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No rapture, no job - Preacher fired but doesn't want pity
Crystal Harrison, Star Writer
Michael Lewis
Doomsday preacher, Michael Lewis, the man who came on local television predicting May 21 to be Judgement Day is now without a job after being fired but he is asking Jamaicans not to feel sorry for him.
Lewis, who was an auditor at a major hotel chain, told THE STAR that he was fired after the Labour Day holiday without an explanation for his dismissal.
"It is clear why I was fired because I am probably the best auditor in town and they had no problems with my work; but I did that (television) interview with the full knowledge of all the possible consequences," he said. "I wasn't really surprised by the dismissal, I was more surprised at the timing of the dismissal, my first day back at work."
Lewis shared the view of the prophecy that was put forward by the American Harold Camping, president of Christian Radio Network Family Stations Inc, that May 21 would have been Judgement Day.
A confident Lewis had predicted that the day before May 21, there would have been a great earthquake.
Some Jamaicans who believed in the prophecy flocked several churches around the island to get baptised. However, May 21 passed and the prediction has been regarded as a false alarm. Since then, a number of local persons have claimed that Lewis should have been beaten or committed to Bellevue for his fake prophecy.
A confident Lewis, however, told THE STAR that he is not fearful and doesn't believe that the May 21 prediction was a flop.
According to him, May 21 was Judgement Day; but it didn't materialise the way he had expected.
"Judgement came, and God's salvation is over. The door of salvation is now closed and the Rapture will happen on October 21," he said.
Lewis further reasoned: "People are saying that we cannot know the minute or the hour that God will put in his appearance, but why is it we cannot know? It was not yet time for them to know the time but Ecclesiastes 8, verse 5 says that a wise man can discern the time and the Judgement. I want any pastor to respond to at least one time where God brought judgement on the Earth and didn't give a warning."
In terms of his former employers, Lewis claims that he isn't planning to take legal action. "God is my judge and I don't fear man; but I fear God who can destroy the body and the soul," he said.
In the meantime, when THE STAR contacted Lewis' former place of employment the company's public relations assistant said that they had no comment on the matter at this time
As to his next step, Lewis said that he has not made a decision.
Crystal Harrison, Star Writer Michael Lewis
Doomsday preacher, Michael Lewis, the man who came on local television predicting May 21 to be Judgement Day is now without a job after being fired but he is asking Jamaicans not to feel sorry for him.
Lewis, who was an auditor at a major hotel chain, told THE STAR that he was fired after the Labour Day holiday without an explanation for his dismissal.
"It is clear why I was fired because I am probably the best auditor in town and they had no problems with my work; but I did that (television) interview with the full knowledge of all the possible consequences," he said. "I wasn't really surprised by the dismissal, I was more surprised at the timing of the dismissal, my first day back at work."
Lewis shared the view of the prophecy that was put forward by the American Harold Camping, president of Christian Radio Network Family Stations Inc, that May 21 would have been Judgement Day.
A confident Lewis had predicted that the day before May 21, there would have been a great earthquake.
Some Jamaicans who believed in the prophecy flocked several churches around the island to get baptised. However, May 21 passed and the prediction has been regarded as a false alarm. Since then, a number of local persons have claimed that Lewis should have been beaten or committed to Bellevue for his fake prophecy.
A confident Lewis, however, told THE STAR that he is not fearful and doesn't believe that the May 21 prediction was a flop.
According to him, May 21 was Judgement Day; but it didn't materialise the way he had expected.
"Judgement came, and God's salvation is over. The door of salvation is now closed and the Rapture will happen on October 21," he said.
Lewis further reasoned: "People are saying that we cannot know the minute or the hour that God will put in his appearance, but why is it we cannot know? It was not yet time for them to know the time but Ecclesiastes 8, verse 5 says that a wise man can discern the time and the Judgement. I want any pastor to respond to at least one time where God brought judgement on the Earth and didn't give a warning."
In terms of his former employers, Lewis claims that he isn't planning to take legal action. "God is my judge and I don't fear man; but I fear God who can destroy the body and the soul," he said.
In the meantime, when THE STAR contacted Lewis' former place of employment the company's public relations assistant said that they had no comment on the matter at this time
As to his next step, Lewis said that he has not made a decision.
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