New Doomsday Oct. 21

As crestfallen followers of a California preacher who foresaw the world's end strained to find meaning in their lives, Harold Camping revised his apocalyptic prophecy Monday, saying he was off by five months because the Earth actually will be obliterated on Oct. 21.

Camping, who predicted that 200 million Christians would be taken to heaven Saturday before global cataclysm struck the planet, said he felt so terrible when his doomsday message did not come true that he left home and took refuge in a motel with his wife. His independent ministry, Family Radio International, spent millions – some of it from donations made by followers – on more than 5,000 billboards and 20 RVs plastered with the Judgment Day message.

Follower Jeff Hopkins also spent a good deal of his own retirement savings on gas money to power his car so people would see its ominous lighted sign showcasing Camping's May 21 warning. As the appointed day drew nearer, Hopkins started making the 100-mile round trip from Long Island to New York City twice a day, spending at least $15 on gas each trip.

"I've been mocked and scoffed and cursed at and I've been through a lot with this lighted sign on top of my car," said Hopkins, 52, a former television producer who lives in Great River, NY. "I was doing what I've been instructed to do through the Bible, but now I've been stymied. It's like getting slapped in the face."

Camping, who made a special appearance before the press at the Oakland headquarters of the media empire Monday evening, apologized for not having the dates "worked out as accurately as I could have." Through chatting with a friend over what he acknowledged was a very difficult weekend, the light dawned on him that instead of the biblical Rapture in which the faithful would be swept up to the heavens, May 21 had instead been a "spiritual" Judgment Day, which places the entire world under Christ's judgment, he said.

The globe will be completely destroyed in five months, he said, when the apocalypse comes. But because God's judgment and salvation were completed on Saturday, there's no point in continuing to warn people about it, so his network will now just play Christian music and programs until the final end on Oct. 21. See Chick's WHO'S MISSING?

May 21 Doomsday Deadline Passes

It wouldn't have been quick. It wouldn't have been painless.

Instead earthquakes were to rip apart the earth -- even in places not prone to earthquakes. That lucky percentage of the population that put their trust in Christ and dedicated their lives to the Gospel were to have been spared the pain and pulled up into heaven.

The rest? They would be left to fend for themselves in a post-apocalyptic "hell on earth" type scenario.

Or so apocalyptic preacher Harold Camping had many to believe.

Camping leads the Oakland-based Family Radio Worldwide and has claimed to have crunched the numbers and have done the math.

His interpretation of the Bible and his calculations had whipped media and bystanders alike, into a frenzy. Twitter and IBT's own message boards were alit with chatter surrounding the event and in the days leading up to May 21 -- the so called end of the world -- streets were lined with Camping supporters.

While some mocked and ridiculed, relief and general rejoicing ensued after the critical 2am EST deadline -- the time when rolling earthquakes were to start -- passed without incident.

"This whole rapture thing, so far, is entirely underwhelming," quipped Alex Falkenberg to Twitter.

"I'm here in New Zealand and the rapture didn't happen," Tweeted Simon Tanner.

Perhaps there could be a miscalculation.Camping and his team had predicted the end of existence was to come in 1994 prior to this most recent apocalypse -- a full 17 years ago. Subsequent to that he explained a mistake in his math. Camping could not be contacted regarding today's apocalypse as this article went to publishing.

But surely calculating the end of the world would be a daunting task. There is plenty of room for error. Aside from Camping's apparent mistake, there have been other "doomsdayers" that have made false-calls in the past.

"The Christian church has seen this kind of false teaching before," Dr. Albert Mohler, president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary told IBTimes. "William Miller and his Adventist followers believed that Christ would return on March 21, 1844," Mohler said. "Also, in the 1970s, popular Christian preachers and writers predicted that Christ would return on various dates now long in the past."

According to most Biblical scholars this is not something that can be calculated with accuracy -- or at all.

"The Bible does not contain hidden codes that we are to find and decipher" Mohler said. "We are not to look for hidden patterns of words, numbers, dates, or anything else."

While there was definite buzz surrounding the event, most did not believe that the end was truly coming anyway, according to polling conducted by IBTimes.

Sampling 10,000 readers around the world IBT found that a resounding 79 percent of respondents rejected Camping's hypothesis. Just over 3 percent felt it credible.

While the world may be safe now, interestingly enough 5 percent of respondents went with December 12, 2012 as the real end of the world.

Time will tell of the Mayan-based prediction for the end of the world next year holds true. But its sure to cause a frenzy. See Chick's LOOK WHO'S MISSING.

Obama Surprises Israel in Speech

Israel's prime minister on Thursday gave a cool reception to President Barack Obama's Mideast policy speech, warning a withdrawal from the West Bank would leave Israel vulnerable to attack and setting up what could be a tense meeting at the White House.

In his Thursday speech, Obama endorsed the Palestinian position on the borders of their future state, saying it should be based on Israel's lines before the 1967 Mideast war. Israel seized the West Bank, east Jerusalem and Gaza Strip in the fighting, and the Palestinians claim those areas for their state.

Left wing news sources like NPR glossed over Obama's controversial statement, not even mentioning it in their news breaks, but it was big news on right wing talk radio and in Israel, were commentators were outraged.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas planned to convene a meeting with senior officials as soon as possible to decide on the next steps, said Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat.

Abbas is determined "to give President Obama's effort and that of the international community the chance they deserve," Erekat said.

The U.S., the international community and even past Israeli governments have endorsed a settlement based on the 1967 lines, but Obama was far more explicit than in the past. His position appeared to put him at odds with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has not accepted the concept.

Reacting to Obama's speech, Benjamin Netanyahu rejected a full withdrawal from the West Bank, saying the 1967 lines were "indefensible" and would leave major Jewish settlements outside Israel. Netanyahu rejects any pullout from east Jerusalem. See Chick's THE SQUATTERS.

Gay Priest Confesses & Resigns, But Denies Wrong Doing

Roger Vangheluwe stepped down as Bishop of Bruges — a position he'd held since 1984 — last spring after admitting he'd sexually abused his nephew decades ago. And though he'd done so for 13 years, starting when the boy was only five, the clergyman hasn't been prosecuted, because the statute of limitations had run out. Just this April, he said in a televised interview that he'd also abused a second nephew, but he didn't seem to see anything wrong with his behavior. "I had the strong impression that my nephew didn't mind at all. On the contrary. It was not brutal sex. I never used bodily, physical violence," Vangheluwe said. The man of the cloth also stated, "I don't have the impression at all that I am a pedophile." He’s bad enough, but — as far too many know from their own personal experiences — just one of many authorities in the Catholic Church who took advantage of their flocks around the world. The Vatican is still trying to come to grips with its widespread problem, calling on May 16 for new guidelines for preventing child sex abuse.

Read More.

Why Arnold's Marriage is Terminated

Former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has acknowledged that he fathered a child with a member of his household staff, a revelation that apparently prompted wife Maria Shriver to leave the couple's home before they announced their separation last week.

Schwarzenegger and Shriver jointly announced May 9 that they were splitting up after 25 years of marriage. Yet, Shriver moved out of the family's Brentwood mansion earlier in the year after Schwarzenegger acknowledged the child is his, The Los Angeles Times reported Tuesday.

"After leaving the governor's office I told my wife about this event, which occurred over a decade ago," Schwarzenegger told the Times in a statement that also was sent to The Associated Press early Tuesday. "I understand and deserve the feelings of anger and disappointment among my friends and family. There are no excuses and I take full responsibility for the hurt I have caused. I have apologized to Maria, my children and my family. I am truly sorry.

"I ask that the media respect my wife and children through this extremely difficult time," the statement concluded. "While I deserve your attention and criticism, my family does not."

Schwarzenegger's representatives did not comment further. A spokesman for the former first lady told the Times she had no comment.

The Times did not publish the former staffer's name nor that of her child but said the woman worked for the family for 20 years and retired in January.

In an interview Monday before Schwarzenegger issued his statement, the former staffer said another man – her husband at the time – was the child's father. When the Times later informed the woman of the governor's statement, she declined to comment further.

The child was born before Schwarzenegger began his seven-year stint in public office.

Shriver stood by her husband during his 2003 gubernatorial campaign after the Los Angeles Times reported accusations that he had a history of groping women. Schwarzenegger later said he "behaved badly sometimes."

"We are very fortunate that we have four extraordinary children and we're taking one day at a time," he said at a Los Angeles event marking Israeli independence. Their children range in age from 13 to 21.

Since his term as California governor ended in early January, Schwarzenegger, 63, has hopscotched around the world, his wife nowhere in sight. While the "Terminator" star appeared confident about the future since exiting politics, cutting movie deals and fashioning himself as a global spokesman for green energy, Shriver, known for her confidence, seemed unsettled. Schwarzenegger was known as a "moderate" Republican, soft on social issues. Shriver is from the Kennedy family, long known for their liberal views and problems with fidelity as well.

Shriver, 55, maintained her own identity when her husband entered politics, though she gave up her job at NBC. Their union was often tested in Sacramento, where the former action star contended with a rough seven years of legislative gridlock, a budget crisis and lingering questions about his fidelity. See Chick's THE TERMINATOR.

Glen Beck Urges Israel to Keep Jerusalem

Glenn Beck announced on his radio show Monday that he is planning to hold a rally in Jerusalem in August called "Restoring Courage." Beck's "Restoring Honor" rally drew vast crowds to Washington, D.C. in August of 2010, but Beck said that drawing as many to Jerusalem will be more difficult.

Beck went to Israel and Jerusalem last week. He warned his listeners on Monday that he thinks disaster is imminent for Israel, because of a "two state solution that cuts off Jerusalem" from the world.

"God is involved in man's affairs, but so is the force of darkness," Beck continued ominously. "I believe I've been asked to stand in Jerusalem. Many in the history of man have had the opportunity to stand with the Jewish people...and they have failed." He asked listeners to "stand with me, in Jerusalem" in August.

Beck candidly admitted that he didn't know how many people would show up, or how much the event would cost. But he called the rally a "life altering event" and warned that the "very gates of hell" would fight his attempts to hold the rally.

Jerusalem was part of the occupied territories seized by Israel during the 1967 war. Israel moved its government from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in the 1980s to help increase its claim upon the city. It is considered a holy city by Arabs, Jews, and Christians. See Chick's THE SQUATTERS.

"The Great Seducer" Dared Critics to Prove It

In the wake of an alleged sexual assault of a hotel maid and new allegations from a second woman, new details are emerging about Dominique Strauss-Kahn's reputation as a womanizer.

Business Insider has uncovered an interview Strauss-Kahn gave to the French publication Liberation in which the IMF's chief cites "the money, women, and my Jewishness" as the three challenges to his potential bid for France's presidency.

Published just weeks ago, Strauss-Kahn's own words provide an intriguing twist on the developments of the past few days.

When pressed to elaborate, Strauss-Kahn offered the following explanation: "Yes, I love women, so what? ... For years we talk about giant pictures of orgies, but I've never seen anything out ... Let's show them!"

He imagined a scenario in which a woman is paid off to play the role of a victim of a purported assault: "A woman that he would have raped in a parking lot and to whom half a million or a million euros would be promised to make up such a story."

He then details a men's room run-in with French President Nicolas Sarkozy, in which Strauss-Kahn pressured Sarkozy to stop "throwing dirt on his private life."

As for problems his money and faith may have caused with the French electorate, he said that he'll never need because of his vast fortune. When it comes to his Jewish faith, he claimed that a quotation attributed to him and circulated on the web was already causing problems for him. The Jewish Tribune claimed that he once said that he "gets up every morning wondering how (he) can be useful to Israel." See Chick's LOVE THE JEWISH PEOPLE.

IMF Head Arrested for Rape

Dominique Strauss-Kahn's reputation with women earned him the nickname "the great seducer," and not even an affair with a subordinate could knock the International Monetary Fund leader off a political path pointed in the direction of the French presidency. All that changed with charges that he sexually assaulted a maid in his hotel room, a case that generated shock and revulsion, especially in his home country.

Police said the maid picked Strauss-Kahn out of a lineup. Unless the charges are quickly dropped, they could destroy his chances in a presidential race that is just starting to heat up.

An arraignment expected Sunday night was postponed until Monday. Strauss-Kahn's lawyer William Taylor said testing for evidence delayed the arraignment.

"Our client willingly consented to a scientific and forensic examination," Taylor said. Strauss-Kahn is "tired, but he's fine."

The IMF, which plays a key role in efforts to control the European debt crisis, named an acting leader and said it remains "fully functioning and operational" despite Saturday's arrest of its managing director.

A second lawyer for Strauss-Kahn, Benjamin Brafman, told The Associated Press that his client will plead not guilty. He and another lawyer went in and out of the Harlem police precinct where Strauss-Kahn was being held Sunday afternoon, and declined to answer reporters' questions until the arraignment. A somber-looking Strauss-Kahn was later escorted out of the precinct, his arms behind his back.

"He intends to vigorously defend these charges and he denies any wrongdoing," Brafman said Sunday night.

Brafman is one of the city's most high-profile defense attorneys. His clients have included mobsters and such celebrities as Sean "P. Diddy" Combs and ex-New York Giants star Plaxico Burress.

Strauss-Kahn, 62, was arrested less than four hours after the alleged assault, plucked from first class on a Paris-bound Air France flight that was just about to leave the gate at John F. Kennedy International Airport.


The white-haired, well-dressed, thrice-married father of four was alone when he checked into the luxury Sofitel hotel, not far from Manhattan's Times Square, on Friday afternoon, police said. It wasn't clear why he was in New York. The IMF is based in Washington, and he had been due in Germany on Sunday to meet with Chancellor Angela Merkel.

The 32-year-old maid told authorities that when she entered his spacious, $3,000-a-night suite early Saturday afternoon, she thought it was unoccupied. Instead, Strauss-Kahn emerged from the bathroom naked, chased her down a hallway and pulled her into a bedroom, where he sexually assaulted her, New York Police Department spokesman Paul J. Browne said.

The woman told police she fought him off, but then he dragged her into the bathroom, where he forced her to perform oral sex on him and tried to remove her underwear. The woman was able to break free again, escaped the room and told hotel staff what had happened, authorities said.

Strauss-Kahn was gone by the time detectives arrived moments later. He left his cellphone behind. "It looked like he got out of there in a hurry," Browne said.

The NYPD discovered he was at JFK and contacted officials at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which runs the airport. Port Authority police officers arrested him.

The maid was taken by police to a hospital and was treated for minor injuries. Stacy Royal, a spokeswoman for Sofitel, said the hotel's staff was cooperating in the investigation and that the maid "has been a satisfactory employee of the hotel for the past three years."

Strauss-Kahn was arrested on charges of a criminal sex act, attempted rape and unlawful imprisonment. Authorities were looking for any forensic evidence and DNA.

His wife, Anne Sinclair, defended him in a statement to French news agency AFP.

"I do not believe for one second the accusations brought against my husband. I have no doubt his innocence will be established," said Sinclair, a New York-born journalist who hosted a popular weekly TV news broadcast in France in the 1980s.

A member of France's Socialist party, Strauss-Kahn was widely considered the strongest potential challenger next year to President Nicolas Sarkozy, whose political fortunes have been flagging.

"At the top of the polls," Strauss-Kahn tweeted proudly in French last December, linking an article that showed him ahead in opinion polls when French voters were asked whom they would choose in a primary. At a soccer game in a Washington suburb last September, he, his wife and others were seen wearing T-shirts that read, "Yes we Kahn," a play on Barack Obama's 2008 campaign slogan, "Yes we can." See Chick's THE BEAST.

Former Attorney General Responds to McCain

Former attorney general Michael Mukasey has issued a statement responding to Sen. John McCain’s op-ed in today’s Post, in which McCain effectively calls Mukasey a liar. Here is his statement:

Senator McCain described as “false” my statement that Khalid Sheik Mohammed broke under harsh interrogation that included waterboarding, and disclosed a torrent of information that included the nickname of Osama bin Laden’s courier. He strongly implied in the remainder of his column in the Washington Post that this harsh interrogation was not only useless but also illegal. He is simply incorrect on all three counts.

KSM disclosed the nickname — al Kuwaiti — along with a wealth of other information, some of which was used to stop terror plots then in progress. He did so after refusing to answer questions and, when asked if further plots were afoot, said that his interrogators would eventually find out. Another detainee, captured in Iraq, disclosed that al Kuwaiti was a trusted operative of KSM’s successor, abu Faraj al-Libbi. When al-Libbi went so far as to deny even knowing the man, his importance became obvious.

Both former CIA Director Michael Hayden and former Director of National Intelligence Admiral Michael McConnell have acknowledged repeatedly that up to 2006, many of the valuable leads pursued by the intelligence community came from the three prisoners who were subjected to harsh techniques that included waterboarding in order to secure their cooperation.

So far as the waterboarding technique used by CIA operators, as outlined in the memoranda released by the Department of Justice, it was entirely legal at the time, which is to say before the passage of later statutes in 2005 and 2006, by which time it was no longer in use and under which it has not been evaluated.

In other words, the harsh interrogation techniques were both effective and lawful. See Chick's THE SKY LIGHTER.

McCain Denies Facts of Waterboarding

Sen. John McCain inserted himself into the debate over torture this week, but was corrected by the former Attorney General less than 24 hours for his claim that waterboarding was not useful in finding Bin Laden. In 2003, the chief planner of the Sept. 11 attacks Khalid Sheikh Mohammed was captured, held at secret CIA prisons and waterboarded. Critics called it torture, but some supporters point out that its little different from the dunking that goes on at a pool by kids. Obama outlawed the practice when he took office, but that was before anyone realized it provided key information in finding Bin Laden. Even today, however, spin masters continue to deny its role, and McCain made his comments only after speaking with Leon Pannetta (Obama's Director of National Intelligence) instead of the men involved when the information was actually obtained.

McCain was answering statements from an array of former Bush administration officials (from Vice President Dick Cheney to Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld to John Yoo, the Justice Department official who penned the memo giving legal cover to interrogation practices considered illegal the world over) who have come forward to frame the killing of Osama bin Laden as a natural result of their policy of "enhanced interrogations."

"Sunday's success also vindicates the Bush administration, whose intelligence architecture marked the path to bin Laden's door," Yoo wrote in a Wall Street Journal op-ed that appeared less than 72 hours after bin Laden was killed.

The speed with which members of the former administration took credit surprised some observers, like Hofstra University presidential scholar Meena Bose. "It reflects how important it [the interrogation program] was to the Bush administration," she said.

But what's really at stake in the debate?

Not American policy. Days after taking office, President Obama signed an executive order resetting U.S. interrogation policy. He has been criticized by supporters of the Bush approach for limiting interrogations to the rules outlined in the Army field guide, but his base would revolt if he restored "enhanced interrogations."

"I don't think the death of bin Laden reopens the debate about what constitutes torture," Bose said.

The public may not agree. In an AP-Gfk poll conducted shortly after the killing of bin Laden, a clear majority of Americans - 60 percent - said the use of torture can sometimes or often be justified. (That's up from 52 percent in January 2010.) The poll was conducted from May 5-9, just as the torture debate was taking shape. As the facts of this story become better known, that number is likely to increase. At the time of writing, most liberal bloggers continue to publish stories denying any link between enhanced interrogations and catching Bin Laden, but the facts tell a different story and won't go away. See Chick's THE CHOICE.

Bin Laden Porn Stash Found

A stash of pornography was found in the hideout of Osama bin Laden by the U.S. commandos who killed him, current and former U.S. officials said on Friday.

The pornography recovered in bin Laden's compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, consists of modern, electronically recorded video and is fairly extensive, according to the officials, who discussed the discovery with Reuters on condition of anonymity.

The officials said they were not yet sure precisely where in the compound the pornography was discovered or who had been viewing it. Specifically, the officials said they did not know if bin Laden himself had acquired or viewed the materials. Sexual decadence was one of several gripes Bin Laden and his organization attacked the West for.

Reports from Abbottabad have said that bin Laden's compound was cut off from the Internet or other hard-wired communications networks. It is unclear how compound residents would have acquired the pornography.

But a video released by the Obama administration confiscated from the compound showed bin Laden watching pictures of himself on a TV screen, indicating that the compound was equipped with video playback equipment.

Materials carted away from the compound by the U.S. commandos included digital thumb drives, which U.S. officials believe may have been a principal means by which couriers carried electronic messages to and from the late al Qaeda leader.

Three other U.S. officials familiar with evidence gathered during investigations of other Islamic militants said the discovery of pornography is not uncommon in such cases. They did not comment on whether the porn was straight, gay, kinko, or what. See Chick's SIN CITY.

Rev. Wonderful in Hospital

Billy Graham has reportedly been hospitalized for a pulmonary condition.

The 92-year-old Evangelical preacher was admitted to Mission Hospital in Asheville, North Carolina, near his home in Montreat, according to MSNBC.

Graham is being treated by hospital staff and is stable, reports MSNBC. "Initial testing suggested pneumonia, and further diagnostic studies showed his heart was normal," Mission Hospital officials said in a statement.

ASHEVILLE, N.C. — Evangelist Billy Graham has been admitted to an Asheville hospital for treatment for pneumonia. Doctors say the 92-year-old Graham came to Mission Hospital Wednesday morning after suffering a health episode overnight. Initial testing suggested pneumonia, and diagnostic studies showed his heart was normal.

Dr. Lucian Rice is Graham's primary physician and says no date has been set for Graham's release. But he says the evangelist is alert and resting comfortably. Graham spokesman Larry Ross says the evangelist is feeling better since he arrived at the hospital.
Ross says age-related conditions such as macular degeneration and hearing loss have kept Graham at his home in nearby Montreat in recent years. But he says Graham has remained in good health overall. See Chick's REV. WONDERFUL.

Bin Laden to Wives: Never Remarry

A Kuwaiti newspaper has published slain Al Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden's last message to his wives and children.

The four-page document is a will, dated December 14, 2001, months after the 9/11 attacks that made him the most wanted man in the world.

In it, Bin Laden apologizes to his children for his absence in their lives, "You, my children, I apologize for giving you so little of my time because I responded to the need for Jihad," he writes.

He also instructs his children not to follow in his footsteps - specifically telling them not to join Al Qaeda. He cites precedents from Islamic texts as a justification for forbidding his children to engage in 'holy war'. The UK's Daily Telegraph reports that Omar bin al-Khattab, the successor of the Prophet Mohammad as Islam's leader, also left written instructions to his son, Abdullah, not to wage holy war.

The document is largely devoted to justifying Bin Laden's efforts to destroy America and Israel. There is no mention of passing on his possessions or assets, despite the fact that Bin Laden was at one point believed to have a personal fortune worth tens of millions of dollars.

The terrorist leader's will had a selfish message for his wives, "don't consider marrying again, and devote yourselves to your (my) children and guide them to the right path."

It seemed a hypocritical final message from the world's most accomplished mass murderer. He urges the children of other men to risk their lives to carry out his murderous schemes, but forbids his own children from doing so. Likewise, he can have multiple marriages, but forbids his wives from doing so, even after his death. Translation: "Do as I say, not as I do." See Chick's THE DECEIVED.

World famous evangelist/pastor, founder of Teen Challenge, killed

Evangelist and pastor of Times Square Church and founder of Teen Challenge, a Christian-based recovery program, the Rev. David Wilkerson, was killed on Wednesday, April 27, 2011 near East Tyler, Texas when his vehicle slammed head-on into an 18 wheeler. Wilkerson, 79, reached worldwide recognition when he ministered to New York City gang leaders and members. His efforts were recounted in the bestselling book, "The Cross and the Switchblade." The book was made into a motion picture starring Pat Boone and Erik Estrada in his first screen role. "The Cross and the Switchblade" was also adapted into a comic book published by Spire Books and drawn by the late Christian artist, Al Hartley.

Wilkerson's wife, Gwen, was seriously injured in the crash. Times Square Church pastor Carter Conlon issued a statement to the Christian media: "He ran his race well. He lived life to the very fullest … with a radical love for Jesus," he said.

Bin Laden Killed

Leader of the Terrorists Attacks against the "infidel" West, Bin Laden was killed in an overnight raid by US troops. It took ten years to bring the murderer to justice, but now he's floating somewhere at the bottom of the sea. President Obama authorized the assassination, which was carried off expertly by Navy Seals. Information about Bin Laden's messenger (which lead to his discovery) was obtained by the controversial process of water boarding during the Bush Administration, but it took years to track down the messenger and follow him to his master. It is unclear if the Obama administration will now drop charges against the CIA investigators who used the treatment to extract the information from non-cooperative prisoners. See Chick's SATAN'S MASTER.