tribulatio­n period. Many speculate that the non-believ­ers left behind who may have known of the Rapture theory, yet previously rejected it, will finally come to belief in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior as a result of the Rapture. Others left behind will remain in unbelief, finding theories to "explain away" the bizarre event.

The idea of a rapture appeals to people whose amygdala's are larger then their anterior circulate cortex.

That means they have an anatomical predisposi­­tion to fear and their reaction to fear inducing ideas like gay, mexican immigrants with guns invading Arizona, or Jebus coming to call them, or a black muslim intelligen­­t man in the white house, is abnormal.
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HUFFPOST COMMUNITY MODERATOR
Hpotterfan77
The Liberal Leaning Deist!
12 hours ago (10:55 AM)
I have an easier time believing the Mayan prediction (if you can call it that) than anything that comes out of an evangelica­l's mouth...lo­l
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
zwyziec
datur cuique suum
22 hours ago (12:59 AM)
Of course he wouldn't accept it. He and his wife want to continue to receive royalties on his book sales.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
sakredkow
phxtalk@blogspot.com
11:13 AM on 5/22/2011
He really went out on a limb.
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gemmax
11:16 AM on 5/22/2011
This is true...how sad for those people
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Startreklivz
10:34 AM on 5/22/2011
He's probably annoyed at someone trying to infringe upon his "trademark­" brand ...
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tcny
10:20 AM on 5/22/2011
"Camping's lunacy doth not alligneth with my lunacy, ye verily, so I rejecteth it."
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ThinkCreeps
7 hours ago (3:56 PM)
Forsooth and verily. If all the nutjobs surfeth upwards, who will be left to buyeth my books?
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
anahata56
Unrepentant Moonbat
09:30 AM on 5/22/2011
The eschatolog­ists are all the same--they make their living tapping into the 1gnor@nt and gullible fear and bitterness of people who are comforted by the thought that their social awkwardnes­s is validated --that they are "not of this world". LaHaye is as much a false prophet as Camping is, and makes a ton of money scaring the bejabbers out of people who would rather believe in a meaningful afterlife than putting the life they have to good use. It's all a cop-out--a­n excuse to waste their time and talents and shirk their responsibi­lity to live successful­ly.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
zwyziec
datur cuique suum
22 hours ago (1:00 AM)
A good reason for reincarnat­ion. We all get as many go arounds we need to get it finally right with nature.
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jupitervi12
04:25 AM on 5/22/2011
. My name is Victor. And i am studying cnc to be a engineer. . The world is not ending today nor tomorrow.A­nd when it does happen! It will happen in a blink of an eye. You nor I, will see it or feel it. Reality will breath its lovely breathe upon us. When the crescent moon aligns itself in front of the star sirius. Jesus appearance then will be discerned by only a few. He could be in the form of a homeless man or woman that you may or may not pass upon the street. He could come as a president, king, queen, politician­, scientist, .even perhaps a student. Remember many will not discern him for a moment. So its a strong possibilit­y that he will come as a careprovid­er. But not hardly under the umbrella of religion. He will be against the religions of the world. Because they will be foreign to him. The only physical sign of his timing is the crescent moon an its alignment in front of the star sirius. Because when his mother Mary was giving him birth. The crescent moon and the star sirius were aligned over the city of Bethelehem­, being observed by a few shepards and early mourning risers. So beware of the religious fanatics and soothsayer­s, and insurance policies. Continue the good work. Be loveable and just .Now can i get a few dollars before d.t.e. turn my lights off ? vbanks411@­yahoo.com
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
zwyziec
datur cuique suum
22 hours ago (1:02 AM)
What do you say to people like me who don't believe in Jebus, who don't accept the bible as the word of god, and who feel strongly that so called christians are a plague on the earth?
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almostlyniceguy
Not young enough to know everything..
10:03 PM on 5/21/2011
I saw a post earlier on another article I'd like to paraphrase­:

"Maybe the rapture did happen. Maybe he was left behind."
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koppenberg
07:43 PM on 5/21/2011
Does this mean that all that is required to thwart end of days theology is someone saying that a specific date is The Day? Well, that's pretty easy to do, maybe write a program that publishes a monotonica­lly later date as Judgement Day on a web page. Generate a few million hits a day and that should take care of it until our sun explodes in a few billion years.

I do like the notion that folks should live each day as good people, though it'd be better if folks were good because it's the right way to go rather than as anticipati­on or fear of Judgement Day. But if fear is what it takes for some folks to be good, that's better than them actually acting badly.
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springsm
07:31 PM on 5/21/2011
Good for you, Lahaye...b­ut your book series "Left Behind" is nothing to crow about either.  Just sayin....
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John Ramsey001
06:52 PM on 5/21/2011
Why is this so common among protestant churches/g­roups? This is rare amongst the catholics,­orthodox, and various oriental churches of the East.
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springsm
07:34 PM on 5/21/2011
I wonder if it is really "common" among protestant churches or if it is the lesser informed followers of pentacosta­l and very conservati­ve fundamenta­list pastors.  The ones who will use anything to sell something, have control and power over a person and who has a great following on radio.  I surely haven't heard anything like this in the protestant denominati­on to which I belong...o­r any of the others with whom I am acquainted­.  The nutcases and the loonies leading the poor people who follow so blindly, over the cliff.
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John Ramsey001
07:46 PM on 5/21/2011
What is the difference between an evangelica­l and a pentecosta­l church? Sometimes I would tune-in to the Trinity Network Channel to watch Charles Stantley, good preacher, and most of the times they have these weird church groups that the people are falling on the floor, blabbling away and supposedly casting out ailments, demons, etc.

I know that Charles Stanley is a Baptist, but is he considered to be evangelica­l or pentecosta­l too?
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gemmax
11:15 AM on 5/22/2011
this sort of thing happens often and just because a person says that their group is a certain denominati­on doesnt mean that it is. Small groups break off from churches all the time and start their own exclusive groups that don't allow others in. I was really worried about those people..th­at they would do something like what happened in Jonestown.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Startreklivz
10:41 AM on 5/22/2011
The belief in the "Rapture" only dates to the early 1800's, when an ill-educat­ed British "pastor" named Darby began preaching it. The "Scofield Bible" which contained additional notes and essays (which some regard as almost canonical, but many regard as comical) explaining the doctrine were produced. This notion is MUCH later than the developmen­t of Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican, Lutheran etc. theology, and the Scofield Bible, with its editing and essays, is not an authorized edition of Scripture for neither liturgical nor private devotional use among any of those groups. The theory has few adherents in Europe, and in the USA only amongst certain (not all) fundamenta­list and evangelica­l sects.
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gemmax
10:58 AM on 5/22/2011
The scofield reference bible is the king james bible with extra notes and references to other scriptures­. Many churches and denominati­ons use it and recommend it. Many other bibles have the same references and notes as well.
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gemmax
11:02 AM on 5/22/2011
Catholics believe that a priest can forgive their sins and their leader is a man wearing a pointy hat...and riding in a popemobile­...come on...it is also one of the richest organizati­ons in the world.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
zwyziec
datur cuique suum
22 hours ago (1:06 AM)
Rapture is not a word found in the bible. It was conjured up in the late 1800's by an evangelica­l preacher. It appeals to people whose amygdala's are larger then their anterior circulate cortex.

That means they have an anatomical predisposi­tion to fear and their reaction to fear inducing ideas like gay, mexican immigrants with guns invading Arizona, or Jebus coming to call them, or a black muslim intelligen­t man in the white house, is abnormal.
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ThinkCreeps
7 hours ago (4:15 PM)
It's odd, because they've all got plenty of money in the earthly bank.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Joe Bigg
AH! He's a Socialist!
05:12 PM on 5/21/2011
Those that buy into this bs need help.

Maybe that makes them feel special believing these tales?

But if only they would step back and see these ideas for what they are, delusions.

Maybe if they see that this is a problem they could to get help.

So if you have this problem see a specialist and get medicated soon!
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Joe Bigg
AH! He's a Socialist!
05:05 PM on 5/21/2011
"You can be sure the rapture will not occur"

If only he would have stopped there, but of course he had to continue.

He does need to sell more books so he kept talking.

Those that buy into this bs need help.

They believe that fairies are going to come down and pluck them up so they can be with their god in paradise.

Maybe that makes them feel and special.

But if only they would step back and see these ideas for what they are, delusions.

Delusions are fanaticism are one in the same when not medicated.

That is what allows a person to press a button in hopes of getting his/her virgins.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Joe Bigg
AH! He's a Socialist!
04:56 PM on 5/21/2011
Instead of wasting you time buying into these kinds of delusions why not take a deep breath and enjoy life.

Live this life trying to help one another and advance our species.

Use the money you save and buy some land and plant some trees and walk.

Darn it folks, get off your bums and walk, you will live longer if you do!
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gemmax
11:04 AM on 5/22/2011
Camping's group was small. what makes you think that christians aren't happy people? that we don't exercise and eat right and laugh and enjoy life? Do you know any?
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Joe Bigg
AH! He's a Socialist!
16 hours ago (7:13 AM)
Well actually I do, my Father preaches and I have met many meany many Christians and the majority were unhealthy.
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