Apocalypse delayed

Stuff reports:

California preacher Harold Camping said his prophecy that the world would end was off by five months because Judgment Day actually will come on October 21.

Camping, who predicted that 200 million Christians would be taken to heaven Saturday before the Earth was destroyed, said he felt so terrible when his doomsday prediction did not come true that he left home and took refuge in a motel with his wife.

Took refuge in a motel – how awful.

His independent ministry, Family Radio International, spent millions – some of it from donations made by followers – on more than 5000 billboards and 20 RVs plastered with the Judgment Day message.

But Camping said that he’s now realised the apocalypse will come five months after May 21, the original date he predicted. He had earlier said October 21 was when the globe would be consumed by a fireball.

It’s not the first time the independent Christian radio host has been forced to explain when his prediction didn’t come to pass. He also predicted the Apocalypse would come in 1994, but said it didn’t happen then because of a mathematical error.

If anyone believes him third time around, it should be deemed sufficient grounds for them to go to a psychiatric hospital for compulsory treatment.