crocodile deathroll

Some call him the ultimate miracle worker of the 20th century. "Some"! perhaps thousands of
loyal followers who gathered outside the Vatican for his inauguration and millions of loyal
followers who watched the whole spectacle live on TV

Others just dismiss him a self mutilating attention seeker taking advantage
of the gullible.

It is the recently canonized <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/europ...aint/index.html" target="_blank">"St" Padre Pio </a>


You what I think. I think the latter. I feel it only heightens the gulf between rational science and religion. So what are your thoughts?

Synaesthesia

In the classic Christ vs. Madman argument, it is taken for granted that an insane Jesus is impossible.

Padra Pio is a man known from his youth to scream and thrash at visions of demons when in prayer. Many knew him as bright and dedicated to God but clearly disturbed.

Pious self mutilation does not seem at all implausible.

crocodile deathroll

The later images I saw of Padre Pio's stigmata were ugly scabby wounds, hardly consistant with an injury caused by a large Roman nail.

Thor Q. Mada

Some people said he inflicted these wounds on himself, but how about a thought introduced on the same subject as follows:

We have a problem with pedophile priests. What can we do to distract the attention of the world from this?? Impossible?? I think not.
By the way you must have read this article on CNN : <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/europe/06/16/vatican.saint/index.html" target="_blank">http://www.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/europe/06/16/vatican.saint/index.html</a>

The official text from the vatican is basically the same as the one used in the year 600. These guys never learn.
What a bunch of idiots.

seebs

I personally have no solid information either way. Since I'm a theist, obviously, I think this is *possible*. I don't have any detailed information on the methodology by which such claims are checked...

Thor Q. Mada

You think this is "possible" wow!!!
How about the rationale of somebody developing stigmata?? Why would a god do such idiotic things. To prove his existence?? He could have given us something a bit more clear like a big burning sign in the sky "I exist". Any advertisement company would tell you that the results would be far better.
And we would have to go through the rigmarole of finding a doubtful miraculously healed little boy.
You maybe then also think that the "miracles" in Lourdes are true??
Think again. On the wall with testimonies there are only crutches and wheel chairs but no wooden legs.
You maybe even think Medjiogorno is real, or Fatima? By the way, what happened to the last secret of Fatima which was going to be revealed to us in 2000??
All this stuff is just make believe self-fulfilling nonsense or opium for the people.
Give it all up. Think again. Have the courage to start your life all over again without needing Medieval circus.
The evil one in the vatican has done enough harm already. Who is he working for but himself and that KGB like organization? How about is mental health?? Are you guys all blind or what??

One of the last sane

According to CNN, Padre Pio's wounds were in his hands. Yet I've read that the Romans placed crucifixion nails through the wrists, not the hands. They knew perfectly well that nails would tear out between the metacarpals if the nails were placed in the hands.

Edit: spelling

[ June 17, 2002: Message edited by: One of last of the sane ]</p>

One of the last sane

Thor Q. Mada, the Pope has Parkinson's disease. That affects the motor functions but it doesn't mean his thinking mind is out of whack. Any more so than it has ever been, that is.

Thor Q. Mada

I unfortunately know all about Parkinson's disease. When I refer to the pope's mental health I refer to his stance about priest pedophiles, anti-conception, the number of canonization, his refusal to adapt, his demented actions such has taking a piece of the body of pope John 23rd with him to Bulgaria as a relic. Want more??
I can not even take a pineapple from one country to another let alone a piece of a death body in miraculeously well preserved condition with the help of some embalming!!!

Marduk

"? By the way, what happened to the last secret of Fatima which was going to be revealed to us in 2000??"

They did reveal it, the prediction was that a Pope would be killed with bows and guns while walking through some sort of catastrophe. The fact that the Pope was shot (but lived) to them means the prophecy was fulfilled.