Iconoclast...
Id like to point out one thing. Most of the people who go nuts over these sightings of Mary...are Catholics. The Catholic church holds Mary in high regard and puts her at the top of the list...right next to the Big Guy himself.

I think of Mary as a woman who had a virgin birth and was the mother of Jesus and I acknowledge that she was with him throughout his life...but thats it. She died...went to Heaven. She isnt God...she cant help me out down here. I dont pray to Mary because she isnt the one I need to deal with when I die...I go through Christ himself. Catholics are the only branch of the Christian faith that prays and adores Mary so much.

I used to be Catholic myself and many of the things they do and believe in...I am strongly against, and/or dont believe in. Ie...praying to mary, confession of sins to a priest...communion at every mass...the wine being the actual blood, memorized prayers, Apocryphia, ...etc.

What do you think of these "sightings'? What about the ones in Fatima, Lourdes, Medjugorje, etc.? Do you see a difference?

In this recent one...I can see somewhat the resemblence of Mary if I look long enough...the dark stain in the middle sort of looks like a outline of her hands in a praying position. BUT...I think its just water stains. I dont believe in them (the sightings). People see visions or some type of visual representation of mary as much as they see visions of Elvis or Marilyn Monroe. As far as the other sightings...Im not sure...the names dont ring a bell off hand. However, there have been large crowds that claim to have seen her...like thousands of people in one area...this was down in Mexico I think. Im skeptical when a small group of 3 or four claims to see something...but its hard to explain when a whole bunch of people see stuff.

Outside of the Catholic church...I havent heard of one person claiming to see such a thing.

The one in Lourdes, France is the one that the movie The Song of Bernadette was based on. Fatima, Portugal is the one that the vision gave the children 3 messages. The second was that the pope would be killed.

I will concede that something strange might have happened in those instances, because the visions appeared out of thin air, they looked like a person, they spoke and they vanished into thin air, and there is no logical, rational explanation for them, but these recent ones are absurd.

Never heard of that movie, or the story behind it. I do know of the portugal one, however with the three children...also heard of the pope being killed one.

but these recent ones are absurd.

I agree.

'Id like to point out one thing. Most of the people who go nuts over these sightings of Mary...are Catholics. The Catholic church holds Mary in high regard and puts her at the top of the list...right next to the Big Guy himself. '

Not quite sure what you're saying here, ZS. You're skeptical, but is this just because it is (supposedly) an image of Mary? ie. Would you be more likely to believe in it if it was perceived as being a picture of Moses, John the Baptist or Jesus? The questions that come to my mind are rather different; eg. Why on earth would God pick an expressway underpass in which to perform such a miracle, and not, say, Jupiter or Mount Rushmore?

Personally, I think these phenomena tell us far more about those who believe them than they do about the mind of God. That said, while I agree with Iconoclast that they are 'gullible' and 'naive', it seems to me just a little uncharitable to refer to them as 'morons'. Other than perhaps causing a little traffic congestion, they don't sound as though they're doing any real harm.

'but its hard to explain when a whole bunch of people see stuff.'

Careful though, ZS ... remember 'lies, damned lies and statistics'. Don't forget that 25 million Americans think that Elvis is still alive. That may be an impressive figure, but it doesn't make it true!

'I think of Mary as a woman who had a virgin birth ...'
I may be wrong, ZS, but isn't that a specifically Catholic attribution?

it seems to me just a little uncharitable to refer to them as 'morons'

Have you seen the news reports about this? People crying, saying it's a miracle, hoping that their illnesses will be cured.

million Americans think that Elvis is still alive.

He's not dead, he just went home. hahahaha

isn't that a specifically Catholic attribution?

Christians believe it too. Of course, Catholicism is a branch of Christianity.

"Not quite sure what you're saying here, ZS. You're skeptical, but is this just because it is (supposedly) an image of Mary? ie. Would you be more likely to believe in it if it was perceived as being a picture of Moses, John the Baptist or Jesus? The questions that come to my mind are rather different; eg. Why on earth would God pick an expressway underpass in which to perform such a miracle, and not, say, Jupiter or Mount Rushmore? "

Actually...what I was pointing out was that Catholics are the only branch of Christianity to worship people other than Jesus. I say worship in a light way. They pray to Mary..but more often pray to her than Jesus. They have special saints for various parts of life (travel...pets....etc). From a Christian and Biblical perspective...there is no point in this...Jesus is the one that is going to save you...not Saint Roberto. God didnt pick anything...its a water stain. If water flows through anything...its going to soak into whatever is around it to a extent and leave a stain (depending on the stuff in the water).

"Personally, I think these phenomena tell us far more about those who believe them than they do about the mind of God. That said, while I agree with Iconoclast that they are 'gullible' and 'naive', it seems to me just a little uncharitable to refer to them as 'morons'. Other than perhaps causing a little traffic congestion, they don't sound as though they're doing any real harm."

I didnt call them morons. Nowhere in the Bible...which is for most Christian religions the starting point and foundation of their religion...does it say to pray to mary or any one else other than Jesus. Twisting the words of God to make it fit your mold is what is happening here.

"Careful though, ZS ... remember 'lies, damned lies and statistics'. Don't forget that 25 million Americans think that Elvis is still alive. That may be an impressive figure, but it doesn't make it true!"

Thats based on the fact that people either think its a conspiracy...he faked his own death, they actually know he is dead but want to say he is alive like everyone else.

"I may be wrong, ZS, but isn't that a specifically Catholic attribution?"
Nope..Bible says it.

In the immortal words of P.T. Barnum: "There's a sucker born every minute."