Virgin Mary Blows into Windy City

Do you wonder why people think Christians are a slow, superstitious bunch? Perhaps because of things like this. A salt stain appears and people start seeing Mary and the old pope in it.

So why is it that when anything like this occurs, Catholics always see "The Virgin Mary". Why don't they ever see Britney Spears or Cher? Why in, er... I guess it would be in Mary's name would an alleged holy event manifest itself as a salt stain on a highway overpass?

"We believe it's a miracle," said Elbia Tello, 42. "We have faith, and we can see her face."

Does this "miracle" truly test the faithful? Nah, ain't buyin' it.

First the Bible makes it clear that only Jesus is the way. Worshipping Mary is forbidden so anything promoting Mary as co-redeemer or as answerer of prayers must, logically, not be of God. Salt stain miracles shaped like the Madonna fall nicely into that same category.

Secondly, why do they keep referring to her as "The Virgin Mary?" The virgin birth of Christ is a Biblical doctrine. However after the Saviour (note use of correct seven letter spelling) was born, Mary and Joseph, "got busy". Mary gave birth to several children after Jesus. Half-brothers James and Jude and many sisters were mentioned in the Gospels. Children are a blessing upon a marriage and you don't think God would have further blessed Mary and Joseph after they were part of fulfilling messianic prophesies?

I think this fuss over a salt stain really reflects badly on all Christians not just Catholics.

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago had not received any requests to authenticate the image, spokesman Jim Dwyer said.

"These things don't happen every day," Dwyer said. "Sometimes people ask us to look into it. Most of the time they don't. (The meaning) depends on the individual who sees it. To them, it's real. To them, it reaffirms their faith."

So there no official Catholic response on the phenomenon but what are they going to say. "Yep! That's her! Hail Mary!"

Besides I thought it was Lot's wife that was turned into a pillar of salt and it wasn't a good thing.