International Crusade for Holy Relics takes on eBay

[Ian David]

By Brian Murphy, AP Religion Writer | November 23, 2006



Hardly an hour goes by without Thomas Serafin or one of his cyber-sleuths checking what eBay has to offer.

They're not hunting for bargains and never place a bid. Their interest is bone shards, bits of wizened flesh and a contemporary twist on the sacred and the profane: How the ancient trade in the most coveted religious relics has moved into the global flea market of online bidding.

"You can find bone fragments supposedly from St. Augustine being hawked on the Internet along with trinkets and antiques. There is something very wrong here," said Serafin, a professional photographer and Catholic activist based in Los Angeles, who has led an expanding campaign since the late 1990s to block the online sale of objects purported to contain the remains of Christian saints.

Last month, Serafin's group, the International Crusade for Holy Relics, opened a new front that's truly worthy of a David and Goliath metaphor: a call to boycott eBay.

More:
http://www.boston.com/news/world/europe/articles/2006/11/23/religious_crusader_takes_on_ebay/?rss_id=Boston.com+%2F+News

[no_hypocrisy]

1. I'm waiting to see the opening bid for the Holy Grail one of these days. n/t

[Donnachaidh]

2. Several years back people were selling handles and plaques

from actual coffins on Ebay. The plaques were dated in the late 1800's. It was believed they were taken from desecrated graves. And we were finding Civil War and American Revolution plaques from graves for sale on Ebay.

We were able to get Ebay to stop the sales. I would hope that Ebay would keep the high standards they had promised back then of not allowing this stuff to be put up for auction.

Yes -- I'm naive. :cry:

[AlamoDemoc]

3. yesterday the imams you elleged arrested as "gay against"

were never arrested as you elleged:
'supporters of Christian and Jewish congregations who have worked with the imams, shouted with joy when told the imams would soon be released"

http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2006/11/22/2_muslim_leaders_held_by_us_may_soon_be_released_on_bail/