You really want to read the entire posting by Damn Swede. (Yes, of course, we are talking here about pareidolia):
For those unfamiliar, the long story is here. For those who want the gist, a salt stain appeared under the Fullerton Avenue underpass in the shape of the Virgin Mary. This caused quite a stir, hundreds of people gathered 24 hours a day for weeks straight when it first appeared, and even now, five years later, the site is still maintained. Fresh and fake flowers, candles and the like are constantly replenished. . . . As a Protestant, I was obsessed with PROOF. Substantative, real, evidence that proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that my beliefs were valid. This involved a lot of science and historical data and, armed with this information, I got into more than one arguement about the topic. It was stressful.
. . . One day I was listening to Dr. Clark Carleton’s podcast on Ancient Faith Radio. He was talking about the debate about whether or not the Shroud of Turin was, in fact, the image of Christ. He explained the history behind the controversey, which includes radiocarbon dating and passionate disagreements from both sides. In the end, he explained that the Orthodox view is – quite simply – that it doesn’t matter either way. Instead, we can see evidence of Christ in it and that’s enough.
Yes, I agree.
Let me tell you, it is very freeing to be relieved of the burden of proof. I heard Fr. Joseph Honeycutt speak yesterday and he said something that struck me. “It’s not that you have all the answers, once you convert to Orthodoxy,” he said, “It’s just that you have different questions.”
So, is the Virgin of Fullerton Avenue 100%-beyond-a-shadow-of-a-doubt really a sign from above?
Read the full posting Damn Swede » Reverence