Dozens blinded in India while looking at the sun to see the Virgin Mary

[Ladewig]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2008/03/11/wmary111.xml
At least 50 people have lost their sight after staring at the sun hoping to see an image of the Virgin Mary, according to reports.

[snip]

Alarmed health authorities in India's Kottayam district have set up a sign dispelling rumours of a miraculous image in the sky and warning of the dangers of looking into direct sunlight.

[more]



Is seeing an image of the Virgin Mary really worth the risk of losing one's sight?

[CFLarsen]

One for krelnik's site.

[MG1962]

From the article

Even churches in the area have disowned the miracle after health officers and doctors approached the clergy

Looks like someone else is going to have to blamed for this little fetish

[tkingdoll]

Well, it depends whether or not any of the people involved knew that staring into the sun would cause eye damage. I suspect that by the time it starts to hurt, the damage has already been done. But my sympathy is fairly limited.

[thatguywhojuggles]

This reminds me of a religious magazine I picked up in front of a grocery store once. It had some article about the return of Jesus. Along with the article it had a picture of a young boy looking up into the sky with a pair of binoculars. He was looking presumably at Jesus' return, but all you saw were beams of light coming through the clouds. It looked very much like the beams of light coming through the clouds from the sun. I wonder how many kids, seeing that article, decided to take dad's binoculars and go sun gazing.

[Complexity]

Idiots.

[Zep]

Wonder how many of those blinded will now turn to homeopaths to get their sight back...

[thaiboxerken]

The virgin mary statues cry honey and bleed perfumes and oils. Believers actually see this as a miracle and it doesn't occur that they are hoaxes? Wow, the power of faith is amazing and scary.

[Kopji]

We need to remember that if you teach that by kissing frogs you will someday find a prince - you are in no way responsible if someone does not follow your careful instructions and starts teaching that eating frogs is required to become a prince.

[a_unique_person]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2008/03/11/wmary111.xml


Is seeing an image of the Virgin Mary really worth the risk of losing one's sight?

Now they'll have to go to pray to her at Lourdes to get their sight back.

[blobru]

Kali [none too impressed with tVM trawling her side of the boulevard, and who speaks cartoon West Indian?]: Mary, da G-man hook you up wit som fine karatage fo'sh'r, but yo be vergin' on beeatch, trruuly girl! Put away de bling bling, ferkrishnasakes! Holy ho, you g'wanna put a t'ird eye out wit dat hotdoggin'! Git on back now to yor greezy tackos Maryachi, and leave da sun-sun hula-hula a' Kali, afore she lay six-handsa d'stroyer on dat iv'ry pure tuchis. [+ Hawaii, & Yiddish??]

[PrincessIneffabelle]

How did I end up in the "speaking in tongues" thread?

[Showmeproof]

It is hard to be sympathetic toward this situation!

[Emilymae]

If one believes that ignorance excuses a person of stupid actions...

Wonder who started this?

[blobru]

How did I end up in the "speaking in tongues" thread?

Hard as that dialect is to understand, when Kali starts talking with her hands... forget it. :nope:

http://forums.randi.org/imagehosting/1718347dd51da93b56.jpg (http://forums.randi.org/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=11287)

[Akhenaten]

I'll see your pretty little multi-handed lass and raise you a Sun god.

At daybreak, when thou arisest on the horizon,
When thou shinest as the Aton by day,
Thou drivest away the darkness and givest thy rays.
The Two Lands are in festivity every day,
Awake and standing upon their feet,
For thou hast raised them up.
Washing their bodies, taking their clothing,
Their arms are raised in praise at thy appearance.
All the world, they do their work,
Even as they putteth on their sunnies

- the Great Hymn to the Aten, by Akhenaten. (mostly)

[thaiboxerken]

This can only be the result of blind-faith.