Help me solve this mystery
 

As many of you know, I'm not a fan of religion. A lot of you share my sentiments, though most aren't as ardently against it as I am. And while I pride myself on being an open minded, intelligent, and rational person, I acknowledge the fact that I am very much a product of my environment. My family is, and probably always will be, very religious. Not religious in the common sense though; they are fervent believers and practitioners. My brother and sister both attend a "school of supernatural ministry" in California, where they claim to witness miracles on a weekly basis. Their beliefs go way beyond what most Americans would consider mainstream. Naturally, I am opposed. I think they're delusional, and I blame my families beliefs on my mom's death.

Yes, I have a little baggage.

I've gone to great lengths to educate myself on religion, and specifically Christianity, since it's what most people practice in our country. I've taken a lot of philosophy classes dealing with science and religion. I've studied arguments for God's existence, like the teleological and ontological arguments. I've read Aquinas. I've also read works by Dawkins and Dennet, and other atheists that study biology and physics. I'm not an expert, but I'm informed on the positions both sides take, and through reason I've come to side with the atheists. I do believe that there's a possibility that God exists, but it's a very Einsteinian view - a pantheistic argument.

Now, the mystery I want you to help me solve isn't if God exists or not. Rather, there are some photographs my sister took. She claims they captured the holy spirit. I don't believe it for a second, but I don't understand enough about the way light works and bends to refute her.

The following pictures were taken during a worship session:

http://a833.ac-images.myspacecdn.com...f1e93121b0.jpg
http://a176.ac-images.myspacecdn.com...b49d08c39f.jpg

Obviously these little balls of concentrated light is the point of contention between us. Notice in this picture there are none:
http://a678.ac-images.myspacecdn.com...35ff9c0eed.jpg

She took the pictures with her own camera, and I know she didn't tamper with it in any way. Honestly, she's not smart enough to know how to create that kind of effect anyway. The funny thing is that I want to believe her. I want to believe there's something after this life. I want to believe my mom isn't completely gone. But I won't be seduced. I won't lie to myself.

All right, guys, help me out.

lol your sister is a fucking lunatic

If you mean because of the girl in the pictures then no - my sister isn't in any of the above photos.

If you mean because of her beliefs then yes, yes she is.

What are your thoughts on the strange balls of light though?

pretty sure thats dust or water molecules.

HAHA

Wikipedia on orb's..
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orb_(paranormal)

Pretty sure there are a few programs on it that tear it apart, using science and reason.
Paranormal assholes get off on this stuff.

A finger or camera strap coming into the frame even a tiny bit can have similar effects. Now if its balls your sister wants, she can have a worship session with mine.

Excellent, thank you HCW.

Although I'm still wondering how she could take one photo with these orbs, and then immediately take another photo without them.

I will have an expert photographers opinion by the end of the night.

Orb (photographic - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

dude, you've never taken a picture and had these things in them? i have like 3k pictures i've taken on my hd, i'll sift through and try to find them. It's really a pretty common "anomaly" of photography. Is your sister really claiming they are the holy spirit? If thats the case, ask her why they aren't in the last one. Lunch break?

the holy spirit is with you

You guys have no idea how fucking insane these people are. Here is a photo of them getting "drunk in the holy spirit". They literally roll around on the floor laughing, because they're overwhelmed by the presence of God.

http://a838.ac-images.myspacecdn.com...949c2e506d.jpg

And here is a video:

Had I gone continued on to 6th grade at the catholic school instead of choosing the public school, I believe the big "6th grade class trip" was to some camp grounds where apparently this sort of thing happens often. I remember it being called something else. I think it was Holy Laughter, but I'm not totally sure.

whose down for some e-terrorist activity?

You meant to say, who's, not whose.

I'll use them both in a sentence so you can understand:

Whose ball is it?

Who's down for some e-terrorist activity?

Do you see the difference? Honestly, Blonde, you're a college graduate.

oh. typo. my bad, grammar nazi.

blonde, your and idiot

ftr, this thread officially has the words "terrorism, nazi, insane, delusional, drunk, and lunatic".

Why hello there US government.

From my experience with catholicism, I would say Catholics aren't really into this kind of shit.

Yeah, they're more into lent, the stigmata, and exorcisms.

some of your sister's friends look like they need an exorcism

What may have caused these white spots?

Nov 26, 2008; 06:07 p.m.
I know very little about photography or film. A friend of mine claims they "have captured the holy spirit" in this picture at some kind of church party.
What can cause these fuzzy white spots in the following picture?
(link)


Answers

Tommy Lee http://static.photo.net/v3graphics/m...icons/sub5.gifhttp://static.photo.net/v3graphics/m...cons/1roll.gif, Nov 26, 2008; 06:18 p.m.
Small particulates (aka: dust, smoke) refecting light from the flash.


Geoff Sobering http://static.photo.net/v3graphics/m...ons/2rolls.gif, Nov 26, 2008; 06:34 p.m.
I get them all the time taking photos in a wood shop!






so are u satisfied with the answers youve seen in this thread?

We're not friends.

But yes, I am satisfied. Mystery solved. Thanks, gang!

really? http://www.nubblies.net/forums/images/icons/icon11.gif