Can Harold Camping be prosecuted?

[Renew Deal]

I know there is Freedom of Religion in this country, but does that allow you to distort religion to make a profit? Does it allow you to encourage people to ruin their lives? I'm sure God knows how to deal with this false prophet, but what recourse does man have?

[MadBadger]

1. The morons he made a profit off of deserve it

[proud patriot]

15. Can the children of the people duped Sue?

[malaise]

2. THen all religious leaders would be locked up

It's all distortion - all made up to frighten people so that they can make money.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

3. please. you cant have it both ways. you cant believe things on "faith"

and then want to sue. if you wanted facts, you should have believed on facts.

[Renew Deal]

8. I think that's the answer

I feel bad for people that ruined their lives over this. And I don't think it's over for them.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

4. No, but I'll be interested in how he explains his latest Epic Fail.

[JoePhilly]

6. This is easy ... their prayers saved us all. Its that simple.

[Joe the Revelator]

22. They never wanted to save the world...they wanted and hoped to be raptured.

[Abq_Sarah]

5. I don't support protecting people from their own stupidity

Sometimes, that's the only way they'll learn.

[Warpy]

7. Likely he'll be sued by a whole lot of people

who beggared themselves to put up billboards, leave their homes and jobs, and generally wreck their lives because of his insanity.

Most of them, however, will simply go about their business starting tomorrow, while looking for somebody to repaint their vehicles. Fast.

Unfortunately, holding an insane religious opinion is not criminally actionable. Only when that opinion results in breaking other laws, like laws against assaulting children, are the religious prosecuted.

Besides, I have no wish to see an 89 year old geezer in prison. I just want this particular one laughed at.

[muriel_volestrangler]

9. "Does that allow you to distort religion to make a profit?"

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[shraby]

10. He's long gone and chances are, he won't be found.

He knew he was full of bull so today he shut down his programming and got outa Dodge.

[Quixote1818]

11. A bunch of us should gather outside his church with pitchforks and torches

then maybe others will follow! :)

[Faygo Kid]

12. No. And he shouldn't be. His dupes will follow him or another yet again.

Those who gave up all will either follow his next "prophecy" or, given that he is 89, will find someone else to do their thinking for them.

It has always been so. Think about those who worship Rush or Beck. Stupid? Yes. Cultists? Yes. Can Rush or Beck be prosecuted? No. Not yet, anyway.

Idiots and the gullible will always be with us.

[OmahaBlueDog]

13. No, he cannot

You'd have to prove in open court that he knowingly mislead people, as opposed to making a calculation error. Unless you have a "smoking gun" tape of him talking about how much money he's going to get out of this deal, it's not going to happen.

Besides, in the world of fraud, there are bigger fish to fry.

[AmandaRuth]

14. what if one of his followers does something super

crazy after finding out 5/21 wasn't the day after all?

[JVS]

16. No. And why are people here mad at him? Unless you bought into his prediction, he's given you a...

source of much levity.

[rationalcalgarian]

17. Camping will rapture himself off

to some country without an extradition treaty. Camping and all the money he made off this scam. "See ya, suckers!"

And it gets worse...

http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2011/05/while_harold_camping_sits_safe.php#comments

[Renew Deal]

20. That's horrifying, but not unexpected.

:cry:

[IggleDoer]

18. Why is a contribution to Camping's schemes tax-deductable.

All those that gave and can't even deduct it would be plenty pissed!

[fishwax]

19. No -- making stuff up isn't against the law

People who bought his line, alas, may have ruined their own lives.

[Liberal_in_LA]

21. for what?

[jp11]

23. Not unless he broke laws or encouraged others to break laws directly, conspired with them etc.

Yes it does many religions have been the vehicle for a select few to get rich. Yes you can encourage people to ruin their lives by any definition that can be made up unless you convince or order people to commit illegal acts. 'Man' has the recourse of free will, not following anyone who claims to be a messenger of god or lawsuits if they were illegally scammed out of their money/property.

I'm not a lawyer so none of what I say may be accurate on legal standings.

[Odin2005]

24. I think con men should not be allowed to use "freedom of religion" as an excuse.