Source telegraph

Dozens blinded in India looking for Virgin Mary

By Sarah Herman

Last Updated: 2:00pm GMT 11/03/2008

At least 50 people have lost their sight after staring at the sun hoping to see an image of the Virgin Mary, according to reports.   The Virgin Mary apparition was reported above a hotelier's home Alarmed health authorities in India's Kottayam district have set up a sign dispelling rumours of a miraculous image in the sky and warning of the dangers of looking into direct sunlight. Forty-eight cases of sight-loss, allegedly caused by photochemical burns on the retina, have been recorded at St Joseph's ENT and Eye hospital in the region since Friday. Despite warnings, and the potentially harmful effects of their actions, believers are allegedly still flocking to a hotelier's house in Erumeli near where the divine image is said to have appeared. "All our patients have similar history and symptoms… They have developed photochemical, not thermal, burns after continuously gazing at the sun," Dr Annamma James Isaac, the hospital's ophthalmologist said. Even churches in the area have disowned the miracle after health officers and doctors approached the clergy. The house where the miracle is said to have occurred has apparently been the subject of rumours for months. The hotelier, who has since moved, had claimed that statues of the Virgin Mary in his house have been crying honey and bleeding oils and perfumes.

I didn't know people still don't know looking directly at the sun will kill the eyeballs...

Haha, idiots. Even if I was a christian, nothing could make me stare the sun.

Blind faith or Dazzling idiocy?

Well they're blind and I wouldn't be surprised if many of them didn't have any faith anymore either :P

To be honest I bet someone somewhere attributes all these blindings to the work of god and not of stupidity. I bet they will also say it is the beginning of the end and relate it to some passage in the bible.
It always happens.

In the end, what's the difference?

Column inches.

An excellent title Galaki.

That is vulgar christianism at its best. I am an atheist, so my opinion is not that important, but if god was into that miracle trend wouldn`t he (she) do something big like him(her)self? I remember some old news in my country where thousands of people gathered around a Virgin Mary image on the dirty window of a house. At least the owner himself believed it was real.

@ItsaMii
Where do you live? Every time I see these so called miracles, they seem to be in the poorer regions of the world. I think it has to do woth hope: These people have little or no money and everyday is a struggle, so any small sign that there is something better waiting for them at the end of it is what gets them through the day.
Please don't take offence to this as none was meant, it's just an observation.