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wundermonk
13 April 2012, 04:29 AM
We Hindus have numerous fake babas and miracle workers that are ever present to take gullible folks for a ride. When these shenanigans are exposed, there is generally little news probably because the exposed party rarely pushes "blasphemy charges". [Otherwise, the exposed party is so powerful [like say Sai Baba] that no exposure makes any difference whatsoever.]

Looks like that is going to change when the accused party owes allegiance to Rome.

Story here (http://blog.newhumanist.org.uk/2012/04/leading-indian-rationalist-facing.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+NewHumanistBlog+%28New+Humanist+Blog%29):


Sanal Edamaruku, Secretary General of the India-based organisation Rationalist International, is facing charges of blasphemy after he exposed a "miracle" involving a crucifix statue in the Vile Parle area of Mumbai.

On 10 March, Edamuruku, who is well-known in India for his debunking of supposed miracles and the abilities claimed by religious gurus (see this 2008 piece for New Humanist), was invited by the TV-9 channel to visit the Church of Our Lady of Velankanni in Vile Parle, where water had begun dripping from the feet of a statue of the crucified Christ. Worshippers claimed that this was "holy water", and the crowds flocked to the church to collect the miraculous liquid in containers.

Upon inspection, Edamuruku was able to reveal that the source of the "miracle" was a leaking drainage system, the water from which was being sucked up and ejected through the nail holes of the crucifix via a capillary action. You can see a video of his investigation here:

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Edamuruku's debunking of the leaking crucifix angered local religious leaders, who took to the airwaves to denounce his investigation. Father Augustine Palett, pastor of the Church of Our Lady Velankanni, told the Catholic press agency AsiaNews that Edamurku's claims that the Church had created the "miracle" and was exploiting believers to make money were false:

"Something has happened here that is beyond our understanding and that has gathered together Hindus, Muslims and Christians, united in prayer. Sanal Edamaruku's statements are unwarranted, unfounded and false. The Church does not try to make money from people's devotion. Its institutions relentlessly serve poor and marginalized, without any discrimination of caste or creed, to build this nation."

Edamuruku was also denounced by Msgr. Agnelo Gracias, the Auxiliary Bishop of Mumbai, who argued that the Catholic Church always tries to explain "miracles" scientifically:

"The Church is always cautious in attributing supernatural causes to out of the ordinary phenomena. Whenever possible, it always tries to find 'scientific' explanations for similar events. It does not pay great attention to things like this, although it accepts the possibility that God can intervene in human life in 'extraordinary' ways: what we call 'miracles'."

Edamuruku debated Palett and Gracias on TV, and the Rationalist International website describes how the Catholic representatives reacted to his arguments by threatening to pursue a blasphemy case against him:

"When they saw their hopes dashed to force Sanal to his knees and apologize, they publicly threatened to file a blasphemy case against him. Sanal pointed out that this would give him an excellent opportunity to support all his statements with evidence in a court of law, with the bishop of Mumbai in the witness box. Foaming with rage, the church people vowed to harass him by filing an array of cases against him in all Mumbai police stations. They did."

Now, Rationalist International have announced that they are aware of blasphemy petitions being filed against Edamuruku:

"We know of three petitions on the base of Article 295, Indian Penal Code that have been filed against Sanal. Meantime, Mumbai police announced that they were out to arrest him. Sanal can be arrested any moment. In every single place where a petition is filed against him. He could be forced to appear in person to answer them. If his answer is not found satisfactory, he could be arrested. He could be forced to fight a multitude of criminal cases in different places. This is not only immensely time and money consuming. Given the fanaticism of some Catholic believers, it can be a danger for his life."

Leena
13 April 2012, 04:37 PM
I don't understand how discovering the cause of a leaking statue can be considered blasphemy. Claiming something to be a miracle before investigating the situation is ingnorant. Isn't it better to believe in the real truth than in something false that we want to believe is true? It puts into mind the days when people were killed because they didn't believe the world was flat.

ahab
13 April 2012, 08:33 PM
It puts into mind the days when people were killed because they didn't believe the world was flat.
Christianity hadn't changed much today either...

dustyroad
13 April 2012, 10:07 PM
By acting like this, religious folks will only drive people away from religion. Maybe, that's what we need: more spirituality, less religion.

kallol
14 April 2012, 07:42 AM
How do we define miracle ?

As far as I know that "miracle" is not supported by Advaita philosopy.

My definition of miracle is an incident, which has not been investigated or not known by present level of science.

Each and every incident follows rules (which are known or to be known).

PARAM
14 April 2012, 11:22 AM
Miracles of Sathya Sai Baba were true miracles, I posted a link in HDF and I am 100% confident of his real life work done as miracle. Christians don't have any true incident, they have the real fakers to make money and just blame Hindu Gurus.

Seeker123
16 April 2012, 01:07 PM
After reading this book by this JivanMukta I am convinced of miracles.

http://www.sringeri.net/2004/12/01/publication/book/exalting-elucidations.htm

kallol
16 April 2012, 05:04 PM
Any magic is a miracle for kids or the "not so learned" but it is a science for the learned.

Miracle is an incident which is not understood by "not so learned people" or still to be discovered by science.

For the inquisitive people or the seekers so called miracles are the vehicles for knowledge seeking.

wundermonk
17 April 2012, 12:19 AM
The problem with believing in miracles is that there is no rational reason to believe in one miracle but not another.

Let us say you are a Xian who believes Jesus rose from the dead. What prevents you from believing old Mo ascended to heaven on Buraq the flying donkey?

The only consistent position to hold is that no unscientific event can occur. If you believe in one set of miracles but not another, you are being irrational and unfair to your particular brand of theism.

sanjaya
17 April 2012, 05:56 PM
OK, forgive me for being so ABCD, but we have a blasphemy law in India?

satay
17 April 2012, 10:09 PM
namaskar,
I don't understand this 'blasphemy' thing. For example, Since I don't believe in chirstian mythology thing blasphey thing doesn't apply to me correct? You have to be christian to begin with to be blasphemis (sp)? Since Hindus don't believe in christian nonsense they can't be blamed of blasphemy.

Tāṇḍava
18 April 2012, 03:04 AM
OK, forgive me for being so ABCD, but we have a blasphemy law in India?
No its bad reporting. The charges are brought under (http://boingboing.net/2012/04/13/indian-skeptic-charged-with.html) "u/s 295 of Indian Penal Code on the allegations of hurting the religious sentiments of a particular community."

sanjaya
18 April 2012, 08:27 AM
No its bad reporting. The charges are brought under (http://boingboing.net/2012/04/13/indian-skeptic-charged-with.html) "u/s 295 of Indian Penal Code on the allegations of hurting the religious sentiments of a particular community."

Ah, that makes more sense. I still think it's a bad law, but this sounds far more plausible than a blasphemy law.

wundermonk
21 April 2012, 09:08 AM
Continuation of this story here (http://stephenlaw.blogspot.in/2012/04/letter-from-sanal-edamaruka-defence.html).


When they saw Sanal refused to bow to their demands, they threatened to file a blasphemy case against him. And they did.
Yesterday (10th April,2012) Sanal received a phone call from a Police official of Juhu Police Station in Mumbai directing him to come to the said police station to face the charges and get arrested. He also said that FIRs have also been filed in Andheri and some other police stations u/s 295 of Indian Penal Code on the allegations of hurting the religious sentiments of a particular community. Mumbai police has announced that they were out to arrest him. It is apprehended that he can be arrested any moment.
The filing of FIRs by Mumbai police and threatening to arrest a well known rationalist who has been exposing miracles and superstitious beliefs for more than three decades is a serious attack on the freedom of expression. Clause (h) of Article 51-A of Constitution of India states that :
‘It shall be the duty of every citizen of India to develop the scientific temper, humanism and spirit of inquiry and reform.’
In exposing the said miracle, Sanal was performing his fundamental duty enshrined in our constitution.
It is distressing that the Mumbai police has chosen to harass and victimize him for doing his fundamental duty.
‘Sanal Edamaruku Defence Committee’ appeals to all progressive individuals and organizations to protest and oppose the reprehensible steps of the Maharashtra police in filing FIRs against Sanal and stand behind him in solidarity for the cause of scientific thinking and freedom of expression.

Let not the Abrahamic mindset take hold of Indians. Confine Abrahamic thought process far far away from India in the pockets of Mecca, Jerusalem and Vatican itself. Hinduism and India are too precious to be held hostage under the stifling presence of Abrahamism.