11/13/2003: Virgin Mary in a tree stump
 

http://cellar.org/2003/marystump.jpg

For a while there IotD was cataloguing the various "sightings" of the Virgin Mary, but there hadn't been any recently... until this. Here we have a tree stump in an empty lot in a poor neighborhood in Passaic, New Jersey. Now it's strewn with candles and notes and crap for all the people who went there to worship a dead tree.

(I.e., morons.)

Re: 11/13/2003: Virgin Mary in a tree stump
 

Hey, they're one up on some folks... at least the dead tree actually exists.

i don't see it? am i blind or pragmatic?

As a Pagan, I feel compelled to point out that we often see the Goddess in the subtle ways of nature, and if Catholicism isn't goddess worship, then nothing is. Therefore, this should come as no surprise whatsoever.

Okay, it would probably come as a surprise to the Catholics to discover that they were goddess worshippers, but I calls 'em as I sees 'em.

My favorite Virgin Mary sighting was the fogged up double paned glass window version awhile back.

When I was little I used to see these odd things floating in the air if I first focused on something far away then relaxed my eyes on an non existing point. I used to think that they maybe ghosts or spirits.

Then I grew up, went to catholic school, lost all hope and doubt about the nonexistance of god and realized how stupid I had been when I was younger.

Who was it that was talking about idols, and not worshipping them? Wasn't that God?

God didn't like false idols.

I was always partial to the Fencepost Virgin.

Elspode and Torrere: absolutely right. It's yet another demonstration of taking something that supposed to be about fellowship and love, and completely perverting it. Sometimes in bizarre ways.

It has always blown my mind that 'the faithful' always seem to get caught up in the minutate, and completely miss the whole point of their own deities/prophets/idols/whatever.

What part of "Thou shalt not kill" do the Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland not get, for example? If you are going to kill each other over religion, shouldn't you at least adhere to your own religions' rules?

Hey, hey, don't be dissing the Druids.:D

I think Druids usually worship living trees, but I imagine they have some reverence for dead ones as well.

Sure, they're the dear departed.;)

Well, if it inspires and stirs folks and isn't hurting anybody, more power to them. Some people just need something to believe in...why not a tree stump that looks like the Blessed Virgin?

Let me know what you consider sacred so I can piss all over it.

Moron.

A Slightly Different View of Images of Mary
 

For a good religious time check out:

http://www.truthofgod.com/site/enter.asp

This is the site of a fire and brimstone preacher in
Philadelphia (he has a television ministry and travels
around to various convocations on mostly the east
coast).

There are archived copies of many of his programs ...
DO NOT MISS program number 609, in which he discusses
idolatry, and beats the plaster out of a statue of the
virgin mary ... (run forward to about 42 minutes in if
you don't want to sit through the whole program. The
REAL action hits, quite literally, at about 50
minutes)

http://www.truthofgod.com/site/pages...elecasts_2.asp

EDIT: I thought it was a pretty good likeness of the Lady in the stump, there.

People see the Virgin Mary in a lot of things, apparently...


http://home.snafu.de/tilman/clearwat...mary12-11A.jpg

http://www.xprojectmagazine.com/gallery/vmary_lg.html

http://www-personal.si.umich.edu/~wm...mages/mary.jpg

http://www.fiu.edu/~mizrachs/virgin-bank.JPG

http://www.monksofadoration.org/Scottsdale.jpg

http://www.theness.com/images/tree.gif

http://www.roadsideamerica.com/attra...CACOL1mary.jpg

I've been told these are just things floating in your eyes. Not sure if it's true, but it seems like a reasonable explanation to me.

Now I'm NOT disagreeing, but "Thou shalt not kill" is a poor translation from the Aramaic. Form what I understand the original was closer in meaning to "Thou Shalt Not Commit Murder" - It allows for self defense. Of course, this doesn't apply in the NI situation, so this is an aside....

My Aramaic's a little rusty, but I did a translation. I think it's pretty close.

"Thou shalt not kill, unless the people whom you are killing are brown, or have otherwise done something to offend or trouble you."

goethean "Let me know what you consider sacred so I can piss all over it."

The US constitution; the pure innocence of a newborn baby; the beauty of music; creativity and originality; the progress of humankind; freedom; and four cheese Cheese Nips.

Have at it.

Ah. Ashcroft's done the pissing already.

I guessed that much, even then I considered the possibility. Yet giving those things far greater meaning was far more excieting.

Apparently, Deuteronomy 7 (specifically 7:2) is taken to mean that God supports killing in war.


7:2 And when the LORD thy God shall deliver them before thee; thou shalt smite them, [and] utterly destroy them; thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor shew mercy unto them:

7:5 But thus shall ye deal with them; ye shall destroy their altars, and break down their images, and cut down their groves, and burn their graven images with fire.

7:6 For thou [art] an holy people unto the LORD thy God: the LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that [are] upon the face of the earth.

Yeah, but that's OLD Testament Jehovah. We now have Jehovah v2.0, the kinder, gentler, more forgiving God, who only allows killing if you don't believe in Jesus, and then only He gets to knock off your immortal soul.

That seems reasonable.

It's a common misconception that Catholics worship Mary. However, if a Catholic is truly worshipping Mary, then they are not practicing the Catholic faith. In fact, they are abandoning what their faith teaches them, as many have pointed out here.

For more details on the difference between "worshipping Mary" and "veneration of the Saints," see http://www.americancatholic.org/Feat...y_worship.asp. It's certainly not the only site that helps explain this common misconception, but it's the first I found.

Well you better find a better one because that one doesn't work.:p Welcome to the Cellar, Syrinx.

This is what I meant. Of course, it only applies if you are white and are from the southern US.
Not just brown......anything other than white. And even white if you're drunk or just lost at the latest cool video game.

Always glad to clarify

I'll have to take your word for it. I've also wondered about that whole graven images prohibition, too. The Catholic supply stores I've been to are knee-deep in those things.

Welcome aboard, Syrinx. You'll learn that I'm half serious, half joking, and half intellectual... :p

If it's injection molded out of cheap plastic is it still technically graven?

Now.

where can i go with this?

i don't understand the MaryInABathtub thing that lots of Catholics have going on. My aunt has a M.I.A.B. in her backyard. Freddie ran around in circles around it, patting mary on the head or something each time.

ah well...a pat on the head is cheaper than buying candles to light.

Ack, you're right! :confused: (grumble, grumble)

Okay, here's another one: http://home.nyc.rr.com/mysticalrose/marian12.html. I haven't read the whole thing (it's pretty long), but it serves the purpose.

I hope it stays around long enough for people to read this time. :)Thanks!And thanks to you, too! I was gonna make some joke that that must make you a "half wit," but adding things up...you're a 1.5 wit! :eek:

(Boy, smilies are fun! :) ;) :mad: :confused: :cool: :3eye: )

Idols, idols, idols everywhere, and not one can hear.
only morons ( make that less-ons ) will waste their
breath on pieces of wood, plastic or possibly even turds.