'Dead boy has miraculous powers'
A SYDNEY couple believes their son - "hand-picked by God" - could be Australia's first male saint.
Mike Tannous died three years ago but a mysterious oil that weeps from the walls of his bedroom has been hailed by his parents, George and Lina, as having helped heal dozens of people,...
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"Mike is a messenger between us and God. He has healed so many people," Mrs Tannous said.
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"Our boy is a saint. This is him talking to us, talking to other people," [Mr Tannous] said.
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Meanwhile, Mother MacKillop is being credited with playing a part in the successful separation of conjoined Bangladeshi twins Trishna and Krishna [...].
The girls' carer Moira Kelly said she believed her prayers to Mother MacKillop helped with the surgery.
"Mary MacKillop has certainly, I believe, played a big role in this," Ms Kelly said.
Seriously, Catholics. God must have his head in his hands, muttering "how did they possibly interpret things this way?!?"
I have never understood the Catholic mindset about saints, about praying to dead humans as if they were in fact God.
This boy is dead, and his parents should have let him go long ago. Mary MacKillop is long dead, and how she can possibly be credited with helping out in a highly technical, excruciatingly difficult, modern surgery... well, it just baffles me. If you want to put healing, or success in the face of incredible odds, down to a miracle, then at least MENTION God.
And - loudly and blatantly - give credit to the surgeons, even if you ascribe their talent to God: if I'd spent 20 years honing my skills, I think I'd be justifiably peeved if you suggested the only reason I hadn't killed my patients was because of a dead lady.
Be you Catholic (="High Anglican"-Mary), Anglican, Methodist, 1st Avenue Church of Christ The Blessed Redeemer, Amish, Pentecostal or Southern Independent Baptist, the same principle applies: either God performed a miracle, or no miracle occurred. God does not communicate via knocks on the table, ouija boards, tarot cards or oil seeping out of people's walls. Or, for Heaven's sake, on bloody TOAST.
Just... stop it. Stop confusing the secular world into thinking we're all spiritualist nutters. Stop praying to people who were no more or less divine than you or I. Stop letting the Catholic church place its 8 layers of access between you and God.
If I may quote Martin Luther himself:
Article XXI
Of the Worship of the Saints
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[cf. Confutatio Pontificia]
Of the Worship of Saints they teach that the memory of saints may be set before us, that we may follow their faith and good works, according to our calling, as the Emperor may follow the example of David in making war to drive away the Turk from his country; For both are kings. But the Scripture teaches not the invocation of saints or to ask help of saints, since it sets before us the one Christ as the Mediator, Propitiation, High Priest, and Intercessor. He is to be prayed to, and has promised that He will hear our prayer; and this worship He approves above all, to wit, that in all afflictions He be called upon, 1 John 2, 1: If any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, etc.
Rant over. Carry on.
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