A sign from above?: During last month's Transit of Venus, I noticed a cross appeared in several of my sunset photographs just to the right of Venus (click photo to enlarge). Is this a sign from God, or just some sort of antenna on a building rooftop? Unfortunately, people often see what they want to see.Courtesy Mark RyanWhen a statue of Jesus in Mumbai, India began leaking water from its feet, a priest and a couple of local Catholic laity organizations proclaimed it was a miracle - a sign from God. Hundreds of the faithful came to drink of the "holy water" hoping to cure what ailed them. Sanal Edamaruku, an Indian rationalist, investigated the situation and found that the water originated from a clogged drain in a nearby washroom. Now, he's been charged with "deliberately hurting religious feelings and attempting malicious acts intended to outrage the religious sentiments of any class or community". What an odd world we live in. Click here for the whole bizarre story at New Scientist.

Tags : debunking, irrationality, rationalist, skeptic, skepticism, superstitions

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