Reenacting the Crucifixion

[Miles Teg]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7305522.stm

Health officials in the Philippines have issued a warning to people taking part in Easter crucifixion rituals.

They have urged them to get tetanus vaccinations before they flagellate themselves and are nailed to crosses, and to practise good hygiene.

On Good Friday dozens of very devout Catholics in the Philippines re-enact the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.

It is something that has become a huge tourist attraction, although the Church frowns on the practice.

Disinfect

The health department has strongly advised penitents to check the condition of the whips they plan to use to lash their backs, the Manila Times newspaper reports.

They want people to have what they call "well-maintained" whips.

In the hot and dusty atmosphere, officials warn, using unhygienic whips to make deep cuts in the body could lead to tetanus and other infections.

And they advise that the nails used to fix people to crosses must be properly disinfected first. Often people soak the nails in alcohol throughout the year.

Every Good Friday, in towns across the Philippines, people atone for sins or give thanks for an answered prayer by re-enacting the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.

Giving thanks

In the northern city of San Fernando alone there will be three separate improvised Golgothas - the biblical name for the hill where Jesus was crucified.

Four people there have pledged to have their feet and hands nailed to wooden crosses, while others will flog themselves while walking barefoot through villages.

Sometimes people repeat the penance year after year, like the fish vendor who will be nailed to the cross for the 15th and last time on Friday to give thanks for his mother's recovery from tuberculosis.

With long hair and a beard, wearing sandals and a crown of thorns, he is tied with cloth to the cross but also has nails driven through the flesh of his hands and feet, avoiding the bones.

Ok, this is nuts. Anyone agree with me?

 

[Cheezy the Wiz]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7305522.stm

Ok, this is nuts. Anyone agree with me?

EDIT: I would only approve of this if, at the climax of their archaic ritual, they then took the time to sing "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life."

 

[ParadigmShifter]

Christ has told his mother
Christ he told her not to bother
'Cos he's alright in the city
'Cos he's high above the ground
He's just hanging around

- The Stranglers - "Hanging Around"

 

[silver 2039]

.............

Yeh religon......wat else is there to say?

 

[Eran of Arcadia]

This is hardly new, it has been happening every Easter since the Spaniards poped up the place.

Ya know, no offense and all that . . .

Anyways, far be it for me to mock any religious practice.

 

[Swedishguy]

Tell me how Christianity makes sense, again?

 

[MobBoss]

Tell me how Christianity makes sense, again?

Nothing wrong with Christianity per se; its extremism that doenst make sense. I consider myself a pretty faithful christian, but you wont catch me flailing myself or handling poisonuous snakes anytime soon.

 

[LesCanadiens]

This is ultra-gross...

 

[The Yankee]

I didn't know there were rituals enacting the same punishments given out to Jesus. Christ, that's surprising. But, might as well try to keep them safe.

 

[pau17]

I love how the two bolded headers are:

Disinfect


Giving thanks



Anyway, while I respect them for their devotion to their cause, I don't think that emphasizing the suffering makes much sense. Being crucified is bad but it happened to many, many people, and millions of people have had perhaps worse tortures and deaths. I don't see why this has to be about pain instead of about positive values.

 

[Bill3000]

Nothing wrong with Christianity per se; its extremism that doenst make sense. I consider myself a pretty faithful christian, but you wont catch me flailing myself or handling poisonuous snakes anytime soon.

Dude, you pray before sex. Even if it was common among protestants, my response would still be "ew".

 

[Holycannoli]

Nothing wrong with Christianity per se; its extremism that doenst make sense. I consider myself a pretty faithful christian, but you wont catch me flailing myself or handling poisonuous snakes anytime soon.

I know. What's with these crazy people? If you're a real Christian you know that He didn't do that so that we would do it in the future as a yearly ritual?

 

[Birdjaguar]

Devotion takes many forms. Could you be so devoted to someone or something that you would endure that kind of punishment? Atheists are unlikely to ever experience such feelings.

 

[Bill3000]

Devotion takes many forms. Could you be so devoted to someone or something that you would endure that kind of punishment? Atheists are unlikely to ever experience such feelings.

Communism. phail

 

[Chandrasekhar]

Oh well, at least the Church frowns on the practice. More common sense than I expect from organized religion these days.

 

[demokratickid]

And people wonder why there are religious wars... Because of weird stuff like this...

 

[Bill3000]

And people wonder why there are religious wars... Because of weird stuff like this...

Probably the only thing that I can think of that would relate to this would be a Shi'ite practice, but the outrage is pretty much just political advantage by the Sunnis to begin with.

 

[demokratickid]

Probably the only thing that I can think of that would relate to this would be a Shi'ite practice, but the outrage is pretty much just political advantage by the Sunnis to begin with.

Exactly. Misunderstanding of ritual typically leads to mistrust, which manifests itself in War. (at least in the Middle Ages! )

 

[SS-18 ICBM]

Ok, this is nuts. Anyone agree with me?

Ah yes. I remember hearing about it on the news on Holy Week. That's how devout the Philippines is. And of course it is crazy. It doesn't even make sense from a religious viewpoint.

 

[Bill3000]

Exactly. Misunderstanding of ritual typically leads to mistrust, which manifests itself in War. (at least in the Middle Ages! )

Nah, it's far more than that. There wouldn't be war or discrimination if it wasn't advantageous to do so. It isn't the fault of religion or factionalism per se, but rather it being used as an instrument.