Follow Up of the Day: “I do not understand why nothing has happened,” said former MTA employee Robert Fitzpatrick as it became evident that the Rapture was not taking place as Harold Camping had predicted.
The 60-year-old spent $140k out-of-pocket to promote the Family Radio Network founder’s Judgment Day prophecy. “I did what I had to do,” Fitzpatrick told an angry Times Square mob that had gathered to excoriate him (see video below). “I did what the Bible said.”
Camping himself has yet to make a public appearance in the aftermath of his failed End Times forecast. An SFist contributor snapped this photo of his Alameda home — where the curtains are drawn and nobody’s answering the door — at precisely 6:01PM on May 21 (one minute after the Rapture was to have started).
The Family Radio website has been down since yesterday, and his stations have all been playing pre-recorded church music and devotionals. The network’s Oakland headquarters were reportedly closed, with a sign on the door that read “Sorry we missed you!’” The last time Camping spoke with anyone was Saturday morning when he phoned up his daughter Sue Espinoza to voice his concern that Doomsday was not occurring as planned. “He just said, ‘I’m a little bewildered that it didn’t happen, but it’s still May 21 [in the United States],” Espinoza told the LA Times.
Some of Camping’s followers said they were disappointed, but weren’t holding the lack of Rapture against Camping. “If I should be angry at anybody, it should be me,” said tractor-trailer driver Keith Bauer, who maxed out his credit cards driving his family cross country to meet his maker. “Worst-case scenario for me, I got to see the country.”
Camping’s PR aide Tom Evans said that, despite the setback, “the word of God is still true.” He admits his organization “went too far,” but is still mulling going back to work for the network. “I have not found anything close to the faithfulness of Family Radio,” he said.
Meanwhile, Calvary Baptist Church deacon James Bynum and other members have arrived at Family Radio HQ to offer counseling to Camping’s disillusioned Doomsayers. “Harold Camping will never hand out poisoned Kool-Aid,” Bynum is quoted as saying. “It’s not that kind of a cult. But he has set up a system that will destroy some people’s lives.”
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