Selma Carvalho:**** Please speak out against this injustice because we cannot have an India which suppresses free thought and scientific enquiry and needlessly wallows in the indulgence of "hurt sensibilities." Please support free thought.****
** ** Response:**** Selma,if you are of the opinion that abusing, making false allegations, mocking and insulting others constitutes free thought and scientific enquiry and deserves to be supported, then we should all be prepared to start 'living in interesting times’ as the Chinese would say.**** ** ** I am simply amazed at the level of disinformation/ misinformation / distortion of facts being dished out. The case filed against Sanal Edamaruku has NOTHING whatsoever to do with the ‘miracle’ of the ‘dripping cross’. It has to do with the gratuitous allegations and statements made by Sanal Edamaruku. As the CSF, one of the parties who have filed the complaint have explained:**** ** ** Quote:**** ** ** On 5th March, 2012, when the extra-ordinary happened, a TV channel telecast the occurrence. The media mentioned the non-Christian lady, who first noticed it, residents and witnesses, like the parish priest, Fr. Vincent Palett, Judith Monteiro, Gordon Jacobs, etc. *The TV channel had Sanal Edamaruku speaking live from Delhi, who based his observations purely on hearsay, not having seen the dripping Crucifix himself. During the course of the program, he made several objectionable and religiously offensive statements, which many, like the Association of Concerned Catholics (AoCC), **Maharashtra Christian Youth Forum (MCYF), etc. besides The CSF took offense too.* * * The activists and residents gave Sanal Edamaruku, ample opportunity to apologize, as he had hurt the religious sentiments of Christians, by his public statements in the mass media. He not only vehemently refused to accede to their requests, but on the contrary added insult to injury by making even more hurting remarks, there and also on a subsequent television program. His very obvious and stridently anti-Christian bias compelled me, as general secretary of The CSF, to file the first FIR on 11th March, 2012 at the MIDC Police Station, as we were convinced of his malicious intention to insult the faith, the clergy and hierarchy.**** ** ** Please find some points raised in my FIR complaint with the police, based on Sanal Edamaruku's public comments.**** ** ** 1. Christian clergy under the pretext of religion, regularly manufacture miracles, on the basis of which they collect money.**** ** ** 2. The clergy uses monies thus collected to build newer and bigger churches. This is one such tamasha of many that are existing.**** ** ** 3. There is a distinct possibility that the Christians made a hole in the head of the Jesus statue, with an outlet at the feet for the water.**** ** ** 4. We are told that Christians are not idol worshipers, but incidents and crucifixes like this, expose at least the Catholics as idol worshipers.**** ** ** 5. Christians are leaving established churches & to halt the exodus or to prevent churches from becoming empty, priests resort to such gimmicks.**** ** ** 6. If Christ was killed on the Cross, then it is not a thing to be worshipped. Does anyone worship the gun with which Gandhi was shot? Then why should Christians worship the Cross?**** ** ** 7. Mother Mary is always shown crying. Priests even spread rumours that her tears of blood can be seen and then collect money, which is misused.**** ** ** 8. The Pope is anti-science and believes in exorcising evil spirits or black magic. You may watch such tricks, but don't give these Christians money.**** ** ** 9. In a human, there is blood and other body fluids like tears, urine, saliva, etc. Here we don't have blood coming out? So what is this water that is dripping?**** ** ** 10. The clergy is promoting bogus miracles, taking advantage and cheating the gullible, with the Church having an exploitative structure for these tricks**** ** ** 11. The Church has been the cause of maximum damage in the world, with its many superstitions, blind beliefs, etc. which the priests promote as it becomes necessary. **** ** ** 12. Even the 'miracle' that decided Mother Teresa's case for sainthood was a fake one. Almost every Church is full of such cheap tricks performed to get money in God's name.**** ** ** Unquote**** ** ** I have posted the full text in my earlier post which you may kindly reference.**** http://lists.goanet.org/pipermail/goanet-goanet.org/2012-April/221188.html**** ** ** Regards,**** ** ** Marshall****
