An unrepentant and unapologetic Harold Camping has insisted that his failed end of the world May 21 prediction was only partially incorrect, but that the world would now definitely end on October 21.
Speaking before reporters at his Family Radio headquarters, Camping said that his predictions have been right, but that he did slightly err because his interpretation was more literal when it should have been spiritual.
Furthermore, Camping stressed that Judgment Day on May 21 did actually arise, but only in a spiritual sense and that the physical manifestation of this judgement would be known on October 21.
"On May 21, this last weekend, this is where the spiritual aspect of it really comes through. God again brought judgment on the world. We didn’t see any difference but God brought Judgment Day to bear upon the whole world. The whole world is under Judgment Day and it will continue right up until Oct. 21, 2011 and by that time the whole world will be destroyed," he argued.
Camping admitted that initially he thought his prediction had totally failed and he found that very hard, but after praying and reviewing the Bible he discovered he was looking at it more factually than spiritually.
"I can tell you very candidly that when May 21 came and went, it was a very difficult time for me, a very difficult time. I was wondering, 'What is going on?'
"The Bible is a very spiritual book. There are a lot of things that are very factual, very factual, of course, but there are a lot of things that are very spiritual. How to know whether to look at it with a spiritual understanding or a factual understanding is hard to know," said Camping.
"The fact is when we look at it more spiritually then we find that He did come."
Camping then insisted that Oct. 21, 2011, is still the date of the End of the World.
During the question and answer session with reporters that followed his statement, the 89-year-old also defended the accuracy of his previous Judgement Day predictions.
Camping broke down each of them down, arguing they were all fulfilled: May 21, 1988, judgment came upon the churches; Sept. 7, 1994, judgment continued on the churches; then on May 21, 2011, judgment came upon the entire world.
"We are not changing the dates at all. We are just looking at it a little more spiritually but it won't be spiritual on Oct. 21 because the Bible teaches the world will be destroyed altogether. But it will be very quick," confirmed Camping.
Camping refused to take responsibility for the chaos he has caused among those followers who had sold all their possessions and given away their life savings ahead of May 21.
"I don't have any responsibility. I don't have any responsibility of anybody's life. I'm only teaching the Bible. I'm simply saying, 'This is what the Bible says,'" he said.
"We at Family Radio never tell anyone what [to] do with their possessions. That's totally between them and God," he added.
When pressed by one reporter, Camping offered a half-hearted apology.
"If people want me to apologize then I can apologize, yes. I did not have all of that worked out as I wished I had it. But it doesn't bother me at all because I'm not a genius. When I make an error, I say, 'Yes, I was wrong.' I said that already," said the president of Family Radio.
Interestingly enough, Camping also offered his views on the type of person who would be raptured and ascend to heaven before Judgement Day. Camping is of the opinion that being a Christian plays no role in this.
"It has nothing to do with religion,” he emphasised, noting Hindus and those of other faiths can be raptured. “If God has saved them then they're going to be caught up."
Citing the biblical passage stating "the last shall be first and the first shall be last," Camping said salvation belongs to those whom God has chosen and those who ask mercy from God.
"The last are those who know the least about the Bible. If God has decided to save them ... they don't have to know all about the Bible ... They just have to know God has spoken."