So a group of atheists have started an insurance firm that specializes in policies for pets whose owners are Raptured. They figure, "Hey, let's prey on the sensibilities of old folks and get some fast cash!". Of course, what they say is "We're providing a service, it's just business", but then so said Larry Flynt, but with decidedly more profanities.

On the other hand, should the Rapture fail to occur, these insurees might be too busy committing suicide over their depression brought on by great doubt in an all powerful Creator to actually pursue refunds on the premiums they'd paid up until that point.

"So far more than 250 people, mostly in the Bible Belt, have taken Centre up on this."

Find these people and you find the problem with america.

That's a gross generalization.

I think that's awesome.

Then again I am an atheist.

But this also points out something great with America: Come up with a business idea, and implement it. It's interesting when the guy says at the end, "I do not feel like I'm taking advantage. I am satisfying a demand." Was there actually a demand before he started this business, or is it that the availability of the service created the demand?

What's funny to me is that this business model says, "We don't believe one bit of it, but if we're wrong... you're covered."

The basic principle of both insurance and gambling.

If you want to get truly depressed about who people use religion to con people out of all their money, I'd suggest looking into "faith healing".

Terry Pratchett made that same analogy in The Colour of Magic. Read it, or watch the Sky One adaptation, which is just as good.

Or just look up Jimmy Swaggart.

He would make an awesome character in some Fallout style RPG. In fact, I just might replay Fallout 1 or 2 and try to RP as Jimmy Swaggart. Max out the charisma, and any skills relatd to speaking and see how that goes :P

You know the saying, a fool and his money are soon partedOr catholicism
Or christianity
Or islam
Or judaism
Or scientology
Or any religion at all

Probably playstation plus as well...

Thay can't commit suicide because that's a sin that'll prevent them from going to heaven. Also, the rapture doesn't have a set date, so chances are people will die before any of it happens and their dogs will die before their owners do. I assume this insurance doesn't include covering pets when their owners die of natural causes, otherwise it wouldn't be much of a scam.

Wouldn't the insuree's be committing a sin somehow by specifically seeking out the services of nonbelievers who will remain in a rapture event to take care of their worldly buisness? Shouldn't they be proselytizing them or something?

Yeah, Articles pop up every now and then about either this or similar places every now and then. I'm surprised Snopes doesn't have a page about it actually.

Yes it does, May 21st. Surely a professional apocalypse predictor like harold camping can't be wrong (again).

Bwahahaha sorry, couldn't keep a straight face. I'll be there with popcorn and a drink watching that odious scaremongering fraud twist and turn before claiming he made another math error