Will Camping's ridiculous prediction just result in increasingly negative views of Christianity as a whole?

Of course! What Camping has done is a direct result of taking religious doctrine too far. Thousands believe this guy, and have given up on their lives (and their children's lives) because of fear. Things are bad now, but that doesn't mean that the world is ending. The human race has ben through much worse, and we have made it, just like we will get through this. I for one, am ready to leave the Christian faith because there is no love in it. I don't want to be a part of a religion that feeds off the fears of others with no basis or proof of reality. In other words, my faith is hanging on by a thread....