Continuing this interesting discussion further, let me point out how a religious loyalty/political campaign in Goan forums has propagated the following falsehoods, either explicitly or by implication:
1. That the dripping statue was never claimed to be an unexplained miraculous phenomenon at any time by the people who filed the criminal law suit against Sanal. 2. That Sanal's offense was not his "blasphemy" of exposing the fake miracle, but the "hurt feelings" from some unproven extraneous statements that he has alleged to have made. 3. Those who file a criminal complaint under this law mean to use it, not as a blasphemy law, but as a "hate speech" law. The following direct quote of the general secretary of the CSF, which has filed one of the criminal lawsuits, and mass emailed that crappy disingenuous newsletter that was recycled in this forum over and over again by one of its apologists, clearly demonstrates that this guy believed that the dripping statue was an abnormal phenomenon with no plausible explanation just because it was captured on TV, and providing a natural scientific explanation for it was therefore blasphemy. QUOTE Joseph Dias, from the Catholic-Christian Secular Forum, a national activist community group, has labeled his statements on the statue "intolerable." "His remarks were blatantly false," Dias said. "The abnormal phenomenon was captured live on TV and the media for two days and no plausible explanation could be found as to why the crucifix was dripping with water. This was blasphemy, lies and defamation." UNQUOTE Please see: http://www.myfoxdfw.com/story/18431327/genuine-miracle-or-just-bad-plumbing-weeping-jesus-statue-stirs-up-blasphemy-row-in-india Cheers, Santosh ----- Original Message ----- > From: "J. Colaco < jc>" <cola...@gmail.com> > To: goa...@goanet.org > Cc: > Sent: Sunday, May 20, 2012 11:57 AM > Subject: Re: [Goanet] Sanal ani CSF (final ....I hope) > > Preface: I hope that this will mark the end of this thread. Not that the > discussion was not interesting, BUT because it was tangential, unworthy of > being called a discussion (because of the intransigent positions taken by > individuals who differed with each other) and truly AWFULLY FORMATTED for > anyone to follow without Panadol.. > > As far as I am concerned, the discussion was totally useless and was doing > nothing to bring about any understanding. > > Allow me please to (very briefly) restate my points: > > 1: Individuals like Sanal, Salazare and organizations like the CSF are very > useful for the purposes of keeping people (besides themselves) in check. > > 2: These useful but unaccountable folks should NEVER be allowed to > supersede those individuals (i.e. govt officials incl judges & elected > officials) who are answerable to the population by way of Judicial Review > or Electoral Approval/Rejection. > > 3: Any other way, and we have a recipe for unaccountable nutty folks > running amok - and the resultant breakdown of a democratic system. > > 4: IF Sanal has accused the clergy of presenting this "miracle" for > the > purpose of funds (I am paraphrasing here), he needs to provide the proof > for this OR withdraw it. The "ENTRAPMENT" claim ignored the principle > of > "balance of power" between a normally powerful state authority and an > individual with limited or zero authority. > > 5: Even if Sanal refuses to withdraw it, the members of the Church would do > well to move ahead. Are you not the folks who preach "turn the other > cheek"? Practise it. > > 6: This business about suing this one and that one, not only gives > unwarranted attention to a veritable nut (even one with with good > intentions), it also brings the Church into the sewage (pun intended). The > only folks who gain anything are the lawyers. > > 7: Please (and I am speaking to reasonable folks), Please allow free > speech. ...The more you ignore it, the more comfortable you will be..... > and the more miserable the NUTS will be. > > 8: Pay NO mind to these so called 'blasphemy laws'. Remember that these > types of 'unreasonable' laws can and WILL come back to bite > "us" in strange > places. You like to play with such toys, feel free. > > So much from me > > jc >
