Why in the hell do they have to do this every stinkin' year?

[IDemo]

http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/TopStories/20110422/philippines-easter-crucifixions-110422/
SAN PEDRO CUTUD, Philippines — At least 24 Filipinos were nailed to wooden crosses to re-enact Jesus Christ's suffering in a local Good Friday rite rejected by Catholic church leaders but witnessed by throngs of believers and thousands of tourists.

Sorry, but this makes those who see Christ on toast look positively well reasoned in comparison.

[zazen]

1. there are so many practical needs for martyrdom

Can't speak for Christ, who might not have been utilitarian about such things, but it seems to me if you're going to communicate that the human condition entails surrendering to one form of suffering to remind people that we're part of something much larger, you might choose some suffering that had practical, moral purposes, like chaining yourself to a tree that was about to be bulldozed or self-immolating like that brave and fed-up young guy did in North Africa, or working with victims of a contagious disease whom others shun.

The self-aggrandizement of a group self-crucifixion to a pre-staged audience seems a little much. It's not like they were sentenced to anything by a political Pontius Pilate.

[FSogol]

2. I sentence them as dumb-asses. Better they spend their time feeding the hungry, helping

the sick and poor, and comforting the hopeless. I, Pontius FSogol, wash my hands of this whole matter.

[WatsonT]

3. No one else seems to do this

I wonder if it was something indigenous to the culture that got thrown in the mix when christianity was introduced.

[zazen]

5. interesting point--there were the Plague-era flagellates

Granted, the more extreme Catholics have for a long time been wearing hair shirts and going other bodily pain inflicting things that we would call "cutting" or "S&M" today.

But the flagellates would parade through the streets during Plague outbreaks, whipping themselves until blood and flesh were everywhere. Not sure if they killed themselves, since I guess that'd be a sin, but there apparently was a real mob/audience element to it.

Interesting that these self-appointed scapegoats are like rock stars in these contexts.

I'm sure there's a modern day equivalent, for we repeat our human themes in every context. I'd say celebrity addicts, but they don't seem to be exercising self-restraint.

Maybe celebrity dieters? The ones who say they're going to lose 100 pounds on reality TV?

[NightWatcher]

4. at least their suffering was equal. I love the people who give up ___ for Lent each year

So, in order to remind you of your Savior's suffering and ultimate death, you're not going to eat chocolate for 40 days? you freakin martyr.

At least these guys have a better understanding

[IDemo]

6. But that's my point - does recognition of another's suffering require equal suffering?

I can't think of another similar type of "celebration" where inflicting pain and physical damage to oneself is seen as an indicator of one's faith.

[NightWatcher]

7. they get points for dedication in my book

those are taken away by the overwhelming negative points for craziness

[zazen]

8. and when your audience agrees with you, it takes less courage

than when Jesus or other poor victims of the Roman Empire suffered it.

Sticking with the Jesus narrative (who knows if it literally happened), a large part of the faith/courage/trust was that he was maintaining an internal reality that very few had ever shared in addition to the physical suffering, so at every point (given that he had some choice in going down this path) a natural human would have been thinking, damn, this is excruciating, and did I do the right thing? Did I really have to do this? Very few people believe this. The whole world seems to want me to just give up my personal perceptions.

That's an order of magnitude of bravery far greater I think than going through this ritual with a 2000 year tradition behind you and a totally supportive audience.

[riderinthestorm]

21. I think there are other religions that do the self flagellation thing, isn't there an Islamic ritual

for Shias where they walk around the streets doing this?

It just shows the level of brainwashing if you ask me. While this kind of self-mutilation by believers is just the outward expression of one's level of "faith", there are a whole lot of other crazies who inflict some pretty terrible mental wounds on themselves and others all in the name of their particular brand of religion.

[AsahinaKimi]

9. It does mention in the article

Red Cross officials' concern centered on possible health problems like infection, heat stroke, blood loss and even death from the intense beating. They urged devotees to consider other forms of penance, including donating blood.

That sounds to me like a more sane idea..

[Marrah_G]

10. We humans are strange creatures.

[slackmaster]

11. Same as for tattoos and piercings. Personal choice, freedom of religion, freedom of expression.

I know that's hard for some people to swallow.

[pintobean]

13. +1 - and why care.

I don't understand why anyone would whine about this.

[Posteritatis]

15. People enjoy feeling superior, basically. (nt)

[IDemo]

16. LOL

Having oneself hung by large nails isn't in the same class as ear piercing. In fact, it's one of the more horrific tortures used by some dictators (according to most people, anyway).

If these morons want to make a yearly ritual of maiming themselves, they can do so. There's a biblical verse somewhere to the effect of observing one's faith quietly and not making a loud public show out of it.

[slackmaster]

17. No act involving consenting, informed adults can be rightly called torture

Thank you for providing a concrete example of being unable to accept other peoples' personal choices, and for acting out Posteritatis' comment about feeling superior.

[IDemo]

19. Sorry, but "acceptance" of such practices equals condoning them

I don't feel particularly bad about questioning religious belief in general, but will for the most part not openly criticize others. In this case, however, a belief has been blown out of all reasonable proportion and morphed into self mutilation for the sake of a public spectacle. If these folks truly wanted to experience the thrill ride of crucifixion each year, doing so privately would represent a more genuine statement of faith.

Trying to make this the moral equivalent of tattooing or ear piercing is laugh out loud idiocy.

[slackmaster]

22. Not at all.

I accept all kinds of things that I don't condone, including you trying to tell other people how to practice their faith.

Trying to make this the moral equivalent of tattooing or ear piercing is laugh out loud idiocy.

There is no moral issue here to me. You've chosen to allow yourself to get wound up about people in another culture and another country doing things to themselves out of free will.

I'm sorry that you have elected to do that to yourself but that's your problem, not theirs or mine.

:hi:

[slackmaster]

23. Speaking of self-mutilation - Nail holes heal, but some things never do

And some things can't be un-seen. Click if you dare.

http://www.metro.co.uk/weird/860041-vampire-woman-gets-horns-implanted#ixzz1KIR1uFyc

[pintobean]

18. Maybe next year, they'll seek your permission

for how they want to practice their faith.

[ChoppinBroccoli]

12. The Thing That I Find Funny About It Is................

..............they're willing to go to the extraordinary lengths of being nailed to a cross, but they won't go all the way and nail themselves up the way Jesus was (getting a nail through your hands and feet is one thing, but Jesus got nails through his WRISTS and ANKLES--we know this because the laws of physics say that he couldn't have stayed nailed up as long as he did any other way). Plus, do any of them volunteer to get stabbed in the side by a spear while they're up there? I mean, I'm of the belief that if you're going to do something, you do it right.

[Javaman]

14. religious-porn. nt

[Taverner]

20. Apparently they also cut themselves to have 'Stigmata'