Oldest sucker filter

A preacher has predicted that the Rapture will occur tomorrow, 9/23.

Raptures and apocalypses are unquestionably the oldest Sucker Filter, the oldest tool for selecting the most gullible followers. Every single one has failed. Often a prophet will “revise” the rapture several times in a row. Each failure and revision sorts the suckers at a finer scale like a sequence of sieves. The weakest suckers abandon and turn cynical, the strongest suckers give even more effort and money.

BUT: Only low-status preachers are mocked as failures. The high-status Gaian preachers have been predicting and revising “climate” apocalypse for 50 years, though they tend to specify a year rather than a date. Their predictions have also failed each time, but the elite rulers and corporations stay on board because they’re raking in trillions and having grand fun ruining the world.

Later thought: Among the endless varieties of apocalypse, a failed Rapture is the easiest to squirm out of. Raptures aren’t supposed to end the world, they’re only meant to zoom a small number of Special Saints up to heaven. When nothing happens, the preacher can say “Nobody was saintly enough. Send me more money to get the job done next time.” Raptures are a classic Parkinson device.