The Wheels of Democracy Grind Slowly
When the lay radio preacher Harold Camping decreed that the world would end on May 21, 2011, Bart Centre sensed an opportunity. An atheist, Centre announced his company, Eternal Earthbound Pets, would, for $135, provide “certified atheists” to take care of the left-behind pets of the faithful who were raptured. The retired New Hampshire man’s wacky response to Camping’s wacky Bible interpretation caught worldwide attention, with news coverage as far away as New Zealand. A joke? Well obviously, but Centre is getting the word out to the media it was a joke — really, really, really. Why? Because Centre has now been subpoenaed by his state’s Insurance Department, which demands copies of any applications he received for the service so they can see “whether he is engaged in the unlicensed business of [selling] insurance in New Hampshire.” (RC/Washington Post) ...I just got a great idea for a new product: satire insurance.Author’s Note: That 2011 end-of-the-world prediction was also covered in True. See my blog, at https://thisistrue.com/the_end_of_the_world_2011_edition/
Original Publication Date: 25 March 2012
This story is in True’s book collections, in Volume 18.
This story is in True’s book collections, in Volume 18.
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I believe humanity is held back by the lack of thinking. I provoke thought with examples of what happens when we don’t think, and when we do. This is True is my primary method: stories like this come out every week by email, and basic subscriptions are free. Click here for a subscribe form.
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