This story has livened up my morning!

Youtube video (part 2):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NpwCuv_izn4&feature=related

Times Story: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article7067989.ece

Mr Edamaruku had been invited to the same talk show as head of the Indian Rationalists’ Association — the country’s self-appointed sceptic-in-chief. At first the holy man, Pandit Surender Sharma, was reluctant, but eventually he agreed to perform a series of rituals designed to kill Mr Edamaruku live on television. Millions tuned in as the channel cancelled scheduled programming to continue broadcasting the showdown, which can still be viewed on YouTube.

First, the master chanted mantras, then he sprinkled water on his intended victim. He brandished a knife, ruffled the sceptic’s hair and pressed his temples. But after several hours of similar antics, Mr Edamaruku was still very much alive — smiling for the cameras and taunting the furious holy man.

“He was over, finished, completely destroyed!” Mr Edamaruku chuckles triumphantly as he concludes the tale in the Rationalist Centre, his second-floor office in the town of Noida, just outside Delhi.

Wonders shai neffa end!

Even now I still have tears in my eyes from laughing so much!

Interestingly, an effective debunker of "faith healers" is a Christian who is himself a very much respected magician who is credited with devising some illusions used by people like David Copperfield.

His stage name is Andre Kole; see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andr%C3%A9_Kole

Watch him "walk on water:  http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=andre+kole&aq=f



Edited

This Andre Kole (Robert Gurtler Jr) guy sounds like a lot of fun!

From wikipedia:

He also uses his magical knowledge and skills to debunk frauds and hoaxes. He was reported in 2003 as offering US$1million to the Rev. Dr. Donald Stewart if Stewart could prove a statement made in the Jamaican newspaper the Jamaica Gleaner that Satan gives supernatural powers.

LMAO. The guys should come to Nigeria, there are people claiming to be Claire Bennett and other superhumans in the Heroes TV series.

The holy man then said he needed to conduct a ritual that could only be done at night, outdoors, and after he had slept with a woman, drunk alcohol and rubbed himself in ash

n i remember back in superstitous naija, to boost credibility, medicine men usually boast of acquiring their powers from india. we need people like these to come n debunk all the charlatans parading themselves in naija, to the supertitous, gullible n deluded, as people wit so-called divine powers

This is very funny.

Mudley313:

n i remember back in superstitous naija, to boost credibility, medicine men usually boast of acquiring their powers from india. we need people like these to come n debunk all the charlatans parading themselves in naija, to the supertitous, gullible n deluded, as people wit so-called divine powers

Yeah. I recall Anini of the Anini Fame was said to have acquired his power from India to turn into a house fly and fly away anytime there were policemen trying to catch him.

Yeah. I recall Anini of the Anini Fame was said to have acquired his power from India to turn into a house fly and fly away anytime there were policemen trying to catch him.

where u living in bendel-state then? cos the rumor then was dat anini's mother was a native doctor to provided him with the supenatural powers to dissapear, n thus, a mob went on to her village to have her lynched.

i remember there being actual eyewitnesses of people who saw anini disapearing n all dat nonsense but when reality set in, n he got cornered everyone realized he was as human as everyone else

;d ;d ;d

Most of all this magic stuff has two components:

1. RUMOURs, FEAR and the PLACEBO effect
2. Illusions, tricks, sleight-of-hand and theatrical gymnastics

And that is one point where it is very clear that Jesus' miracles and supernatural interactions were real. To achieve all those effects using spurious forms of magic, he would have required tonnes of equipment and other stuff to carry out his magic. But rather, unprepared and moving from place to place (without trailers carrying magical equipment), He did wonders.

It is only a person that is ignorant of how magic works that will think that Jesus' miracles were tricks, because magicians are just like you and me. In every era, they just have some tricks up their sleeves: e.g. in the medieval ages some "magicians" actually knew advanced science, with which they cheated the masses in the name of magic, and passed the secrets to their own children.

InesQor:

Most of all this magic stuff has two components:

1. RUMOURs, FEAR and the PLACEBO effect
2. Illusions, tricks, sleight-of-hand and theatrical gymnastics

And that is one point where it is very clear that Jesus' miracles and supernatural interactions were real. To achieve all those effects using spurious forms of magic, he would have required tonnes of equipment and other stuff to carry out his magic. But rather, unprepared and moving from place to place (without trailers carrying magical equipment), He did wonders.

It is only a person that is ignorant of how magic works that will think that Jesus' miracles were tricks, because magicians are just like you and me. In every era, they just have some tricks up their sleeves: e.g. in the medieval ages some "magicians" actually knew advanced science, with which they cheated the masses in the name of magic, and passed the secrets to their own children.

Your evidence to show that the alleged miracles of Jesus are real is stories written by unknown men in a book that is about 2000 years old and your belief in those stories no?. . . . . . . . . .I wan laugh die. . .

mazaje:

Your evidence to show that the alleged miracles of Jesus are real is stories written by unknown men in a book that is about 2000 years old and your belief in those stories no?. . . . . . . . . .I wan laugh die. . .

You should try to reason along contextually. I am not talking about WHETHER the miracles occurred or not, I'm referring to those who believe(d) that the miracles occurred, but that Jesus was only a worker of magic, IN LINE with this thread.

To discuss the matter you are raising, is an entirely different topic.

“He was over, finished, completely destroyed!” Mr Edamaruku chuckles triumphantly as he concludes the tale in the Rationalist Centre, his second-floor office in the town of Noida, just outside Delhi.

lol get him

InesQor:

You should try to reason along contextually. I am not talking about WHETHER the miracles occurred or not, I'm referring to those who believe(d) that the miracles occurred, but that Jesus was only a worker of magic, IN LINE with this thread.

To discuss the matter you are raising, is an entirely different topic.

I'm sorry, but could the said miracles of Jesus not fall under the "RUMOURs, FEAR and the PLACEBO effect" category as you so authoritatively put it above? Emphasis on RUMOURs and PLACEBO effect.

If you were somehow trying to prove d legitimacy, might and power of Jesus then you just shot yourself in the foot.

This is the problem with people who try so hard to rationalize and 'prove' our faith. Faith/religion has nothing to do with reason. Pls lets keep them apart.

what has this got to do with our in house Superman Pastor JOE

TCD:

I'm sorry, but could the said miracles of Jesus not fall under the "RUMOURs, FEAR and the PLACEBO effect" category as you so authoritatively put it above? Emphasis on RUMOURs and PLACEBO effect.

If you were somehow trying to prove d legitimacy, might and power of Jesus then you just shot yourself in the foot.

No,  it is I who am sorry, because your statement above does not make sense in line of this thread's discussion. 

I am not attempting to prove the legitimacy, might and power of Jesus by my statement; 

rather I was illustrating that in order to foster

1. RUMOURS, FEAR and the PLACEBO effect

and call it magic, you need

2. Illusions, tricks, sleight-of-hand and theatrical gymnastics

THUS, since Jesus did not use (2) above, it is evident that he was not achieving or attempting to achieve (1) above.

In line with this discussion, the "holy man" assumed that the rumour of his power will instill fear in the skeptic and when that did not work, he made some spurious moves to drive the fear or allow for a possible placebo effect. It was all theatrical gymnastics at the end of the day, and that's what I am trying to say here, differing from the miracles of Jesus that needed no rumours or fear to work (e.g. when he walked on water, he had started even before the disciples saw him) and he thus, and similarly needed no complex equipment to achieve any sleight of hand or illusion.

TCD:

This is the problem with people who try so hard to rationalize and 'prove' our faith. Faith/religion has nothing to do with reason. Pls lets keep them apart.

And this is the problem with people that jump to conclusions, even if the conclusions are right, their process of logical deduction is still wrong. I believe faith has a whole whopping lot to do with reason, and I am one of those who do not keep them apart. I do not intend to derail this thread but i will gladly pursue the discussion with you on another thread. Ciao. 

Bump