Just Sarin

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Tino de Sa
Date: Mon, Sep 15, 2008 at 7:09 PM
Subject: The Great Tantra Challenge by a Rationalist

In times when superstition holds so much fascination for so many of
us, here is a sobering story about the triumph of rationalism.
Let us not dismiss this by saying that "we" don't believe in black
magic. We don't. But can we really say that we are free of all
superstition? Superstition is sinful because it ascribes powers to
things that rightfully belong to God alone.
Jesus set us free from the yoke of superstition - astrology,
palmistry, vastu, feng shui, 'lucky' colours and numbers - all these
are nothing but yokes that weigh us down. Have the courage to shake
free from it all, and trust in God alone!
Cheers1
Tino

Subject: The power of black magic (Wake up people its time)

The Great Tantra Challenge

On 3 March 2008, in a popular TV show, Sanal Edamaruku, the president
of Rationalist International, challenged India 's most "powerful"
tantrik (black magician) to demonstrate his powers on him. That was
the beginning of an unprecedented experiment. After all his chanting
of mantra (magic words) and ceremonies of tantra failed, the tantrik
decided to kill Sanal Edamaruku with the "ultimate destruction
ceremony" on live TV. Sanal Edamaruku agreed and sat in the altar of
the black magic ritual. India TV observed skyrocketing viewership
rates.
Everything started, when Uma Bharati (former chief minister of the
state of Madhya Pradesh) accused her political opponents in a public
statement of using tantrik powers to inflict damage upon her. In fact,
within a few days, the unlucky lady had lost her favorite uncle, hit
the door of her car against her head and found her legs covered with
wounds and blisters.
India TV, one of India 's major Hindi channels with national outreach,
invited Sanal Edamaruku for a discussion on "Tantrik power versus
Science". Pandit Surinder Sharma, who claims to be the tantrik of top
politicians and is well known from his TV shows, represented the other
side. During the discussion, the tantrik showed a small human shape of
wheat flour dough, laid a thread around it like a noose and tightened
it. He claimed that he was able to kill any person he wanted within
three minutes by using black magic. Sanal challenged him to try and
kill him.
The tantrik tried. He chanted his mantras (magic words): " Om
lingalingalinalinga, kilikili…." But his efforts did not show any
impact on Sanal – not after three minutes, and not after five. The
time was extended and extended again. The original discussion program
should have ended here, but the "breaking news" of the ongoing great
tantra challenge was overrunning all program schedules.

Now the tantrik changed his technique. He started sprinkling water on
Sanal and brandishing a knife in front of him. Sometimes he moved the
blade all over his body. Sanal did not flinch. Then he touched Sanal's
head with his hand, rubbing and rumpling up his hair, pressing his
forehead, laying his hand over his eyes, pressing his fingers against
his temples. When he pressed harder and harder, Sanal reminded him
that he was supposed to use black magic only, not forceful attacks to
bring him down. The tantrik took a new run: water, knife, fingers,
mantras. But Sanal kept looking very healthy and even amused.
After nearly two hours, the anchor declared the tantrik's failure. The
tantrik, unwilling to admit defeat, tried the excuse that a very
strong god whom Sanal might be worshipping obviously protected him.
"No, I am an atheist," said Sanal Edamaruku. Finally, the disgraced
tantrik tried to save his face by claiming that there was a
never-failing special black magic for ultimate destruction, which
could, however, only been done at night. Bad luck again, he did not
get away with this, but was challenged to prove his claim this very
night in another "breaking news" live program.

During the next three hours, India TV ran announcements for The Great
Tantra Challenge that called several hundred million people to their
TV sets.
The encounter took place under the open night sky. The tantrik and his
two assistants were kindling a fire and staring into the flames. Sanal
was in good humour. Once the ultimate magic was invoked, there
wouldn't be any way back, the tantrik warned. Within two minutes,
Sanal would get crazy, and one minute later he would scream in pain
and die. Didn't he want to save his life before it was too late? Sanal
laughed, and the countdown begun. The tantriks chanted their " Om
lingalingalingalinga, kilikilikili…." followed by ever changing
cascades of strange words and sounds. The speed increased
hysterically. They threw all kinds of magic ingredients into the
flames that produced changing colours, crackling and fizzling sounds
and white smoke. While chanting, the tantrik came close to Sanal,
moved his hands in front of him and touched him, but was called back
by the anchor. After the earlier covert attempts of the tantrik to use
force against Sanal, he was warned to keep distance and avoid touching
Sanal. But the tantrik "forgot" this rule again and again.
Now the tantrik wrote Sanal's name on a sheet of paper, tore it into
small pieces, dipped them into a pot with boiling butter oil and threw
them dramatically into the flames. Nothing happened. Singing and
singing, he sprinkled water on Sanal, mopped a bunch of peacock
feathers over his head, threw mustard seed into the fire and other
outlandish things more. Sanal smiled, nothing happened, and time was
running out. Only seven more minutes before midnight, the tantrik
decided to use his ultimate weapon: the clod of wheat flour dough. He
kneaded it and powdered it with mysterious ingredients, then asked
Sanal to touch it. Sanal did so, and the grand magic finale begun. The
tantrik pierced blunt nails on the dough, then cut it wildly with a
knife and threw them into the fire. That moment, Sanal should have
broken down. But he did not. He laughed. Forty more seconds, counted
the anchor, twenty, ten, five… it's over!

Millions of people must have uttered a sigh of relief in front their
TVs. Sanal was very much alive. Tantra power had miserably failed.
Tantriks are creating such a scaring atmosphere that even people, who
know that black magic has no base, can just break down out of fear,
commented a scientist during the program. It needs enormous courage
and confidence to challenge them by actually putting one's life at
risk, he said. By doing so, Sanal Edamaruku has broken the spell, and
has taken away much of the fear of those who witnessed his triumph.
In this night, one of the most dangerous and wide spread superstitions
in India suffered a severe blow.
The whole program is video-recorded and is available. If you want a
copy, please contact: info_desk@rationalistinternational.net

http://www.rationalistinternational.net/article/2008/20080310/en_1.html