This just in from Fox News (where else?) We may have another virgin Mary on our hands, though mom hasn’t gone so far as to admit to that. A woman in Ohio undertook to have an ultrasound image of her recently conceived baby, and instead of seeing the usual gray and white, ghostly image of a fetus, she found a picture of Jesus, apparently on the cross. At least, that’s what it looks like to me. I certainly don’t see a baby there, but I always have to be shown the fetus when I look at these ultrasounds. But that’s just me. I’ll bet her doctor can see the little thing.
Monet Sledge showed the image to her sister (Sister Sledge?) who readily concurred.
It’s amazing what the human brain will do, isn’t it?
The baby girls legs are completely extended and straight in the photo, which resembles Jesus’ arms stretched out on the cross.
Her developing knees look like Jesus’ head with a crown of thorns.
Sledge said she also found it weird that when you turn the picture sideways, “her legs are perfectly crossed at the ankles, like Jesus’ legs would be nailed on the cross.”
This is called Pareidolia which I discussed a bit in a previous post.
As long as we recognize that this is one of those little tricks the human mind plays on us (like déjà vu, for instance) then it’s actually fun to imagine the types of images that really don’t exist in the world. How many of us have not, at some time, lain on the ground on a warm summer day, and looked for images and familiar shapes in the clouds?
In all fairness, I would suspect that most people, even those of the Christian faith, don’t take it as seriously as Fox News did, reporting it as serious news. There are some among the devout who will, but on the whole most people will think it’s a visual phenomena that people who want to believe will see, but others will just chalk up to the vagaries of ultrasound visual reproduction.
Of course, it’s only inevitable that the inevitable will happen:
Some people are encouraging the mom to sell the image on eBay, but she has not decided wether (sic) or not the image is for sale just yet.
So, let’s take a poll. What do you see there?
del.icio.us 
reddit 
I’ll take a stab in the dark here: I see two leg bones joined by a knee cap.
Oh, how far Jesus has fallen! He who once raised the dead and cured the lame, fed multitudes and changed water to wine has been reduced to making infrequent, ghostly appearances in murky photos. Pathetic. Absolutely pathetic.
I see a little girl who will be raised by narrow-minded right-wing Christian zealots who wouldn’t know critical thinking if it bit them in the ass. I see a little girl who will be raised in an environment of guilt, homophobia, and religious intollerance.
Chappie: I agree. From creating the universe, to parting the Red Sea, to turning water into wine, to toast, stucco walls, the surface of Mars and, now, a sonogram.
(sorry for the lack of parentheses. Its been a long week)
I did not see Jesus until you mentioned it.
If you look close enough, you see no musculature. He looks clothed. I wonder if those who claim it is Jesus will also be quick to advertise that he came back as a cross dresser with flabby, deformed arms. Observe his strapless dress, wrapping tightly around his frame and most importantly, over his breasts. Take notice also of the lack of a bulge where his crotch is supposed to be, suggesting he is either wearing tight underwear that does a wonderful job of wrapping his penis behind him or that . . . Jesus came back as a woman!
It may inadvertently further the feminist movement if hordes of religious fanatics start claiming Jesus decided to be modern and progressive by returning as a woman. On the other hand, it may have the opposite effect in patriarchal fanatics who would then insist that since Jesus has breasts, he/she is clearly the Anti-Christ.
Humans can be so silly.
Isn’t there some sort of Christian prohibition against idol worship? I seem to remember God getting really pissed about that…
I see Ozzy. Clearly her child has a future in Metal. Righteous!
I think it looks like Aimee Semple McPherson after she has preached a particularly exhausting sermon. Arms spread out, head bowing to the audience.
ex: Nah, McPherson was bigger. And had red hair. At least thats what the song says.