I  recently heard on Colorado NPR about predictions of The Christian Rapture coming  next week, on May 21. According to Harold Camping and his true-beleiving followers, the Saved will be “raptured up” on that day and not only the world but the entire universe will be completely  annihiliated, six months later, on October 21, 2011.

A young couple with children told of how believing this relaxed them. They no longer had to worry about losing their jobs or making their house payment or 401Ks  or health coverage. (Which obviously explains the psychological benefit of choosing to believe: anxiety reduciton. No worries.)

It is amazing that people still believe these end-of-the-world "prophecies" despite their well-known history of  total failure each time.

Oh man, I wanna bet some or all of these people: all their wordly goods against all my worldly goods. I’m betting it doesn’t happen on May 21. If they are sincere True Believers, rock-solid in their religious convictions, how can they lose? What chance are they taking?  All their worldly goods will be worthless  and meaningless to them on May 21 in any case–and only useful to me for six months until I and the other Un-Raptured (if not unwashed) billions of earthlings are annihilated.

What do you have to lose? Let’s bet!  Or better yet, just give it to me outright. If you are a True Believer you will lose nothing.