Filipinos nailed to crosses in extreme display of devotion for Good Friday

the culture of deference

Ruben Enaje, 52, who is portraying Jesus Christ for the 27th time, screams as he hangs on a wooden cross during a Good Friday crucifixion re-enactment in San Pedro Cutud town, Pampanga province, north of Manila March 29, 2013.
TWO dozen Filipinos were nailed to crosses today in an extreme display of devotion that the Catholic church looks down upon as a form of folk religion but appears powerless to stop.

The re-enactment of the passion of Jesus Christ draws thousands of tourists to the Pampanga region, 80 km (50 miles) north of the capital, to watch barefoot penitents flagellate themselves and a series of crucifixions on an artificial hill.

The practice, which took hold in the province about 60 years ago as form of religious vow by poor people seeking forgiveness, a cure for illness and the fulfilment of other wishes. About 80 percent of its 96 million people are Catholic.

Archbishop Paciano Aniceto said the gory practice was a distortion of Christ's teachings of love and selfless service.

"I do not think it is right to close our doors to them just because they are more attracted to these folk practices than to our Roman liturgy which they may find too foreign or cerebral."

"We do this because of our faith not because we're paid," said Ruben Inaje, a house painter who has played the role of Christ for 27 years.

"Two years ago, I said it would be the last time I'd do it. But every time I say that, my wife gets sick. I guess God wants me to continue this sacrifice as a lifetime vow.

Souvenir and food vendors staked out the hill and people selling ice-cream and sodas wandered among the crowd.

newbie2013

Jesus ****ing christ, the worlds gone mad. Religon is a ****ing joke lol

The Pheasant

Went to the Philipines in '04 and saw this live - pretty gruesome

The Big Red Button

Ah Jaysus, would ya be arsed, like!

Mental stuff.

Dades

the culture of deference wrote: »

"Two years ago, I said it would be the last time I'd do it. But every time I say that, my wife gets sick. I guess God wants me to continue this sacrifice as a lifetime vow."

I've read about God in the bible. That makes sense.

Pherekydes

the culture of deference wrote: »

... which they may find too foreign or cerebral."

How amusingly ironic!

I guess they skipped the part where they flogged him to within an inch of his life and at the end of the crucifixion the part where they rammed a spear into his side?

Sarky

This is where mtv got the idea for Jackass, right?

car.kar

There's a video of this somewhere on YouTube, it actually shows the nails being hammered in. Fairly barbaric stuff alright.

As for yer man... you'd think god would be a bit sound and stop making his wife sick after he's been nailed to a piece of wood so many times..

Nodin

Pubs must be closed there too....

GarIT

Any links to this? I'm getting a fair amount of aggression and abuse at home over trying to destroy the name of the good and one true faith.

Apparently only crazy people would do this, they didn't appreciate it when I said that I already told them it was the Christians.

gctest50

Is that an Archos mp3 player he has ?

Solair

Nuts! Just completely and totally crazy.

Not only would that be extremely painful, it would also probably leave you permanently disabled and disfigured.

Your hands are an amazing and extremely complicated bit of evolutionary biology. To do something like that to them deliberately is just sick.

You'd end up causing serious damage to nerves, muscles, tendons, bones, blood vessels and lots of other things.

Not only would you have serious scars, but you'd probably never be able to use your hands properly again. You'd probably lose feeling in your fingers, be unable to bend them properly and you'd almost definitely develop arthritis and permanent pain afterwards too.

If you got an infection (quite likely give then circumstances) you'd risk even more damage and possibly loss of your hands if it was particular bad, blood poisoning and even death.

It's just so ridiculously stupid, I don't even know how you'd describe it!

MrPudding

Solair wrote: »

Nuts! Just completely and totally crazy.

Not only would that be extremely painful, it would also probably leave you permanently disabled and disfigured.

Your hands are an amazing and extremely complicated bit of evolutionary biology. To do something like that to them deliberately is just sick.

You'd end up causing serious damage to nerves, muscles, tendons, bones, blood vessels and lots of other things.

Not only would you have serious scars, but you'd probably never be able to use your hands properly again. You'd probably lose feeling in your fingers, be unable to bend them properly and you'd almost definitely develop arthritis and permanent pain afterwards too.

If you got an infection (quite likely give then circumstances) you'd risk even more damage and possibly loss of your hands if it was particular bad, blood poisoning and even death.

It's just so ridiculously stupid it's not even worth commenting on!

Is the fact that these people are still around a valid argument against natural selection?

MrP

Solair

MrPudding wrote: »

Is the fact that these people are still around a valid argument against natural selection?

MrP

Well, natural selection's a rather blunt instrument. It doesn't really care much once you've passed on your genes. Sometimes it's not really a very effective stupidity filter.

However, you'd really think that some of the christian organisations / churches etc would do a little more to condemn this.

It should be getting so much publicity in the media either. It's basically some kind of sadism on behalf of the participants and audience tbh.

wesf

idiots, nothing could justify that!

krudler

"Two years ago, I said it would be the last time I'd do it. But every time I say that, my wife gets sick. I guess God wants me to continue this sacrifice as a lifetime vow.

dafuqqqq?

Deank

What's Religion ??? :rolleyes:

Solair

Inflicting serious injury on someone for religious reasons (or tourism promotion reasons in this case I suspect too) is just deeply, deeply wrong on so many levels.

It just makes me sick even thinking about it. I mean, a hand is such an amazing thing, totally fundamental to everything about being human (using tools, manipulating your environment, physically connecting with other people, communicating, sensory organ) and incredibly sensitive.

It's scary what people will do when they get whipped up into that cult-like fervour.

3ndahalfof6

I hope they were stainless steel, less chance of infection.

Lapin

MrPudding wrote: »

Is the fact that these people are still around a valid argument against natural selection?

MrP

The fact that they're still around at all proves they are doing it wrong.

Zillah

I don't have a problem with this.

Seriously. If a bunch of guys want to put nails through their hands then off you go, have fun, relish sharing in the agony of Jesus. You're not putting nails through the hands of your own children, or gay people, or members of other religions - let's not forget the main reason we're opposed to religion: They're wrong....lol, no; imposition of religious beliefs on others.

Deank

Solair wrote: »

Inflicting serious injury on someone for religious reasons (or tourism promotion reasons in this case I suspect too) is just deeply, deeply wrong on so many levels.

It just makes me sick even thinking about it. I mean, a hand is such an amazing thing, totally fundamental to everything about being human (using tools, manipulating your environment, physically connecting with other people, communicating, sensory organ) and incredibly sensitive.

It's scary what people will do when they get whipped up into that cult-like fervour.

And religions are ; dom dom dom, Cults end of, brain washing, money grabbing cults.

3ndahalfof6

Is there any evidence of them moving on to the next stage and reappearing three days later, why would someone try to out do Jesus, after all he only did it once.

Nodin

Solair wrote: »

Nuts! Just completely and totally crazy.

Not only would that be extremely painful, it would also probably leave you permanently disabled and disfigured.

Your hands are an amazing and extremely complicated bit of evolutionary biology. To do something like that to them deliberately is just sick.

You'd end up causing serious damage to nerves, muscles, tendons, bones, blood vessels and lots of other things.

Not only would you have serious scars, but you'd probably never be able to use your hands properly again. You'd probably lose feeling in your fingers, be unable to bend them properly and you'd almost definitely develop arthritis and permanent pain afterwards too.

If you got an infection (quite likely give then circumstances) you'd risk even more damage and possibly loss of your hands if it was particular bad, blood poisoning and even death.

It's just so ridiculously stupid, I don't even know how you'd describe it!

No, they've got it down to a fine art. Still hurts like a bastard though, by all accounts.

Geomy

Nodin wrote: »

No, they've got it down to a fine art. Still hurts like a bastard though, by all accounts.

Do ye have problems with people swinging from chains attached to piercings on their mickys and tits ?

And people paying to go and see it :S

Nodin

Geomy wrote: »

Do ye have problems with people swinging from chains attached to piercings on their mickys and tits ?

Nope. Why?

3ndahalfof6

Geomy wrote: »

Do ye have problems with people swinging from chains attached to piercings on their mickys and tits ?

And people paying to go and see it :S

mickys tits? she wont let you away with this one.

the culture of deference

Solair wrote: »

Nuts! Just completely and totally crazy.

Not only would that be extremely painful, it would also probably leave you permanently disabled and disfigured.

It's just so ridiculously stupid, I don't even know how you'd describe it!

+1000

Well your man in the pic gets it done every year his wife is sick, I wonder what she thinks, I am sure the holes are permanent now.

Some church will make him a martyr when he dies. ****in nutjobs.

Not as bad as this idiot

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2133896/Actor-accidentally-hangs-stage-enacting-death-Judas-Iscariot-Easter-play.html

An actor in Brazil has died 17-days after being strangled by his own safety equipment during an Easter play.

Tiago Klimeck, 27, hanged himself while re-enacting the death of Judas Iscariot during the performance.

Geomy

3ndahalfof6 wrote: »

mickys tits? she wont let you away with this one.

Lol I know Micky catches small birds then puts rings around their legs,and gets a kick out of watching them hang upside down feeding from bird feeders....

Micky says looking at them through binoculars gives it the high definition look...

Nothing like a pair of blue tits at feeding time on a cold winters morning...
Brings warmth to the soul

sea_monkey

I always thought the nails went through the wrist not the hand? holds up better.

I'll email them.

Geomy

:S