Read It and Weep: Jail Time for Debunking Crying Jesus Myth

Posted on Nov 29, 2012

The man who pointed out that a crying Jesus statue in Mumbai wasn’t a miracle was threatened with imprisonment and death; Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan have inspired erotic fan fiction; meanwhile, Finland has found the key to effective education reform: equity. These discoveries and more below.

On a regular basis, Truthdig brings you the news items and odds and ends that have found their way to Larry Gross, director of the USC Annenberg School for Communication. A specialist in media and culture, art and communication, visual communication and media portrayals of minorities, Gross helped found the field of gay and lesbian studies.

Man Faces Death Threats and Jail for Pointing Out That Weeping Jesus ‘Miracle’ Is Just Faulty Plumbing
When water started trickling down a statue of Jesus Christ at a Catholic church in Mumbai earlier this year, locals were quick to declare a miracle.

Your e-reader is watching
It tracks when you read and when you don’t. Will it soon determine what you read?

The Strange World of Mitt Romney-Paul Ryan Fan Fiction
The union of Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan has brought us many wonderful things ranging from fashion editors waxing about their sartorial choices to the wonky Medicare debate, but this beautiful relationship has also spawned something far weirder: erotic fan fiction.

China’s Sexual Revolution Has Reached The Point Of No Return
China’s sexual revolution is underway, but it’s a complicated, and sometimes contradictory affair.

Can You Libel Someone on Twitter?
A British politician is seeking damages from high-profile Twitter users who repeated or retweeted a false report linking him to child sex abuse.

The Secret Lives of Supercutters
Why people spend so many hours stitching footage into YouTube collages.

“Two and a Half Men” star hates “Two and a Half Men,” too
Despising “Two and a Half Men” is something Evangelicals and liberals (and Charlie Sheen) can all agree on.

Christian group says demon sex makes you gay
A Christian magazine warns that homosexuality is caused by sex with succubi—and that’s just the beginning.

Unpaid Internships as the New Slavery
There’s the euphemism of free wage-labor. And then there’s actual free labor: the unpaid internship.

Our true dawn: Pinning down human origins
The argument over when our lineage split from chimps is about to be settled, with colossal consequences for prehistory.

End the Charade: Let Athletes Major in Sports
That collegiate sports is tainted by chicanery and a host of moral dilemmas is nothing new.

What Americans Keep Ignoring About Finland’s School Success
The Scandinavian country is an education superpower because it values equality more than excellence.

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