What should we say to unbelievers who use the Camping debacle to justify their infidelity?
i) We can point to the paradoxical fact that false prophecy is a confirmation of true prophecy. Jesus predicted false Christian prophets. Predicted charlatan doomsday prognosticators:
“4And Jesus answered them, "See that no one leads you astray. 5For many will come in my name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and they will lead many astray…23 Then if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or 'There he is!' do not believe it. 24For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. 25See, I have told you beforehand. 26So, if they say to you, 'Look, he is in the wilderness,' do not go out. If they say, 'Look, he is in the inner rooms,' do not believe it. 27” (Mt 24:4-5,23-27).
This is nothing new or unexpected.
ii) If an unbeliever uses a buffoon like Camping as a pretext to justify his infidelity, then the unbeliever is playing right into God’s hands. For God uses scandals in the church to drive some reprobates away from the faith. To harden them in their apostasy or infidelity.
It isn’t just Camping’s followers who are dupes. Unbelievers who use his example to excuse their infidelity are also dupes. For Camping is an instrument to expose their irrational disbelief. A reasonable man would never judge the Christian faith by a wingnut like Camping. Camping is a loon, but if you use his lunacy to justify your infidelity, then you, too, are a loon. If that’s the reason you reject the Christian faith, then God played you for a chump. So that’s nothing to be proud of. Don’t pat yourself on the back.
Camping is a fool who played his followers for fools, but only a fool would reject the Christian faith on Camping’s account (or related reasons). A deluded unbeliever mocking a deluded believer occupies the same leaky lifeboat.
