When Prophecy Fails

I think the sociologist Leon Festinger probably went off the deep end himself in trying to narrow down why some believers in failed prophesies become even more fervent in their beliefs. I think it's pretty clear some people can never admit they were wrong, and the more intensely one believes something, the more difficult it is for anyone to give it up. This is as true of scientists as it is of religious believers. This is as true of me as it is of anyone.

I think some people will decide they were hoodwinked by Camping and decide to take their Christianity and money elsewhere. But I'm sure there will be others, despite all the scorn heaped on Camping before the non-event, who will rally behind whatever excuses people come up with to justify it all. They will happily increase their donations to "prove" there was nothing amiss, that it was just a reprieve as those followers of that off-shoot cult of Scientology told themselves as described in the book When Prophecy Fails