When I was around 11 or 12, my family was on a kick where they got together and prayed the rosary. This was uncles/aunts, etc. Occassionaly my family members would get really excited that the cross on the wall was "flashing." I was excited too when I saw that there were flashes of light to either side of the cross, each in the shape of the crucifix itself. My aunts and uncles would happily say over and over, "there it is," "there it is again!". They stopped getting excited about it one day when I pointed out that the wall socket, too, was "flashing".

I thought I'd share this story with ya'll cause it does such a good job of showing how ignorance about real phenomena can lead one to believe in a higher power. The "flashing" was because people were staring at the cross long enough for it to be imprinted, so when they looked to the side, the after image of the cross was still there.

num1cubfn wrote: They stopped getting excited about it one day when I pointed out that the wall socket, too, was "flashing".

I hope they responded appropriately and got the wiring checked....

I thought I'd share this story with ya'll cause it does such a good job of showing how ignorance about real phenomena can lead one to believe in a higher power.

I think it's more of a case of belief in a higher power causing people to not investigate a phenomenon that they otherwise would, because they want to see it as confirmation of the existence of that higher power. When you start investigating things, they may very well turn out to have a more mundane explanation.

I always end these assinine type of "proofs" by asking whether God can please, once he is through with making statues sweat blood, paintings cry real tears, crosses flash and so on, maybe find some time to pull His divine finger out and start looking after the kids in Haiti, Chile etc.

mindyourmind wrote:I always end these assinine type of "proofs" by asking whether God can please, once he is through with making statues sweat blood, paintings cry real tears, crosses flash and so on, maybe find some time to pull His divine finger out and start looking after the kids in Haiti, Chile etc.

Well, he always did show a preference for stage tricks:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTzXJMU1sLc[/youtube]

twistor59 wrote:

mindyourmind wrote:I always end these assinine type of "proofs" by asking whether God can please, once he is through with making statues sweat blood, paintings cry real tears, crosses flash and so on, maybe find some time to pull His divine finger out and start looking after the kids in Haiti, Chile etc.

Well, he always did show a preference for stage tricks:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTzXJMU1sLc[/youtube]

All-time classic that