Fishy evidence

[Bartix]

As supposed miracles go, Oscar the fish is the best that the town of Waterfoot, near Bury, has ever seen.

Locals flocked to the village's pet shop, Water Aquatic, this week after it was noticed that the markings on the scales of the two-year-old albino Oscar fish mimicked the Arabic script for Allah.

That the other side of the fish appeared to be inscribed with the word Muhammad only served to compound the spectacle. Within hours, Oscar - originally from Singapore - found hordes of locals, paparazzi and national television news reporters peering into his tank.

Mohammed Riaz-Shahid, 38, the manager of the Oasis Fast Food restaurant across the road was quickly appointed interpreter and led the chorus of claims that this was a message from above.

"There's no doubt about it," he said. "The markings are clear to see. Allah on one side, Muhammad on the other."

"Christians, Jews - they all believe in God," he explained. "So God's showing a sign to everyone, a sign that he's here."

Peter Hurst, 17, concurred. "It's a sign of something - no doubt - probably God," he said. "It's amazing, especially for this time of year."

Perhaps the most flabbergasted visitor of all was a man from "a town nearby" who asked to remain anonymous. Last night, he claimed, he had dreamed about a whale with the words Muhammad and Allah inscribed on its head.

"It's real, it's real," he said in awe, biting his fingers. "As soon as I heard I came running. I didn't think twice about the dream until I saw the fish on the television." Eyeing the patterns a little suspiciously, he added: "I hope that wasn't painted on."

On closer inspection, however, he agreed the markings were naturally occurring, and the fish was indeed sent as evidence of God's existence.

But the manager of the shop, Tony Walker, 27, had an altogether different explanation for the "miracle" fish's appearance on his premises.

"I would hope it came to me because I'm an honest man," he said. "Someone up there sent the fish because of the way I choose to run my business."

The owner, Naz Raja, 29, from Nelson near Blackburn, who purchased the fish two weeks ago for £10, told Guardian Unlimited he was less sure about the divine origin of his new pet.

"I bought it because it was beautiful. It might be a sign, I suppose," he said. But a miracle?

"Kind of, yeah."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/st...700465,00.html

According to a future edition of the Hitchhiker's Guide, Oscar the fish was put forth as a fideist example for the non-existence of God:
"I refuse to prove that I exist," says God, "for proof denies faith, and without faith I am nothing."
"But," says Man, "Oscar the fish is a dead giveaway isn't it? It could not have evolved by chance. It proves that You exist, and so therefore, by Your own arguments, You don't. Q.E.D."
"Oh dear," says God, "I hadn't thought of that," and promptly vanishes in a puff of logic.
"Oh, that was easy," says Man, and for an encore goes on to prove that black is white and gets himself killed on the next zebra crossing.

[Adrian II]

Fascinating. I have always wondered why the Lord has a predilection for manifesting Himself in animals, crying statues and the muttering of hysterical cripples. We have to stop meeting this way.

[Vladimir]

On closer inspection, however, he agreed the markings were naturally occurring, and the fish was indeed sent as evidence of God's existence.

Huh. Silly me, I thought that the fish itself was proof .

Fascinating. I have always wondered why the Lord has a predilection for manifesting Himself in animals, crying statues and the muttering of hysterical cripples. We have to stop meeting this way.

You forgot grilled cheese sandwiches.

[KukriKhan]

Sorta puts you right off the kippers for breakfast, huh?

[Adrian II]

Sorta puts you right off the kippers for breakfast, huh?

Huh-huh. You never know what words you are swallowing ...

EDIT
Question from my younger significants: has the Lord ever manifested Himself in Kellogg's Cornflakes, anyone?

[Spino]

Dunno about the Lord but I've seen Elvis in a bowl of oatmeal...

[Major Robert Dump]

I left a skid mark in my underwear that looked like Moses once. I showed my dad and he said "holy ****!"

/edit: please replace all of the questionable word with asterisks, not just part of it, mmmmkay?

[rory_20_uk]

Why is it that anything that "if you screw your eyes up really tight, and turn the light down it almost looks like Jesus's footsteps..." is automatically evidence that it is the Work Of The Lord, yet the Tsunami or Enron isn't greeted by "yup - the Devil exists" or indeed "oh, there can't be a god". Seems very one sided evidence.

Mana falling on quake victims - that is far more useful. God if you're listening, take note, OK...

[Goofball]

I think you Brits ought to dip Oscar in some beer batter, fry him up and serve him with chips. Then we'll see if Iran really has nuclear capability...

[Leet Eriksson]

They need to do thurough inspections... the way its written resembles the same script used during 600 AD, if its natural that'd be interesting.

EDIT: then again it could be all coincidence, but it sure fires up peoples faith in their respective religion if its natural.

[spmetla]

I once got a message in my Alphabits! It said "food"!

In all seriousness I just hope it's not a lame setup. When things "manifest" in peanut butter and other things it's annoying to see followers flock to the "miracle".

faisal, do they report things like this in the UAE, and do they take them serious if they do? I'm just curious how far word spreads of stuff like this.

[Soulforged]

"I refuse to prove that I exist," says God, "for proof denies faith, and without faith I am nothing."

God speaks so well of himself...
Certainly this series of events demostrate two things at least: either people are loosing their faith (most probably and understandable) or people don't know what faith means, or they don't know why they need faith in religion for that matter.

Beyond that, it's an hilarius article.

[Samurai Waki]

I once got a message in my Alphabits! It said "food"!

I thought I was being haunted one time because my alphabits spelled out "ooooooo" and then I found out later that I was eating cheerios.

[Leet Eriksson]

I once got a message in my Alphabits! It said "food"!

In all seriousness I just hope it's not a lame setup. When things "manifest" in peanut butter and other things it's annoying to see followers flock to the "miracle".

faisal, do they report things like this in the UAE, and do they take them serious if they do? I'm just curious how far word spreads of stuff like this.

Its usually circulated by email on the internet, although some newspapers pick it up, they are always on the last page of the news paper, where it talks about all sorts of extraordinary stuff.

There were reports of manifestations happening before, but 90% are fake, there was a website despelling these rumors(most of the time they are poor photoshop edits), i can't find the link though.

But if the fish is natural, then thats the second time the word allah manifests in nature (the first manifestation was found in some trees in germany or australia or somewhere ).

[Vladimir]

I thought I was being haunted one time because my alphabits spelled out "ooooooo" and then I found out later that I was eating cheerios.

Okay Peter