2012? or 2011? Are You Betting on Either?

For centuries, Christian individuals have sought an answer for when the end of the world as we know it [TEOTWAWKI] will occur. A number of different years have been put forth, including, but not limited to: 100, 1000, 1033, 1844, 1914, and 1978. Obviously, all of these previous answers were wrong.

Recently, much hype has been given to the year 2012 as the definitive date. This is based, at least in part, on an assumption based on an ancient Mayan calendar. The calendar in question inexplicably ends at 2012. This has been interpreted as a prediction of TEOTWAWKI, and Hollywood has gotten in on the act, so there must be something to it, right?

Now comes another contender. In an article (found at http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/01/01/BA8V1AV589.DTL) written by Justin Berton, Harold Camping declares without any doubt that May 21, 2011 is the date. Camping, a Civil Engineer by training, who runs Family Radio, an evangelical Christian radio ministry that beams the gospel message in 48 languages, and has been studying the Bible for 70 years, has a mathematical formula, based on his interpretation of the Bible, that proves the point. From the article:

By Camping's understanding, the Bible was dictated by God and every word and number carries a spiritual significance. He noticed that particular numbers appeared in the Bible at the same time particular themes are discussed.

The number 5, Camping concluded, equals "atonement." Ten is "completeness." Seventeen means "heaven." Camping patiently explained how he reached his conclusion for May 21, 2011.

"Christ hung on the cross April 1, 33 A.D.," he began. "Now go to April 1 of 2011 A.D., and that's 1,978 years."

Camping then multiplied 1,978 by 365.2422 days - the number of days in each solar year, not to be confused with a calendar year.

Next, Camping noted that April 1 to May 21 encompasses 51 days. Add 51 to the sum of previous multiplication total, and it equals 722,500.

Camping realized that (5 x 10 x 17) x (5 x 10 x 17) = 722,500.

Or put into words: (Atonement x Completeness x Heaven), squared.

"Five times 10 times 17 is telling you a story," Camping said. "It's the story from the time Christ made payment for your sins until you're completely saved.

This is not the first time Mr. Camping has ventured a prophecy about TEOTWAWKI. In the early 1990's, he assured all of his followers that September 6, 1994 would be it. So, they gathered in their Sunday best, holding open Bibles, and waited - in vain, as we now know.

The previous error is not discouraging some of them now, however. Again, from the article:

Rick LaCasse, who attended the September 1994 service in Alameda, said that 15 years later, his faith in Camping has only strengthened.

"Evidently, he was wrong," LaCasse allowed, "but this time it is going to happen. There was some doubt last time, but we didn't have any proofs. This time we do."

Would his opinion of Camping change if May 21, 2011, ended without incident?

"I can't even think like that," LaCasse said. "Everything is too positive right now. There's too little time to think like that."

There are some obvious unproven and unproveable assumptions in Mr. Camping's analysis, but such things could not deter true believers. So, which date are you betting on: 2012 or 2011? Or, are you like me and putting your faith on neither?