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Believers' reactions mixed to unfulfilled rapture

Published:Monday | May 23, 2011 | 12:00 AM
In this Saturday, May 21 photo, members of the Calvary Bible Church of Milpitas appear at the closed Family Radio station offices of Harold Camping in Oakland, California, to offer support to victims of the radio evangelist, who claimed that the ascension into Heaven of the Christian faithful would happen on Saturday. - ap

OAKLAND, California (AP):

THE HOUR of the apocalypse came quietly and went the same way - leaving those who believed that Saturday evening would mark the world's end confused, or more faithful, or just philosophical.

Believers had spent months warning the world of the pending cataclysm. Some had given away earthly belongings. Others took long journeys to be with loved ones. And there were those who drained their savings accounts.

All were responding to the May 21 doomsday message by Harold Camping, an 89-year-old retired civil engineer who has built a multimillion-dollar Christian media empire that publicises his apocalyptic prediction.

"I had some skepticism, but I was trying to push the skepticism away because I believe in God," said Keith Bauer - who hopped in his minivan in Maryland and drove his family 3,000 miles (5,000 kilometres) to California for the rapture.

He started his day in the bright morning sun outside Camping's gated Oakland headquarters of Family Radio International.

"I was hoping for it because I think Heaven would be a lot better than this earth," said Bauer, a tractor-trailer driver who began the voyage west last week, figuring that if he "worked last week, I wouldn't have gotten paid anyway, if the rapture did happen."

never written in stone

According to Camping, the destruction was likely to have begun its worldwide march as it became 6 p.m. in the various time zones, although some believers said Saturday the exact timing was never written in stone.

He had been projecting the apocalyptic prediction for years far and wide via broadcasts and websites.

In New York's Times Square, Robert Fitzpatrick, of Staten Island, said he was surprised when the six o'clock hour simply came and went. He had spent his own money to put up advertising about the end of the world.

"I can't tell you what I feel right now," he said, surrounded by tourists. "Obviously, I haven't understood it correctly because we're still here."

Many followers said the delay was a further test from God to persevere in their faith.