Religions, scams, and hoaxes succeed because they exploit powerful psychological processes. These processes are the very ones that have enabled humans to survive and create art and technology, but also trasform Homo Sapiens into Homo Suckers! http://venitism.blogspot.com
Claims of Madonna apparitions are either hallucinations encouraged by superstition or deliberate hoaxes to attract attention and money. Many such apparitions are reported in economically depressed areas, attracting many pilgrims who bring trade and money into the region. Pseudohealings leave the sufferer with disabilities or chronic illness, and some pseudohealings are the relatively rare but unmiraculous spontaneous remission of illness or injury. Such remissions might be expected to occur in a few of the large numbers of ill and credulous people who visit such sites.
Vatican promotes the Madonna apparitions, because they lead to the conversion of millions of people to Roman Catholicism, the construction of some of the largest Roman Catholic Madonna churches ever, the formation of the largest Madonna Movements and Societies ever, the spread of Madonna devotions, such as the rosary, to millions of people, the declaration of specific Madonna dogmas and doctrines, and myriads of Madonna pilgrimages.
Three brats at Fatima of Portugal hoodwinked about conversations with Madonna! The sun was seen through thin clouds, causing it to appear as a silver disc. An alteration in the density of the passing clouds, caused the sun's image to alternately brighten and dim and so seemed to advance and recede, and dust or moisture droplets in the atmosphere refracted the sunlight and thus imparted a variety of colors. Lucia's mother declared that her infamous daughter was nothing but a fake who was leading half the world astray with pseudomiracles and pseudoapparitions of Madonna!
Many journalists and bloggers investigated weeping icons of Madonna. In front of television, newspaper, and radio reporters, they collected samples of the tears for lab analysis. The analysis proved all weeping icons are frauds and concluded that the substance of the tears was olive oil. Myriad Christians visited the churches to witness the pseudomiracles, donating many million euros. The priests of these churches have been accused of perpetrating hoaxes and stealing money from the church coffers! http://venitism.blogspot.com
The Italian police investigated a famous weeping Madonna case. This one was a print of a Madonna owned by a couple in Messina, Sicily, that they swore had wept blood. The house had since then been visited by myriad pilgrims. Finally, the police were able to determine that the blood was human and that the DNA belonged to one of the owners. The couple was convicted of abuse of popular credulity, something that Italian law considers a crime.
Megalochari, Great Grace, is the major Marian shrine in Greece, and the most religulous center of iconolatry on Earth. It is located on the island of Tinos. The complex is built around a pseudomiraculous icon which according to a stupid myth was found after Madonna appeared to the nun Pelagia and revealed to her the place where the icon was buried!
Pelagia was rewarded for her religulous lie by becoming a saint of the Orthodox Church! The icon is the main idol of Orthodox Christians, cherished as the source of numerous pseudomiracles. This idol is now completely encased in gold and diamonds, and is considered the patron saint of seafarers and healer of the infirm.
The icon was found on the very first days after the independence of Greece, henceforth Megalochari was declared the patron saint of the Greek nation! The icon might be the handwork of Saint Luke the Evangelist. The church was inaugurated in 1830 and it constitutes the major pilgrimage in Greece. The church receives a vast number of donations in silver and gold votives from gullible iconolaters. The major feast of Megalochari is on August 15. http://venitism.blogspot.com
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