END TIME PROPHECY, RAPTURE AND ESCAPISM MENTALITY

In the past couple of days, I have been thinking about the recent events of the predictions of the end of the world to the date. I have also been wondering what would be the reason why anyone would assign himself the task of trying to calculate the end of the world. Learning that this person; "Harlod Camping" is a proclaimed Christian almost took me by suprise but really did not shock me. The method of prediction being a mathematical equation was absurd, but although I can't judge his conscience, I can only speculate the motivation of such actions. Abandoning the task of trying to figure out why someone who reads the bible everyday would ignore a verse that Jesus said that "but of that day or hour, no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father," (Mark 13:32) I will try to suggest and lay down a few observations from previously being inside circles of Christians who were really into the end time theory of "the rapture."  My first real introduction into this thinking came about as I watched the movie "left behind." Being young and gullible, I might have for one second started to believe what I was watching, but my skeptical mind and by God's grace sound reason started to play the part and I soon dismissed this jargon as a mix of delusion and misguided interpretation.  I didn't stop there in my observation. The Catholic Church being displayed as an evil institution and the Pope as the antichrist only concluded my fear that this was another erroneous private interpretation of the Scriptures. Fast forward a few years to May 2011, and the recent predictions of end time only confirms this for me. When people pick up the Bible and rely totally on their own private interpretations, there arises a great deal of chances for deception. The unfortunate thing is that many people fall prey to these teachings.
        The more I see such things, the more I see the importance of being inside the flock which is the Church and specifically the Catholic Church which is the only church that can rightfully claim the authority it teaches with being from Christ who founded it. To not listen to the voice of truth is to become prey to many false teachers. Indeed how true the words of Christ that "in the last days, there will be many false teachers."  Now, our task doesn't stop at exposing this but it goes further to acting out in charity to our brothers and sisters who have been misled in this way and help them begin to listen to the sound of the true Shepperd. Indeed prayer and love may conquer the evil of divisions among Christians and one day come to the unity that Christ prayed for "that they may be one as We are one."  The only thing we should be worried about doing is to "keep watch" since nobody know the day or the hour that he may return, but like many saints have stated, when He returns, "may He find me at my post."
Oh Lord, have mercy upon your poor children.