Californian-based Christian broadcaster Harold Camping has predicted that the end of the world is nigh.

Camping and his followers believe that a period of divine judgment called the Rapture will commence on May 21. They say that by October 21 of this year, the Earth will have been completely destroyed.

Before the Earth is destroyed, they expect Jesus Christ to make a physical return to Earth and gather his Christian followers so he can take them to heaven.

“Some people have an idea that all Christians will be taken away to heaven in an instant and various other things will happen on Earth,” said Alex Tuckness, associate professor of political science and faculty advisor for Salt Company, a Christian student organization.

There have been many predictions for the Rapture. Camping previously made a prediction that the Rapture would occur in 1994.

“I don’t think it’s any more likely to happen on those dates than any other dates,” Tuckness said. “I stick to this idea of Jesus coming back. I don’t have a strong opinion on the details how it’s going to happen.”

Whether the Rapture occurs or not, the speculation about it could possibly affect beliefs.

“If the Rapture does not happen, the believers will have a spectrum of reactions,” said Hector Avalos, professor of philosophy and religious studies and adviser to the Atheist and Agnostic Society. “Some will be disappointed and label the promoters as false prophets. Others will simply extend the date of the rapture into the future.”

Avalos said, “If the Rapture does happen, then it certainly will affect beliefs of those left behind. But that is also like asking whether beliefs about Martians would be affected if Martians landed on the White House lawn.”

The Rapture has been interpreted in different ways by many groups.

“I consider the concept of Rapture to be a particular understanding of some Christian groups,” said the Rev. Jack McClure, associate pastor of Saint Thomas Aquinas Church. “I believe that they have based this on their interpretation of the Bible. Their interpretation of the Bible is not the same interpretation that the Roman Catholic Church uses.”

The Catholic Church does believe that there will be a day that Jesus Christ will return to Earth.

“We share the belief that there is a second coming,” McClure said. “The difference we would hold from them is that our understanding is that no one knows when that is to be.”

McClure doesn’t believe that the group predicting the Rapture for May 21 has any more insight than anyone else.

“Our understanding is that it is a process we don’t understand yet that will come,” he said.