In Another Religion it would be Called Superstition
Tuesday, 10. November 2009 - 2:16 AM
The Slimes reports that
Thousands of people thronged a south Mumbai church on Monday to see water oozing out a cross and to collect what they believed was holy water, though church officials shied away from giving the occurrence any name.
People being Indian people, they were quick to associate the occurrence with the supernatural/Godly/Divine. And the Church being what it is, has issued a neither-here-but-there statement:
Father Anthony Charanghat, spokesperson for the Archbishop of Mumbai, said it was too early to say anything or explain the development.
“Before we give it any name, we have to first scientifically verify the phenomenon and that is a long process. However, if it helps people in coming closer to god, we welcome it.
Recall the incident where milk supposedly oozed from a Ganesha idol in Mumbai (or was it Delhi?) a few years ago and then stopped suddenly. Keep this in mind. We shall return to it in a bit.
Back to the present. In the news report, substitute as follows.
Thousands of people thronged a south Mumbai Ganesh temple on Monday to see water oozing out of the trunk of the Ganesh idol and to collect what they believed was holy tirth… The mahant of the temple said it was the blessing of Lord Ganesh and believed that such miracles did happen even in this age and time.
Back to the past. I remember reading some pieces by the usual suspects that the milk-oozing Ganesha was bunkum and encouraged superstition in a religion chock-full of superstitions; that this was the age of rationality and similar stuff tailormade for wholesale cerebral masturbation.
Again, read what the Reverend has said: if it helps people in coming closer to god, we welcome it. In other words: I’m all for sending it for due diligence but till the scientific community hasn’t confirmed it, I’ll be blind to this bullshit because people basically believe in bullshit. Oh! and the Noble Reverend doesn’t name the God. Give it enough time and publicity, it’ll become another “Saint” Thomas of Mylapore.
Let’s wait for the elusive Round II of said cerebral masturbation.
Tags: Christianity, Church, Commentary, Cross, India, Religious Politics, Society & Culture
10. November 2009 - 5:17 AM
Sandeep, people who follow your blog (I am being one of those!) religiously are keen to read your opinion on the Vande Mataram issue.
10. November 2009 - 8:18 AM
>>People being Indian people, they were quick to associate the occurrence with the supernatural/Godly/Divine
There’s nothing “Indian” about this phenomenon. Catholics worldwide are big on weeping statues. Stories of Mary idols shedding tears (some times of blood) are legion — googling ought to show many. It beats me though why the Christian god always has to send signs to earthlings in a melancholy manner. Why not ooze whisky or vodka?
A belief in miracles is central to the Christian faith. Comparing apples to apples, ie, educated Christians to educated Hindus, the former are far less skeptical about miracles than the latter.
The IANS reporter is just doing his job. The church is a multinational corporation, and like any big corporate, it uses its financial muscle to control media projections of itself. Hinduism is a loser in this game. If you build a significantly sized account with the Slimes, and one fine day ring up Mr Vineet Jain and let him know that you’re not comfortable advertising in a newspaper seen as dissing Hindusim, he’ll in all likelihood come around to your viewpoint. Comrade N Ram had to grovel when Toyota threatened to terminate its contract with The Hindu because there was a negative news report about it in that paper.
10. November 2009 - 10:58 AM
Rightly said Sandeep. Double standards are norm these days. Did you not know how our secular media ignored NCP candidate who asked votes for eliminating hindus.
10. November 2009 - 8:24 PM
>>>> Recall the incident where milk supposedly oozed from a Ganesha idol in Mumbai (or was it Delhi?) a few years ago [...]
WRONG WRONG WRONG COMPLETELY WRONG…. NOT OOZED! PLEASE CORRECT RECORDS PLEASE.
FACT: When offered milk to Ganesh Ji (idol I mean) i.e. when a spoon filled with milk was brought closer to the idol’s trunk one could see it getting ‘gone’. In matter of seconds Milk would disappear.
I myself experienced it before my eyes not once or twice BUT thrice. Once in the temple I go to every morning, second to my statue of Ganesh Ji ( sending you a pic of my workstation where he resides) and finally @ or in office of ’supposedly secular’ The Hindu office each time experience was the same. Now I am a very rational, scientific, and technically trained person – so I did experiment with 1. (In temple) Stone Carved Idol 2) @ Home with Hand made clay Idol and finally 3). @ The Hindu’s office here in Delhi in the presence of ARM and DRM and some more collegians (sure those pension seekers would deny of course) I stick out my neck to say WE SAW that.
You know what? By afternoon office people (some one man who is very close to someone whose only interest is in Horses and act…) made an announcement that he has discovered it was due to some scientific ‘phenomenon’ unknown to ‘rationals’!!!!!!
hahahahahahah!
I resigned subsequently three years later (or was made to
Good Riddance , anyway for both) but glad I am; I stood my ground and even to this date these ‘pension seekers’ hide their face from me and ‘Me’ as a point never fail to embarrass them. Yes I m cruel.
But then Sandeep as I see no air and have no means to prove (as we can not see it but experience) it exists, equally I BY MY OWN HANDS OFFERED AND MILK WAS CONSUMED. I say this Sandeep with authority.
More to you in a mail to you.
Regards,
PI.
10. November 2009 - 8:43 PM
Don’t you remember when the self-professed secular mainstream media in India converted a purely private Vatican religious fantasy ( Sainthood conferring on a obscure Malayali Nun) in to one of those now customary “India Shining ” kind of campaigns
All norms of journalistic properitary was thrown to winds and channels were doubling up as Christian Mouthpieces.A viewer would not be faulted if they believed that it was a gospel broadcasting channel that they were watching rather than a newschannel
11. November 2009 - 9:14 AM
@ PI,
It was caused by a scientific principle called Capillary action, which for a “very rational, scientific, and technically trained person”, should have been the obvious explanation.
11. November 2009 - 9:59 AM
Please read caesers messiah by Joseph Atwill to know the truth about the worlds first corporation “the church”.
Below is a video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCNJf83bqjs
12. November 2009 - 6:34 PM
Knowing Xts reasonably well, I would doubt ANYTHING they say in these matters! Xts, Mozzies and Commies all hate idol worship anyway………except for images of Lenin, Stalin and sundry hair, teeth, graves and meteorites !!
Finally, even if it is true, we all remain the same don’t we…..shuffling through life, watching Indian Napunsak Congress ruin the nation, cricketers lose mathches which they could have otherwise won with one hand ties behind their backs………….
18. November 2009 - 4:44 PM
PI,
I too have experienced that amazing phenomenon of Ganesha idols drinking milk. It happened only for a few hours and by late evening, the phenomenon subsided.
Anyway, the next day, I read lot of rationalists explaining the phenomenon scientifically. None of these explanations mentioned that this phenomenon is time-specific. My counter-argument to some of my friends who pooh-poohed the miracle was: Why did that phenomenon occur only on that day – why not before and why doesnt it happen every day if it something scientific?
Needless to add, I did not get any replies….
9. December 2009 - 11:15 PM
now where the hell are the self-proud and ‘ready-to-burst-with-bloated-worthless-ego’ ‘Hindu’-bashing (ir)rationalists? cowering under the sheath provided by ’soft-Hinduism’, or cleaning the toilets used by marx and the likes at sometime?
uh-oh, my apologies, has this article here something to with Christians ?!! well then, carry on…