Posted on 04/06/2007 5:44:39 AM PDT by mmanager
SAN PEDRO CUTUD, Philippines - Seven devotees were nailed to crosses on Good Friday in a northern Philippine village where the rites drew thousands of tourists and spectators.
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The Lenten ritual is opposed by religious leaders in the Philippines — Southeast Asia's largest predominantly Roman Catholic nation. But it has persisted to become one of the country's most-awaited summer attractions in San Fernando City's San Pedro Cutud village.
The devotees' palms and feet were attached to wooden crosses with 4-inch nails soaked in alcohol to prevent infection after a nearly mile-long walk to the mound, each carrying a wooden cross on their backs.
Among the yearly penitents in San Pedro Cutud was Ruben Enaje, a 46-year-old commercial sign maker who was nailed to the cross for the 21st time on Friday.
Earlier in the day in the same village, dozens of half-naked men hit their bloodied backs with bamboo sticks dangling from a rope in a flagellation rite meant to atone for sins.
More than 100 foreign tourists flocked to this year's Good Friday rites, with many of them seated on a stage at the side of the mound.
"They take this religion to the extreme," observed Gomas de Miguel, a tourist from Spain. "In Spain, we say we are Catholics but we don't do this anymore I think."
"It's not my belief, but I know that they are sincere in what they are doing so I respect it," said American tourist Dennis Smith.
I never understand why these Philippino dudes do this. There are always some crazies that do this every year over there. They do this to atone for their sins? This instantly tells me that at the most fundamental level they are not believers in Christ.
They are totally missing the point. What IS it with these people????? How deluded and stupid can you BE??
What do you think Paul meant when he said, ...”provided we all suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him” Rom 8:17.
We Catholics believe that there is a value to suffering when offered up to be shared with Jesus’ suffering. These men are taking it to the extreme, and this is not sanctioned by the Church.
Please, try to understand rather than throw out cheap shots.
Have a blessed Easter.
Oh, I didn't know you had special vision of their souls (sarcasm).
~~~~~~
As we say here in Texas, "The hit dog always yelps."
I made no reference to the Catholic Church.
My statement was aimed at those who follow (and/or take to extremes) the tenets of any earthly organization (usually calling itself a "church"). The point applies equally as well to extreme glossolalia-addicts, to closed-minded YEC adherents -- or to the Kool-aid drinking followers of Jim Jones.
There is a slippery slope between such overzealousness and truly Satanic behaviour -- and Satan stands ready to push things in his preferred direction. (A good example of this is Islam -- as visualized by its adherents slicing their children's heads with knives and then parading the bloodied tykes through the streets.)
Nothing in Paul's Rom 8:17 implies self-inflicted punishment -- and certainly not self-abuse for public show.
As I said (in shorthand), Christ (not some earthly teaching) is the model for our behavior. (Did He place the crown of thorns on His own Head?)
Next time, "Please, try to understand rather than throw out cheap shots."
Religion and what Jesus did on that cross are sometimes at cross purposes. The scriptures don’t mean we should inflict pain on ourselves to suffer for Jesus...it means that when we are persecuted or killed by those outside of the faith for Him, we should endure it. To do something like this should send warning signals up at how seriously religion and Christianity are often at cross purposes. And yes, there is a difference between religion and knowing Christ personally.
He did the suffering on that cross for our sins. No where in scripture does it say we are to repeat that over and over. And in a way, it’s a mockery of what happened to do so. Christ suffered FAR worse than these people who are up there for a few minutes. Ask them, if they truly want to replicate this, to be flogged until your internal organs are exposed, then to have a crown of thornes pushed down on your forehead, then to be crucified for hours against a rough barked tree with your back already torn to shreds.
And worst of all...tell them to take every sin of every human being ever born upon themselves, and then be separated spiritually from God.
Even then, they won’t be doing a thing...even if they go through all of that.
Why are you upset? Did I say anything untrue?
Upset? Moi?
As far as I can see, both you and I posted our comments (#7, #8, & #9) to GrannyML -- in response to her #5.
You and I are in basic agreement. And I am not upset -- and certainly not with you! :-)
So, for you, as well, I'll repeat (again) GrannyML's lovely blessing:
"Have a blessed Easter"! -- and I'll add on a smiley :-) to try to convey that I was (and am) not intending to be, in the least, sarcastic...
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