[Innanna]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090720/sc_af...ismsuperstition

MUMBAI (AFP) – Indian astrologers are predicting violence and turmoil across the world as a result of this week's total solar eclipse, which the superstitious and religious view as a sign of potential doom.

But astronomers, scientists and secularists are trying to play down claims of evil portent in connection with Wednesday's natural spectacle, when the moon will come between the Earth and the sun, completely obscuring the sun.

In Hindu mythology, the two demons Rahu and Ketu are said to "swallow" the sun during eclipses, snuffing out its life-giving light and causing food to become inedible and water undrinkable.

Pregnant women are advised to stay indoors to prevent their babies developing birth defects, while prayers, fasting and ritual bathing, particularly in holy rivers, are encouraged.

Shivani Sachdev Gour, a gynaecologist at the Fortis Hospital in New Delhi, said a number of expectant mothers scheduled for caesarian deliveries on July 22 had asked to change the date.

"This is a belief deeply rooted in Indian society. Couples are willing to do anything to ensure that the baby is not born on that day," Gour said.

Come on now! We know what an eclipse is and we know it is not some sort of sign of impending doom. There is no need to get violent out of fear of such a natural occurrence, why not celebrate it peacefully instead?

[Daredevil]

Those damned Christians!

[Vore]

Innanna, on Jul 20 2009, 06:25 PM, said:

Come on now! We know what an eclipse is and we know it is not some sort of sign of impending doom. There is no need to get violent out of fear of such a natural occurrence, why not celebrate it peacefully instead?

I agree...

There really is no room for outmoded beliefs in the modern world......

[WilV]

india is hardly the modern world. And who knows? Maybe demons do eat the sun god and we're all deluded into believing that it's a simple case of the moon passing in front of the sun as it revolves around the earth

[Innanna]

*Smacks WilV*
It's ok if you want to see such an occurrance in a religious view but to cause violence and destruction and use religion to justfy it is plain ignorant. Then again, it wasn't long ago that India was putting people to death on suspicion of being werewolves.

BTW, Daredevil, it's the Hindus that are in a tizzy over it.

"The probability for unrest or war to take place in years when a solar eclipse happens is 95 percent," announced an article that attracted a lot of hits on the popular Chinese web portal Baidu.com.

Ooooooookkkkk. If anything like that happens it's because of people acting like nuts, it has nothing to do with the eclipse.

[Vore]

There hasn't been a year without war for hundreds of years so that's not a very meaningful statement. There's currently dozens of wars happening all the time, most of them just don't interest us much.

[Innanna]

I am simply stating that it is plainly ignorant to use religion as justification to commit acts of violence and destruction. There is no need for them to work themselves into a frenzy over an eclipse, they know what it is and they know it has nothing to do with the actions of any Gods.

[Æther]

I wish I'd booked my holiday two weeks earlier. Siiiiiiiiiiiiiigh.

[Innanna]

You just want an excuse to go and pillage!

[Æther]

I'm going to be in Malaysia in two weeks tomorrow. If I had half a brain I'd have booked it a few weeks earlier, gone up on the train through Thailand and Vietnam into China, found some little village on the centreline, and lived out a dream. Instead, because I care about my job too much, I'm stuck here at work while the awesomeness of this celestial event doesn't wait for me. Urggggghhhhhh poo-poo.

[Innanna]

At least you get to travel!

[Æther]

For some people the world isn't enough? :babytongue:

[shadowsbane]

Vore, on Jul 20 2009, 03:45 PM, said:

There hasn't been a year without war for hundreds of years so that's not a very meaningful statement. There's currently dozens of wars happening all the time, most of them just don't interest us much.

Agreed there, and what gets me the most is some religions only make note of these things WHEN an eclipse or something happens and consider that solid evidence that the old mythology is true. Hell, their faiths writers may even document this as a holistic event for the folks in the next couple hundred years to read and have introduced to their system of belief with some tweaky philosophys or personal experiences in to go with it.

Same goes for birth defects. People can be born with birth defects during ANY day of the year and there will be times outside of any celestial events that raise its numbers. But of course everyone born on the day of an eclipse with a tweaked eye or extra toe will have it all blamed on the eclipse and ancient gods. Same goes for the "crazies". Weve got two generally harmless nutjobs who wander around here frequently, lots of people around here act crazy on a daily basis and its generally something people just walk right by and dont take into account. But OOHHHH an eclipse! Then everyone else notices these things.

[Innanna]

shadowsbane, on Jul 20 2009, 10:30 PM, said:

Agreed there, and what gets me the most is some religions only make note of these things WHEN an eclipse or something happens and consider that solid evidence that the old mythology is true. Hell, their faiths writers may even document this as a holistic event for the folks in the next couple hundred years to read and have introduced to their system of belief with some tweaky philosophys or personal experiences in to go with it.

Same goes for birth defects. People can be born with birth defects during ANY day of the year and there will be times outside of any celestial events that raise its numbers. But of course everyone born on the day of an eclipse with a tweaked eye or extra toe will have it all blamed on the eclipse and ancient gods. Same goes for the "crazies". Weve got two generally harmless nutjobs who wander around here frequently, lots of people around here act crazy on a daily basis and its generally something people just walk right by and dont take into account. But OOHHHH an eclipse! Then everyone else notices these things.

You say the sweetest things. :blush:

Religion is fine but like everything else, must be taken in moderation.

This post has been edited by Innanna: 20 July 2009 - 09:52 PM

[shadowsbane]

Ouch, sorry. :S (btw im one of the guys born with a tweaked eye and one of our friends has six fingers.) These are the street preachers Im talking about Innanna. The ones who rant and rave about apocalypses and get into heated debates about politics and redemption..

..with just themselves, when nobody is around. Maybe one or two passer bys who just shake their head, but thats it. The whole standing standing on chairs, waving and screaming it at the top of their lungs deal. But thats about the extent of their actions.

[WilV]

FYI the christians in india are a persecuted minority and they would be shot, burned, hacked to pieces or in some way killed if they stood in public preaching anything. They are also unlikely to whip the masses into a hysteria citing i pantheon of gods they don't believe in.

[Daredevil]

Innanna, on Jul 20 2009, 06:21 PM, said:

*BTW, Daredevil, it's the Hindus that are in a tizzy over it.

If you want to blame Welsh about it, go ahead, but I'm sticking with the Christians.

[Innanna]

shadowsbane, on Jul 20 2009, 11:00 PM, said:

Ouch, sorry. :S (btw im one of the guys born with a tweaked eye and one of our friends has six fingers.) These are the street preachers Im talking about Innanna. The ones who rant and rave about apocalypses and get into heated debates about politics and redemption..

..with just themselves, when nobody is around. Maybe one or two passer bys who just shake their head, but thats it. The whole standing standing on chairs, waving and screaming it at the top of their lungs deal. But thats about the extent of their actions.

I wasn't upset.

WilV, in what part of India are Christians treated this way? I never saw anything like that. Reg and his entire family and relation are Christian and there has never been a problem with it.

[WilV]

in every part of india. In the last 5 years over 200 churches have been fire bombed or shot up and over 4000 christians killed by militant hindu extremists. While it is less common in major cities and almost non existant against westerners india is one of the most dangerous countries in the world to be a convert.

[Innanna]

Don't worry, hun, the murder victim of choice for Hindus is Muslims and vice versa. They really, really hate each other.
I wonder if the eclipse will give the Hindu militants more excuses to kill Christians and Muslims who, in turn, will kill Hindus. What a clusterfuck.