CSICOP Response to Fox's "Signs from God: Science Tests Faith"
SkeptInq@aol.com
Thu, 29 Jul 1999 17:14:58 EDT
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT MATT NISBET AT 716-636-1425 X219
SINISBET@aol.com
CSICOP RESPONSE TO
FOX'S "SIGNS FROM GOD: SCIENCE TESTS FAITH"
Program Aims for Ratings while Abusing Science and Exploiting Belief Systems
Send Viewer Comments to askfox@foxinc.com.
AMHERST, N.Y--The Fox television network's airing of "Signs from God" (July
28) represented a new low in journalistic ethics. Subtitled "Science Tests
Faith," the program was actually a shameless promotion of alleged religious
miracles and the cunning misuse of science. Given the Fox network's
embarrassing past history of programming fiascos that sensationalize the
paranormal, "Signs from God" could be likened to a "religious alien autopsy."
Unsuspecting viewers were treated to a litany of provocative claims-bleeding
statues, messages from Jesus, stigmata-that were "investigated" by Australian
journalist Michael Willesee. Actually, although representing himself as a
skeptic, Willesee betrayed an agenda to promote such alleged phenomena as
authentic. Going beyond mere mystery mongering, he employed science in only
a very limited way, repeatedly avoiding skeptical experts in the specific
fields (e.g. people knowledgeable of "weeping" statues) and often bypassing
the essential tests necessary to detect fraud. For instance, no doctor
examined a stigmatist's wounds and no attempt was made to keep her from
inflicting them surreptitiously, but the blood was afterward tested and
proved to be her blood-as expected.
Similarly, no scientific protocol was followed in ruling out trickery with a
"weeping" and "bleeding" bust of Jesus; however, a dubious CAT scan was
afterward employed "to test for the possibility of trickery or fraud," and
the blood was forensically examined. When it was found to be female blood,
Willesee suggested that that might be due to Jesus' having had only a mother
and "no father."
Such stubborness, or perhaps sheer ineptitude-or worse-kept the program from
presenting evidence that was contrary to the claims being made. For example,
the stigmatist, Katya Rivas from Bolivia, was never shown actually producing
a wound, but rather was presented in incremental shots after each appeared:
first the supposed crown-of-thorn marks on the forehead, then those of the
hands and feet. Her bed covers provided ample opportunity for concealment.
Moreover, the wounds on her hands and feet were comprised of multiple slash
marks, not single punctures, while the location of the wound on the top of
her left foot was far from that on the bottom, suggesting they were indeed
made separately.
Many phenomena went totally unexamined, or the examination was not reported,
including the appearance of an image of the Virgin on a concrete floor
(looking like the work of an unskilled artist) and the multicolored "glitter"
that manifested itself on a print of the Image of Guadalupe (a bogus but
widely revered "miracle" picture).
Dubious evidence was hyped, while more prosaic explanations were glossed
over or went unmentioned. Ms. Rivas, for instance, was shown producing an
unusual "delta state" on an EEG, while a neurologist's suggestion that there
"could be epilepsy" was not further explored. And when an art conservator
and a botanist each demonstrated that image-bearing rose petals had been
faked (they even duplicated the effects by pressing petals with medalions),
Willesee became flustered and tried to redeem the claim. He suggested fakery
was unlikely because the "miracle" petals were not being sold, ignoring the
possibility of what skeptics term "pious fraud"-deception used in an
end-justifies-the-means manner to promote religious belief. Too little was
heard from a scholarly Catholic priest who cast doubt on the various
phenomena presented and suggested the possibility of trickery.
The uncritical presentation by Executive Producer Michael Willesee was
surprising considering his earlier skeptical reporting on such topics as
psychic ability, dowsing, and acupuncture. For these efforts, Willesee
received in 1987 the Responsibility in Journalism Award from CSICOP. But in
producing "Signs from God" both Willesee and Fox Television have shown a
willingness to betray skepticism and balanced journalism in favor of ratings
and profits.
--30--
The Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal
(CSICOP) is an international network of scientists and academics dedicated to
the scientific evaluation of the paranormal and pseudoscientific. CSICOP
sponsors the Council for Media Integrity which advocates a balanced portrayal
of science. Skeptical Inquirer, The Magazine for Science and Reason, is the
official publication of CSICOP. Visit http://www.csicop.org.
Contact Matt Nisbet at 716-636-1425 X219.
Available for Interview:
Joe Nickell, PhD. Author of Looking for a Miracle.
Paul Kurtz, PhD. Chair, Committee for the Scientific Investigation of
Claims of the Paranormal. Professor Emeritus of Philosophy, State University
of New York at Buffalo.