Post by Amaris on Jun 23, 2007 2:01:38 GMT
SOUTH AFRICA BACK IN THE WOO-WOO NEWS
Readers Owen Swart and Ruaan Kellerman brought this to our attention.
A teenager, Francesca Zackey, has been featured on their local news. She is a 17-year-old girl who lives in Benoni, South Africa, and claims to have had Virgin Mary visions, a perennial favourite of teens who want attention, and unfortunately very easily accepted by the hungry public. Hundreds of faithful Christians have been visiting her house hoping to receive blessings, etc. But the story has now developed further, tragically so. A 37-year-old woman named Amal Nassif has, on the advice of Zackey, blinded herself. Zackey told her that she, too, could witness the Virgin Mary just by staring directly into the sun.
Now she’s complaining that at least four other people also damaged their eyes after being told "the lady" would make the sun spin, and thus confirm her presence to the believers. Nassif went to a renowned eye doctor, who was horrified at what he saw. “This is an absolute disaster and a tragedy," he said. "I am shattered. Apparently this has happened to other people, and must be exposed." He said that the sun's rays had burnt Nassif's eyes in the same way they burn a piece of paper when focused through a magnifying glass. Her central vision, which allows a person to focus in on certain items, is "severely damaged" in both eyes. Then he piously added:
Let's hope that God is kind to her and she recovers.
Wait a minute, doctor. Instead of invoking the same brand of claptrap that got this woman into her plight, the same sort of misguided faith that some deity would appear to her, why not stick with your expertise, and invoke medical science? Get real!
The deluded teenager Zackey says that Nassif's problem is not her fault, and that she is praying for the deluded woman. Now she claims that the sun is still spinning each day, but should only have been looked at during sunset. Brilliant. I guess you forgot to provide that divine revelation? In any case, such a stupid act can bring about that sort of damage at any hour of the day.
Well, thousands have continued to flock to Zackey – who’s obviously enjoying her stardom, since the first “sighting” in May – and they are still being encouraged to seek the lady inside the sun.
When will South Africa finally decide to join the rest of the rational world…?
Readers Owen Swart and Ruaan Kellerman brought this to our attention.
A teenager, Francesca Zackey, has been featured on their local news. She is a 17-year-old girl who lives in Benoni, South Africa, and claims to have had Virgin Mary visions, a perennial favourite of teens who want attention, and unfortunately very easily accepted by the hungry public. Hundreds of faithful Christians have been visiting her house hoping to receive blessings, etc. But the story has now developed further, tragically so. A 37-year-old woman named Amal Nassif has, on the advice of Zackey, blinded herself. Zackey told her that she, too, could witness the Virgin Mary just by staring directly into the sun.
Now she’s complaining that at least four other people also damaged their eyes after being told "the lady" would make the sun spin, and thus confirm her presence to the believers. Nassif went to a renowned eye doctor, who was horrified at what he saw. “This is an absolute disaster and a tragedy," he said. "I am shattered. Apparently this has happened to other people, and must be exposed." He said that the sun's rays had burnt Nassif's eyes in the same way they burn a piece of paper when focused through a magnifying glass. Her central vision, which allows a person to focus in on certain items, is "severely damaged" in both eyes. Then he piously added:
Let's hope that God is kind to her and she recovers.
Wait a minute, doctor. Instead of invoking the same brand of claptrap that got this woman into her plight, the same sort of misguided faith that some deity would appear to her, why not stick with your expertise, and invoke medical science? Get real!
The deluded teenager Zackey says that Nassif's problem is not her fault, and that she is praying for the deluded woman. Now she claims that the sun is still spinning each day, but should only have been looked at during sunset. Brilliant. I guess you forgot to provide that divine revelation? In any case, such a stupid act can bring about that sort of damage at any hour of the day.
Well, thousands have continued to flock to Zackey – who’s obviously enjoying her stardom, since the first “sighting” in May – and they are still being encouraged to seek the lady inside the sun.
When will South Africa finally decide to join the rest of the rational world…?
