A 14-year-old girl from Russia was so scared of the May 21 doomsday and rapture prediction made by Harold Camping that she committed suicide the same day, investigators said Wednesday. The teenager wanted to choose death rather than be among the ones suffering on earth after the rapture. Nastya Zachinova, who lived in the Republic of Mari El in Central Russia, believed that the world end on May 21, her family told LifeNews, a Russian tabloid. The girl's personal diary entries revealed how terrified she was of the suffering that was to take place. She believed that she was not one of the "righteous" people that would be taken up to heaven but someone who would remain on earth and suffer. “Whales are trying to beach themselves and birds are dying – it is just the beginning of the end,” Zachinova wrote in her last diary entry, as reported by RIA Novosti. “We are not righteous people, only they will go to heaven, the others will stay here on Earth to go through terrible sufferings,” she wrote. “I don’t want to die like the others. That’s why I’ll die now."The girl hung herself.
Poor thing :(
Unfortunately, as much as I would like him to, Camping cannot be held responsible for this, at least not criminally. Should he be? Is his speech protected under free speech laws? Can one be held responsible if their firmly held religious belief causes someone else to kill themselves (or someone else)? What do you think?
Oh, and what if he's full of shit? What if he's literally making all of this up for publicity and money? What would you think then?
This is EXACTLY why I will fight against this type of arrogant, ignorant, asinine "end-of-the-world" doomsday bullshit. Seriously I'm pissed.
ReplyDeleteNo, Camping should not be held legally responsible. Free speech and all. Unless we want to legally reprimand every single individual involved with her believing in such a thing to begin with (like the thousands of people who believed it as well; appeal to popularity; as well as lack of education, etc). But it doesn't mean they shouldn't feel responsible for their words and actions. They literally helped someone commit suicide; they didn't hand her the rope, but they gave her a reason.
My I am not capable with my limited vocabulary to properly express the amount of rage and sadness I have right now.
"I am not capable with my limited vocabulary to properly express the amount of rage and sadness I have right now."
ReplyDeleteI share that exact sentiment.
And to those who want to say "maybe the girl was 'unbalanced' or whatever- you don't hand bullets to a trigger happy person carrying a gun.