Today we headed out to Union Square to get the 411 on this whole rapture thing (and to buy some ramps at the greenmarket!). What do the believers and non-believers say? Here's what we learned.

Robert, with Family Radio, traveled to Union Square from New Jersey, and told us, "I'm here to obey the command of the Bible to warn the people that Judgment Day is at hand... if you see the storm coming and you don't warn the people, their blood is on your hands... at some point there is going to be a great earthquake that [will be] greater than any earthquake that has ever happened in this world. Once it hits, the Rapture is going to occur... believers of God will be saved, and for the rest of the world, they'll experience a period of judgment for five months. And that will be the wrath of God, they will experience earthquakes and death all over the place." Robert believes that in 5 months, the entire human race will be wiped out, and the believers "will experience being part of the new heavens and the new earth." He refuses to entertain the idea of the earthquakes not happening, and told us he'll spend tomorrow "praying for my family and loved ones, and waiting on the Lord till he comes." (We're going to be making ramp pesto, if anyone wants to join us.)

Now, onto the non-believers. One of the turkey guys at the market told us, these people with the rapture signs are always around "protesting or picketing... They don't know what's going on. They're getting paid by some guy who bought into this hard and is most likely going to be crying a river of tears tomorrow when he realizes he spent his whole 401K on a Y2K theory."

Ronnie, a market manager at the Greenmarket, had this amusing anecdote: "I heard from a friend of mine who works at a different Greenmarket, he was talking to a vendor, and this vendor was getting accosted by this woman talking about May 21st, Doomsday, going on and on and on and on for several minutes. And finally after she wrapped up her spiel, she was like, 'I would like to pay for these plants, please.' And the vendor was like, 'Well, you know those things aren't going to sprout for another three weeks, right?'"

Tell us what side you're on in the poll below (which will only stay open until tomorrow afternoon, because, you know...)




On the scene reporting by Melanie Parker.