ASTROLOGY is a SCIENCE in India - ha ha ha

for sanity's sake...
STOP ASTROLOGY

Though astrology hasn't been considered a science for thousands of years, on Thursday, February 4th, 2011, the Bombay High Court in India reaffirmed that it is indeed a "science" when it dismissed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) that challenged astrology as science.

The 100 page PIL was filed by Janhit Manch, a judicial activist NGO in India, that sought action against "fake" astrologers, tantrics and practioners of Vastu shastra (for Westerners think "Feng Shui"). The document cited points such as Indira Gandhi and Charan Singh becoming prime ministers, despite opposite astrological predictions.

Representing the Union government, advocate Advait Sethna told the court:

"So far as prayer related to astrology is concerned, the Supreme Court has already considered the issue and ruled that astrology is science. The court had in 2004 also directed the universities to consider if astrology science can be added to the syllabus. The decision of the apex court is binding on this court," observed the judges. "

Advocate for Maharashtra government, Bharat Mehta too supported the stand taken by the Union government.

The Centre had in its affidavit stated that astrology is 4000 years old 'trusted science' and the same does not fall under the preview of The Drugs and Magical Remedies Act (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1954.

"The said Act does not cover astrology and related sciences. Astrology is a trusted science and is being practiced for over 4000 years," said an affidavit filed by Dr R Ramakrishna, deputy drug controller (India), west zone.

"The said Act is aimed at prohibiting misleading advertisements relating to drugs and magic remedies. The Act does not cover and / or relate to astrology and / or allied sciences like Palmistry, Vaastu Shastra etc. In view thereof, a purported ban on practices promoting astrology and related sciences sought by the petitioner, which is a time tested science more than 4000 years old is totally misconceived and unjustifiable." The Times of India

The law and astrology

The first time that astrologers and Astrology appeared in the law any place was in England in the 16th Century.

The British enforced the British Vagrancy Act which was supposedly focused on protecting people from gypsies, but that act marked the first unfortunate identification of astrologers with "fortune-telling" and the illegality of the practice took root .

"In that act, it became illegal to perform any form of fortune telling using cards, tea leaves, crystal balls and, unfortunately, the movement of the heavenly bodies.

"Now, the people that were involved were not Astrologers. They were gypsies and fortune tellers, and that's all they were, without any real credentials. There was no understanding on their part of the true meaning of the horoscope, and the fortunes they told were pure guess. In the British Vagrancy Act, the word "Astrologer" and "horoscope reader" appeared and we had the first statement that it was illegal to tell fortunes by horoscopes. Unfortunately, the law in England was followed in the United States and the colonies adopted the English law applying to vagrants and subsequently many states did, using the same language." Astrology and The Law, Dr. Walter Coleman

From then on, it was all downhill for astrologers.

Though there were never any federal laws which Congress has enacted (Senate and House of Representatives), or provisions in the United States Constitution that mentioned Astrology or astrologers, there are numerous state and community laws and restrictions on astrologers and the practice of Astrology.

"The laws astrologers object to include bonding requirements of up to $10,000, business license fees that range from $300 per year to as much as $100 per day, and even total prohibitions on the practice of astrology for a fee. Labeled "fortune-telling," and lumped in with all manner of archaic "occult arts" and metaphysical practices — as well as the complete pantheon of New Age philosophies — astrological practice is restricted by many cities in most states in this "Land of the Free." The Law and Astrology AFAN

The Case of Evangeline Adams

One of the most famous legal cases against an astrologer was the New York District Attorney's office against Evangeline Adams in 1914, who was not only one of the most accomplished astrologers of that time but also billionaire J.P Morgan's personal astrologer (famous for telling him "not to board the Titanic" among her many financial and business directives).

The entire case file can be read here: NEW YORK CRIMINAL REPORTS, VOL. XXXII. THE PEOPLE ex rel. ADELE D. PRIESS v. EVANGELINE S. ADAMS.

Evangeline Adam's counsel stated:

"Astrology is the science which describes the influence of the heavenly bodies upon mundane affairs and upon human character and life. It is a mathematical or exact science as it is based upon astronomy which describes the heavenly bodies and explains their motions, etc. It is an applied science in that it takes the established principles of astronomy as its guide in delineating human character, and all its judgments are based on mathematic calculations. It is an empirical science, because its deductions are based upon accurate data that have been gathered for thousands of years. Astrology is the oldest science in existence. It is not only pre-historic but pre-traditional, and must not be classed with fortune telling, or any of the many forms of demonology as practiced in ancient and modern times. Astrology is the science of the effects of the Solar Currents, on the living things of our earth, especially on human life. The earth in revolving around the sun passes through twelve different currents of Solar Fluid which also have twelve distinct parts, thus causing the great diversity in human life."

The Judge stated:

The defendant has given ample proof that she is a woman of learning and culture, and one who is very well versed in astronomy and other sciences. Her chart here, as made out, may be verified, as she states, by those who may be disputatious on the subject of its accuracy in the books and records of astronomers for years. And when the defendant stated to the prosecutrix that these planets and their relative positions indicated this or that, and this or that ought to happen, if the signs meant anything, with the distinct understanding had between them that the defendant was giving no assurance that this or that eventually would take place, I say she violated no law."
 

It is to be admitted that a certain class of fortune-tellers may be honest in their purposes and honestly believe the things they say to be true. There are people in this world who claim with earnestness that they have superhuman powers and that their specific means of reading the future are reliable; yet the law is not concerned so much with the good faith of the party pretending to possess this ability, as it is concerned with dealing in a human way with the things that are within human knowledge only. Common experience teaches many things; in fact, the science is predicated upon the fact developed in the affairs of the world as men have experienced them. No doubt many many years ago for anyone to have attempted to say that the conformation of the head of that the physiognomy of a creature determined the character of the individual and that such and such a type would someday turn out to be a criminal would have been guilty of fortune telling. But the history of specific cases has furnished us with a working basis. For these new theories that nowadays seem to be accepted by noted criminologists and the public in general.

"I am satisfied that the defendant has not pretended to tell fortunes, and she is accordingly acquitted."

Things haven't changed much since 1914; AFAN (Association for Astrological Networking) has made some strides in changing laws that restrict the practice of Astrology. A list of state-by-state actions concerning the practice of astrology can be found on their website as well as a legal information kit.

Scientific or not, it might be well to ponder the late Professor of Architecture, Mimi Lobell of the Pratt Institute's words:

"The reason for astrology's popularity is that it offers people what science does not; a psychologically meaningful link between the individual and the cosmos.  To dismiss astrology, as superstition shows a lack of understanding of the primordial psychological need for a meaningful relationship with the cosmos ... It is a call for cognitive frames which describe not only the order of the universe, but also give the individual a sublime sense of participation in that order."

Resources:

The Law and Astrology by Jayj Jacobs

AFAN's Legal Record State-by-state list of actions concerning the practice of astrology.

Do the movements of the stars and planets.... BS - raw power and conspiracies RULE US.
(don't look for god, look for CIA Mossad ONI DIA, ISI, MI6 Bnd, MAD)

Astrology is a science: Bombay HC  Hetal Vyas The Times of India

MUMBAI: The Bombay high court dismissed a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking action against bogus astrologers, tantriks, vaastu shastra practitioners and the like on Thursday.

A division bench of Chief Justice Mohit Shah and Justice S J Vajifdar was hearing a PIL filed by the NGO Janhit Manch questioning the validity of predictions by well-known astrologers and lesser known babas.

"So far as prayer related to astrology is concerned, the Supreme Court has already considered the issue and ruled that astrology is a science. The Court had in 2004 also directed the universities to consider if astrology science can be added to the syllabus. The decision of the apex court is binding on this court," observed the judges.

The judges also took on record an affidavit submitted by the Union government. The Centre had in its affidavit stated that astrology is a 4000-year-old 'trusted science' and the same does not fall under the purview of The Drugs and Magical Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1954. "The said Act does not cover astrology and related sciences. Astrology is a trusted science and is being practised for over 4,000 years," said an affidavit filed by Dr R Ramakrishna, deputy drug contoller ( India), west zone.



"The said Act is aimed at prohibiting misleading advertisements relating to drugs and magic remedies. The Act does not cover and/or relate to astrology and/or allied sciences like palmistry, vaastu shastra etc. In view thereof, a purported ban on practices promoting astrology and related sciences sought by the petitioner, which is a time-tested science more than 4,000 years old is totally misconceived and unjustifiable," says the affidavit.

The PIL filed by Janhit Manch and its convener Bhagwanji Raiyani, along with his associate Dattaram Kumkar, had questioned the validity of predictions by many well-known astrologers and urged the authorities to ban articles, advertisements, episodes and practices promoting astrology and related subjects like vaastu, Reiki, Feng Shui, tarot, palmistry and zodiac signs. The more than 100-page petition pointed to several cases including that of Indira Gandhi and Charan Singh becoming prime ministers, despite predictions to the contrary.

Representing the Union government, advocate Advait Sethna told the court that even the SC accepted that astrology was a science and many universities had included it as a subject. Advocate for Maharashtra government, Bharat Mehta too supported the stand taken by the Centre. Mehta submitted an affidavit filed by the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) which said necessary action is being taken against the guilty under the Drugs and Magical Remedies Act.



SHRINES are make-belief

Hindustan Times Mumbai, January 12, 2011

Janhit Manch, an NGO, had moved the high court asking for illegal shrines to be demolished as many of them obstructed development work. The NGO felt the structures were an obstruction to the public. So, in 2002, the NGO went to court asking for their demolition.

One year later (in 2003), the court ordered that all illegal shrines like temples, mosques or churches, be demolished. Following the court order the civic body submitted an affidavit to the court saying it had demolished about 1,100 shrines.



http://www.janhitmanch.org/

Janhit Manch, a leading judicial activist NGO of the country, founded by Bhagvanji Raiyani in 2002, has filed about 55 Public Interest Litigations in the Bombay High Court and the Supreme Court.

India is the largest democracy in the world and its citizens are enjoying the fruits of democracy since over six decades. Likewise the people also suffer due to mismanagement of the country by governments at the centre and states as well as local self governments in the rural and urban areas.

Problems are innumerable and the solutions are not in sight. Constitutional provisions on fundamental rights are blatantly violated and no efforts are made to implement the directive principles of the constitution of India.

State bureaucracy is not responsive to the needs and sensitivities of the people and is not easily accessible to the common man. Elected representatives neglect the voters after getting elected and judiciary is ineffective and inefficient to disburse justice in time. Environment and ecology are under severe threat, superstition is rampant, number of illiterates are rising year after year, child labour is widespread, malnutrition is common, family welfare programmes are failing against rising population, slum occupants and homeless are on the rise, people live in dirt and filth, civic services are not commensurate with the amount spent, problems of crimilisation of politics, econmics and society, corruption at all levels, child marriages, rapes, domestic violence, dowry deaths, human rights violations, bandhs, strikes, labour problems, law productivities, recession, bank frauds and financial scams, inadequate transport facilities and infrastructures, depleting natural resources and so on and so forth.

Some of the Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs) doing their bit to salvage the deteriorating conditions of the country, work as watchdog agencies and catalysts between authorities and public.

Janhit Manch, established in 2002 as a nonpolitical forum, aims at becoming one of the leading NGOs of the country. The Manch will use all its resources at its command with the co-operation of all the three wings of the governance i.e. Executive, Legislature and Judiciary in furtherence of its mission to serve the masses. The Manch does not take up the personal and individul matters for resolutions except giving necessary advice, but takes up the issues concerning the large segment and the common interest of the society and the country. It is in the forefront in the judicial activitism and goes on filing PILs (Public Interest Litigations) in the courts, taking up issues at local, state and central government level.

The Manch has started publishing its quarterly newsletter on its activities from July 2007 for its members and patrons and will regularly publish the same every three months.






baba secret swami  born 23 November 1926 -- Sai Baba's 'miracles' are just magic tricks


Behold the 'Shiva Lingam' (so-called) miracle. The BBC shot this devastating exposure of Sathya Sai Baba fakery for its documentary 'The Secret Swami' at the Maha Shivarathri Festival at Puttaparthi (2004).  The carelessness with which Sathya Sai Baba botched his trick may be explicable by reference to other serious mistakes, in the context of his declining mental and physical health.

MUST SEE documentary download avi/xvid/torrent http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3767740320034777862#
BBC Cameras Catch Sai Baba Cheating With Gold Sivalingam. (Film Clip)
   
Documentaries produced by the BBC and the Danish Broadcasting Corporation, analyzing videos of the supposed miracles, suggest that they can be explained as sleight of hand.[100][105] In the 1995 TV documentary Guru Busters,[106] produced by filmmaker Robert Eagle for UK's Channel 4, Sathya Sai Baba was accused of faking his materializations. A videotape[107] suggested that magician's tricks were involved. The same videotape was mentioned in the Deccan Chronicle, on 23 November 1992, on a front page headline "DD Tape Unveils Baba Magic"

It has been estimated that Sri Satya Sai Baba, India's biggest spiritual leader, has up to 30 million devotees around the world.

But increasing numbers of former followers are alleging he has sexually abused them or their families.

Swamis, otherwise known as yogis or gurus, are the holy men of India, and part of ancient tradition.

Sai Baba, is based in Puttaparthi, near Bangalore in southern India. His distinctive 1960s orange robes and Afro hairstyle make him instantly recognisable.