The Fatima Sun miracle.

[Andy Bowden]

Are there any scientific theories or explanations as to what happened during the so-called "sun miracle", predicted by the Children at Fatima?

The Sun is reported by witnesses - some of them athiest - to have changed colours and "dance" in the sky.

[Jadan ja]

Never heard anything about that. Where did it happen? Can you post any link?

Explanations: maybe collective hypnosis???

[redstar2000]

I have no idea of the claims made about the "sun miracle".

The sun's appearance from the earth's surface occasionally "looks unusual" due to atmospheric conditions.

Depending on when this "miracle" took place, it ought to be possible to locate observations by professional astronomers to verify what actually happened.

If no reputable confirmation can be secured, then the most plausible explanation is that it was a hoax.

That's what "miracles" usually turn out to be upon investigation. :lol:

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[Andy Bowden]

Here are further details on the Fatima events - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_Miracle_of_Fatima

[redstar2000]

Originally posted by Wikipedia
No scientific accounts exist of any unusual solar or astronomic activity during the time the sun was reported to have "danced".

So that's it...no "miracle".

As I noted, the appearance of the sun from the earth's surface can sometimes be "unusual" due to atmospheric conditions...especially to people who are not used to carefully observing astronomical phenomena.

Many a "UFO" has turned out to be the planet Venus. :lol:

As to why some large crowd of people claimed they "saw things", well there is the known phenomenon of "crowd hysteria"...something not unexpected among the superstitious. The claim that there were "atheists" in the crowd sounds suspect to me...why would atheists even be at such a location?

And of course one could question this "miracle" in theological terms...for idle amusement, of course. :)

What "divine" purpose was served?

It didn't "end" World War I. It didn't restore the Czar to his lost throne or stop the forthcoming Bolshevik coup. It didn't save the Catholic Hapsburg dynasty or the empire it reigned over...nor did it restore the "papal states" to the embittered Vatican. It didn't reverse the Mexican revolution or stop the erosion of Catholicism in France.

"God's" version of Son et Lumiere? :lol:

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[Elect Marx]

The problem with most miracles is the inherent absurdity in interpretation.
If a statue really cries blood, does that mean we should worship the Abrahamic god or that Zeus is angry with the Catholic religion? If a god can do anything or even just tasks beyond our power, why the parlor tricks? When the sun spells out The Christian God Exists, I will have to examine that, but until then, half-assed miracles just aren't going to do it.

[chaval]

in quick summary of the miracle:
the virgin mary appears to three poor children in Fatima, Portugal 1917. She reveals 3 predictions of the future: the end of world war 1 the following year, the second world war and the third one which was never fully revealed though it is said to be about the fact that in the future the church will be run by evil men (i guess this is the part where everyone says "but its always been evil men!"). umm ya and then mary told the kids to take peeople to this one spot in fatima to watch a miracle. so i think 7000 people went with the children. it was pouring rain and suddenly it stopped raining and everyone say the sun "dance" and it got really large and people thought that the sun was going to fall on the earth but then it returned back to its proper place, then they were all miraculously dry as a bone. that about sums it i think.