The video: Some radical Christians have theorized that the Rapture is coming this weekend. They believe the faithful will be lifted up to heaven on Saturday, May 21, leaving nonbelievers behind to cope with the apocalypse. Of course, certain practical questions have arisen, such as "who will take care of the family dog while I'm in heaven?" No problem, say the enterprising atheists at Eternal Earth-Bound Pets USA and After the Rapture Pet Care, who are offering to take care of Fido for a fee of $135 and $10, respectively. (Watch a commercial below.) Bart Centre, the founder of Eternal Earthbound Pets USA, claims to have more than 250 clients, though he admits he doesn't think his services are really needed: "We [don't] think anybody is going anywhere anyway."
The reaction: Lots of heaven-bound Christians might be worried about their pets post-Rapture, but "I don't know if they should necessarily trust atheists to take care of them," says Todd Strandberg, the founder of the popular biblical prophecy website Raptureready.com, as quoted by Bloomberg Businessweek. C'mon, us atheists can be trusted to look after your pets, says Eternal Earth-Bound Pets. "Being an atheist does not mean we lack morals or ethics." The whole thing is just silly, says Steven Hoffer at The Huffington Post. These pet-sitting businesses sound like scams. We'll see... In the meantime, survey their services for yourself:
