Indian Rationalist Arrested For Blasphemy

-Submitted by David Drumm (Nal), Guest Blogger

We have previously discussed how black magician Pandit Surinder Sharma repeated attempted to kill rationalist Sanal Edamaruku (the James Randi of India) with a death-causing tantra, here. The still very much alive Edamaruku recently went to an Irla (suburb of Mumbai) Catholic church where he debunked a “miracle” where water was seen trickling down Jesus’ feet. Edamaruku identified the source of the water as a leaky drainage pipe and explained that capillary action was the cause of the water reaching Jesus’ feet.

Father Augustine Palett, priest of the Church of Our Lady Velankanni, denounced Edamaruku’s investigation and his charge that the church was using the “miracle” to exploit the visiting pilgrims.

People were coming daily to pray and collect the “holy water,” and Edamaruku accused the church of miracle mongering. The Association of Concerned Catholics lodged a complaint with the Mumbai police who arrested Edamaruku for “hurting the religious sentiments of a particular community.” Edamaruku, who faces up to three years in jail,  applied for bail while awaiting trail, but was rejected because the judge figured that jail was the safest place for him.

Miracles are big business for the Catholic Church and if you hit them in the pocketbook, they’re going to hit back. Blasphemy laws protect religion from critical examination and help preserve the delusion, and the donations. However, Church leaders must guard against criminal charges of fraud, so miracle investigations by the Church leave plenty of room for deniability.

The Church’s use of secular means to silence Edamaruku demonstrates a lack of faith in miracles.

H/T: James Randi, NY Daily News, Mark Turner, Rationalist International, Hemant Mehta.