People Who Reported Seeing Nothing at Fatima in 1917

[HelenRose]

Where did I ever say they were worthless? Or that the Church considers them worthless? Those are just strawmen.

I could go through what I did before, bolding the objective statements and leaving the subjective ones as they are. I think it’s obvious. And it’s very incorrect of you to say it’s “wrong” to ignore these private devotions.

Sometimes when I read these “discussions” about Mary. I remember what it was like when my children would argue and argue and argue.

I often wonder what our Blessed Mother is thinking and feeling when she tunes into this kind of argument over her. I wonder if she throws her hands up in the air in dismay or just laughs at our foolishness.

Why argue with someone who doesn’t believe? Why argue with someone who does believe?

I believe that as Catholics we need to be prepared to answer questions as to why we believe what we believe. If someone choses not to agree well… that is their choice.

To bicker over our Blessed Mother does her a great disservice.

 

[Memaw]

Where did I ever say they were worthless? Or that the Church considers them worthless? Those are just strawmen.

I could go through what I did before, bolding the objective statements and leaving the subjective ones as they are. I think it’s obvious. And it’s very incorrect of you to say it’s “wrong” to ignore these private devotions.

I never said YOU said that. For Pete’s sake calm down. Why do we have to JUMP on every word someone says. I have a right to express myself too!! I think it’s “wrong” anytime we ignore God! God Bless, Memaw

 

[StudentMI]

I never said YOU said that. For Pete’s sake calm down. Why do we have to JUMP on every word someone says. I have a right to express myself too!! I think it’s “wrong” anytime we ignore God! God Bless, Memaw

I’m sorry I assumed that. I wasn’t upset, but thanks for the clarification. That’s the bad part about communicating online. It’s not instantaneous. If we were speaking in person and you said that about the Church not saying they’re worthless and I immediately said ‘I didn’t say that,’ you would clarify it right then and there. Strange that in our culture of instant gratification we’re left with a very delayed way of communicating!

Oh well. God bless you too.

 

[Memaw]

I’m sorry I assumed that. I wasn’t upset, but thanks for the clarification. That’s the bad part about communicating online. It’s not instantaneous. If we were speaking in person and you said that about the Church not saying they’re worthless and I immediately said ‘I didn’t say that,’ you would clarify it right then and there. Strange that in our culture of instant gratification we’re left with a very delayed way of communicating!

Oh well. God bless you too.

Thanks, seems to me that so many think because the Church doesn’t say we HAVE to believe in Fatima then it’s OK to ignore it. But just look how much the Church has had to say about Fatima in the years since it occurred. And how the Popes have promoted it. More than any other approved apparition. Our Lady would never have been there if God hadn’t sent Her!! God Bless, Memaw

 

[Perplexity]

People can group hallucinate? That’s something I’ve never heard before. Kind of like The Emperor’s New Clothes type thing? I thought they (in that story) were merely pretending, therefore, none would actually be able to agree on what they saw if interrogated privately. Exactly how to groups of people hallucinate the same exact thing together?

I don’t think the actual sun danced.

Ha! Evidence… oh geez, no. No evidence of anything of faith. Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see."… There can be spiritual evidence though- a transformation of the heart and soul, and yes, THAT can be seen, but physical evidence? … would be like looking to see if the ghost of the house used the toilet and forgot to flush. (useless pointless stupid endeavor)

Mhm, mass hallucinations are possible. It’s the least likely natural explanation, but possible. A much, much more likely natural explanation would be the emperor’s new clothes phenomenon you mentioned. But, yeah, when folks use the testimony of the news papers as evidence for the Fatima miracle they’re they’re missing the point: personal transformation. There’s hardly a more effective argument for one’s religious perspective than the promise of personal transformation.

 

[Weareyoung]

Although many of the responses to this thread have been good so far, I would like someone more knowledgeable than me to help me find accurate numbers (or a good idea) of the number of people who saw nothing relative to the entire crowd or whether this question is too much to ask because no one has an accurate answer.

Can we truly say that most people (or the vast majority) present saw the miracle? I was having a conversation with an atheist who said out of every skeptic there, only one out of ten claimed to see the miracle and of course he gave no source.

 

[petra22]

I don’t have a problem with believing what took place at Fatima…I must admit I’m curious why our Blessed Mother would appear to children with such urgent messages…wouldn’t it be more believable if she had appeared to a Holy person like a priest…a nun…even the Pope himself…like I said…I don’t doubt Fatima…just wondering why children…same at Lourdes…Garabandal…Medjugorje…but I guess our Blessed Mother knows why…

It was the simple faith of simple children that convinced me that all the lessons I had in Catholic school were true. The Blessed Mother is real. Jesus, her son, is real. He is really God, the second person of the blessed Trinity… It all began to fit together and all on the simple faith of simple children who were threatened with being burned in oil if they did not deny the appearance of the Blessed Mother… What role models those little children were and are…

 

[petra22]

Sometimes when I read these “discussions” about Mary. I remember what it was like when my children would argue and argue and argue.

I often wonder what our Blessed Mother is thinking and feeling when she tunes into this kind of argument over her. I wonder if she throws her hands up in the air in dismay or just laughs at our foolishness.

Why argue with someone who doesn’t believe? Why argue with someone who does believe?

I believe that as Catholics we need to be prepared to answer questions as to why we believe what we believe. If someone choses not to agree well… that is their choice.

To bicker over our Blessed Mother does her a great disservice.

This really makes so much sense! :yup: