www.byzcath.org Forums General Discussions Town Hall Scandal on eBay (what's new?)

I heard on the radio yesterday that someone was selling on eBay a grilled cheese sandwich with an image of the Blessed Virgin on the toast. It's at something like a million dollars.

Today I heard that someone is selling a Blessed Virgin Mary toast-making kit, complete with toaster and holy water.

This is an outrage. I am going to investigate if it is true, and if so I am going to write a letter of complaint to eBay and if they don't pull these auctions I'm closing my eBay account and never doing business there again.

Tammy

Dearest Tammy,

My teenage daughter mentioned this story to me just yesterday.

What she found most scandalous, with tears in her eyes, was that,(assuming that this 'miracle' did appear--and my daughter did not discount it) this person who was being given a miracle and a chance from God to believe, but instead turned it into a money making scheme.

Indeed, the quest for money on e-bay from items that should bring God and holiness to persons, but instead is bringing greed to their souls, is what is most frightening and disturbing. These people are basically selling their souls (not icons, not relics, not miraculous images) to the devil.

Kyrie Eleison!
Alice

Here it is, picture and all!

http://www.cnn.com/2004/US/11/16/ebay.sandwich.ap/index.html

Well it has now spawned an industry - the original seems to have been withdrawn - but there are now 2 pages of others - all quite obviously having been posted in an attempt to 'jump on the bandwagon'

Sad - very sad

Anhelyna

I guess people will believe anything these days. That grilled cheese sandwich has been around for awhile - a supposed miracle in itself in that it hasn't developed mold - or so the owner says. Maybe a good reinforcement for the teachings of the saints who have said to not seek signs and wonders, for obviously good reasons.

I threatened to close my eBay account if they don't pull these auctions, on the grounds that it is religiously offensive - and to encourage all my Catholic friends to do the same!

I don't know if they will or not. But I WILL close my account if they don't.

Tammy

Alice, Don't mean to go off topic but I find it elating that your teenage daughter is affected by this. This is a true indication of you and your husband's role as a parent.
I know as a teen, I was not as interested in my faith and would not even paid attention to this sort of stuff.
Brad

This is admittedly a wild guess, but I'm sure that e-Bay will point to some language in some disclaimer somewhere that they niether endorse nor vouch for the divine nature of these items.

Still, one can only wonder what level of outrage is showN when someone put Nicolette Sheridan's towel up for sale.

Yours,

hal

Dear Friends,

When my grandfather was a Russian Orthodox priest in the Ukrainian SSR, an image of the Mother of God appeared on one of the windows of his parish church.

Immediately, buses pulled up from everywhere to go on pilgrimage etc.

My grandfather, Fr. John, didn't know what to make of it.

The communist authorities did, however . . .

They arrested him and charged him with somehow making the image to "confuse gullible people" or else to make money off the pilgrimages etc.

He told them that the image was probably the result of "opalization" or when the sun hit the glass in a certain way etc.

They eventually let him go and the image soon disappeared.

In addition, an image of the Last Supper appeared on a nearby window and the image of yet another sacred event further down . . .

A powerful thing, that opalization . . .

Alex

Hi Brad,

My daughter is now 18, and glory to GOD, she is slowly growing in faith.

She rather sleep in than go to Church, but like an Archbishop once told me privately, "don't worry--that will come in time"!

She has friends who go to church more often than she does, but they don't seem to take their faith and prayer life as seriously...

She attends an RC college that has a requisite religion class for incoming freshman. She conveyed to me how many of the students there claimed that they did not even BELIEVE in God!!! That upset her very much too, and ofcourse, upset me as well...so in response to your post, I repeat--thank God and Glory to His Most Holy Name!

In Christ,
Alice, from the very apostasized North East U.S.

Dear Alice,

I've had the pleasure meeting Brad and I can tell you that he is a very nice fellow!

Strong in faith and its practice, sincere, honest, and a devoted father!

I'll let you know if I can think of anything else later . . .

Alex

A few weeks ago someone was hawking a "haunted" rosary and a video of a seance involving the ghost of this "haunted" rosary. And people were bidding on it!

Atrocious.

Tammy

Dear Tammy,

Actually . . .

Your rosary for the dead that you made for me, the one with the great big skull . . .



Alex

Forget it, eBay won't pull it no matter how many people complain.

My proof? When they first started out, they used to pull sales of first-class relics if anyone complained, out of respect for the Church, and also because (as they told me in a friendly e-mail at the time) it's illegal to traffic in body parts over the Internet.

Today? They have a special category for Relics!

I've never patronized e-bay nor had an account with them, so I've nothing to cancel. But they sound like a fairly revolting outfit.

Incognitus