If you did not see this particular billboard, you heard the story. May 21, 2011 at 6 pm the Rapture was occurring. That is an extremely specific time. Why then? From what I have been able to piece together through my devote Christian friends (who none that I spoke to believed this event was happening) the newspaper, and the internet, is that this specific date was chosen because it was 5 months after a larger earthquake and x amount of years after Noah’s Arc. The entire Public Relations strategy for this event was done improper.
First, with something as unexplainable as religion and the end of times, why put such a specific time on it. 6 pm? That means the rapture would hit people in Europe before it did in the US. And what do you know, it was reported the rapture did not happen there either. I believe it is incredibly rude to promise the world an event like the coming of Christ and not deliver. Not to mention, it made Harold Camping and his followers seem unintelligent.
Secondly, is it possible to believe sinners will repent and mean it for one day would and will go to heaven? That spreading the word of the rapture would make the world a better place? No, it didn’t. Instead, I got many Facebook invites with titles along the lines of “Post Rapture Looting”. Also the hashtag of #endoftheworldconfessions was trending. My personal favorite, by “Lord Voldemort: #endoftheworldconfessions, it was me, I ‘let the dogs out’.”
Needless to say this is a PR fiasco for the Christian faith. I am sorry for all those who truly believed the Rapture was upon us and sold all their belongings and drove cross country to be with Camping. On the bright side, at least my neighbors got a kick out of it.
Strategically Communicating 
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