The apparitions at Fatima

[mountainboo]

My husband has recently been reading about this story, which apparantly includes one of the most documented paranormal events since records began.

I know very little about what happened. Three children were visited by The Virgin Mary. She bestowed to them 3 gifts which were messages or prophecies of the future. What followed was a 'miracle of the sun' witnessed by something like 20,000 people.

Does anyone know exactly what these messages were and why the 3rd message was kept secret by the church? Also, what are your thoughts on this?

[Ankou]

it a bit lazy, but some info for you here.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Our_Lady_of_F%C3% A1tima#Three_Secrets_of_F.C3.A1tima

my personal thoughts are that is like any other claim to seeing ghosts, fanciful wishful thinking of a susceptible mind. if people want to go believing in this bunkum thats fine by me, i wont go spitting feathers over it.

[mountainboo]

I appreciate your view. I'll have a look at the link. Thanks

[naomi24]

http://www.theotokos.org.uk/pages/cathnews/fat ima/secret.html

http://www.fatima.org/essentials/facts/miracle .asp

It's certainly a curious case simply for the fact that so many people were involved. The sun is said to have trembled, or danced - clearly an impossibility. Religious hysteria? Unusual cloud formations? Freak atmospheric conditions? UFO? Who knows? Whatever it was, I don't believe it was supernatural.

[naomi24]

Here's something else you might find interesting. Note the artlcle says:

..........observatories around the world reported nothing unusual that day, so whatever it was had to have been a localized phenomenon.........

http://skeptoid.com/episodes/4110

[jake-the-peg]

I'm not very impressed by the photographs of this "miracle"

http://www.tarxienparish.org/FatimaSun_13Oct19 17.jpg

[jno]

jake, if you are hoping that a black and white still photo is going to provide evidence of the sun changing colour and dancing, you're always going to be disappointed. (Unless you were expecting a miracle, of course.)

[Ankou]

goes back to the other question really, if you are convincing enough in your lie you will convince enough people that it is true and then the rumour spreads and is believed to be true and people will eventually convince themselves they have seen it too, otherwise they are a daft numpty for having not seen it.

jacinta: ola juan, did you see the dancing sun when the virgin mary appeared on the hillside?

juan: eh ? see what ? it was just a hot day with some breeze weren�t it ?

jacinta: no no no juan, everybody saw it and it was true

juan: huh, really?

jacinta: si, we all saw mary and the dancing sun, you must have seen it.

juan: well now you mention it, there was a strange flickery thing and some woman in a dress

jacinta: juan, you saw mary too!

juan: si, si, si it�s a miracle! praise the lord. we are truly blessed.

anybody ever watched rescue mediums on dmax ? hilarious.

[mountainboo]

Lol Ankou.

Some interesting responses. I guess we'll never know. It is definately unusual.

[Ankou]

no offence mountainboo but that really is my simplistic view of such things. in the olden days they lacked explanation for many natural things and credited the heavens and gods for everything they couldnt fathom out.

i think with it containing secrets and the vatican hiding the last secret and then revealing it in bits but not all of it, just adds a bit of excitement to the conspiracy story.

atthe end of a sun dancing ghoslty appartitiony hot sunny day, its just a story. add religion and conspiracy it becomes mysterious.

[brionon]

How many severed limbs have re-grown at this shrine ? To the nearest One will do .