Ironwolf

Ron Weinland appears to be cut from the same cloth as the same false prophet I grew up under: Herbert W. Armstrong. I’m laying 99.99% odds that he’s just as false.

Here are the pivotal claims given on the last page of his freely-downloadable book, 2008 — God’s Final Witness:

By the fall of 2008, the United States will have collapsed as a world power, or it will have begun its collapse and no longer exist as an independent nation within six months after that time. There is a marginal, six-month window of time that God has not yet revealed concerning this specific moment of time. This will be revealed some time soon after the distribution of this book begins.

As the spokesman of God’s two end-time witnesses and as His end-time prophet, I have fulfilled my responsibility in placing the contents of this book before you. What you do with it is up to you. Indeed, only a very short time remains before it will be evident that I am who I say or that I am not. In the past 1900 years, have you ever read or heard of a publication from any religious leader who has made such claims, laying out such a precise pattern for the near future with such precise timelines? You have not! This is the evidence (witness, testimony) of the true God of Abraham!

Actually, I have, Ron.

And here is an excerpt from a radio interview Weinland gave on August 12, 2007.

Ronald Weinland: We have about six months to a year before we come to a point where currencies have no value; they’re going to crash. We’re also going to come to a point in time here where there’s going to be a great deal of destruction, especially in the United States. As soon as that’s taken place, there will be the beginning of a war. Europe is going to step in and try to take control of matters. They don’t want the United States especially, to do some of the things they’re doing right now in Iraq and Afghanistan and so forth. … After Europe starts doing what they do, a year later China and Russia combine together in Asia to battle Europe. And that is an escalation of World War III. World War III begins when Europe begins to do what they’re going to do. After that, a year later, sometime Russia will step in, and it’s a great nuclear war. …

Interviewer: So the world isn’t going to end next year, that’s just the beginning of the end phase?

Ronald Weinland: Exactly. It lasts for 3 1/2 years.

Interviewer: … So by 2012 it will all be over.

Ronald Weinland: That’s correct, and there will be a new world here.

…

Interviewer: Listen Ronald, I’m going to call you again towards the end of time and say, “Ronald, you were wrong,” or I’m going to say, “Ronald, you were right.”

Ronald Weinland: Just call me about April next year.

Don’t worry, Ron— I will.

Update November 12, 2007: Looks like God was busy… again, so the Quake of America has been rescheduled for November 9, 2008 at exactly 11:09 AM! At least he picked a more civil hour of the day. Oh, well, see you next year…

Ahmad Nishitoba, who I wrote about first here and then here, has failed yet again to predict the destruction of San Francisco. Here is the proof, hot off the USGS web site:

The list of earthquakes on that map (updated at 2:00 AM) show not a single earthquake (not even a small one) occurring in the 1:00 AM hour. Quake of America? I laugh.

Unfortunately, there are so many people out there convinced of their various interpretations of religious prophecy that I doubt we will ever be rid of them. The twin phenomena of Apophenia and Pareidolia mean that well-meaning people will keep making shit up and taking it seriously. The Law of Truly Large Numbers says they’re going to keep flinging their shit at the wall, and also that every once in a while a stinker will stick long enough for them to crow, “See? My shit’s magic.”

But until their shit starts singing and dancing in command performances at Carnegie Hall, I won’t believe it. The world might get destroyed (and it might be by our own greedy and ignorant hands) and it might be saved (again by human cooperation), but I can say this for certain: that shit ain’t helping any.

Next up, In January noted false prophet Pat Robertson predicted mass killings somewhere in the U.S. before the year’s out.

Clock’s ticking, Pat.