Nine crucified in Philippines for Good Friday re-enactment

[Warren Stupidity]

Roman Catholic devotees in northern Philippines nailed themselves to crosses today as hundreds gathered to watch the annual Good Friday crucifixion re-enactment.

Two inch nails were hammered through the hands and feet of the nine penitents, eight local men and one Danish filmmaker, by men dressed as Roman centurions before they were hung for several minutes on wooden crosses in the small village of Cutud.

The re-enactments are a mixture of local folk beliefs and the global Christian faith, although church leaders have spoken against the practice which attracts large crowds each year in the northern Pampagna province.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/nine-crucified-in-philippines-for-good-friday-reenactment-9269827.html

[rug]

1. "church leaders have spoken against the practice"

BTW, you left out the good part:

Only locals can partake in the rituals in some villages after an Australian comic using a fake name was crucified and in 1996 a Japanese citizen attempted to get nailed to the cross as part of a porn film.

[goldent]

2. Wonder if "getting nailed" has the same sexual meaning in Japanese.

[rug]

5. He must have been hammered when he tried it.

[frylock]

6. crucifixion porn?!

serial WTF?!!

[rug]

7. I googled. It exists. Don't google.

[frylock]

9. hoo boy..

it takes different strokes to move the world, yes it does.

[nil desperandum]

3. Well then

I guess I missed the part in the scriptures where Jesus told the disciples, "And remember, every year on the anniversary of my death nail a few of your followers on the cross to commemorate the day..."

It's probably in the same section that promotes the use of Santa Claus to celebrate his birthday.

[trotsky]

4. Yikes.

If I were god, I'd speak to these people to try and keep them from hurting and potentially killing themselves just to "honor" me.

[cleanhippie]

8. No. This is absolutely NOT a cult.

[rug]

10. "church leaders have spoken against the practice"

Glad you agree with them.

[Brettongarcia]

11. This has gone on for some time in New Mexico; "Penitentes." Some crucified; some died.

"Follow me."

http://www.charleslummis.com/penitente.htm [Some photos may be of simulations; though such crucifixions were later adequately documented by regional press accounts in northern New Mexico, and Southern Colorado]

From examples like this some might come to worry about the overly self-sacrificing side of Christianity. Which can become self destructive, or suicidal. As we see in the excesses not only of Penitentes, but also various fasting ascetics. Who sometimes starved to death.

[hrmjustin]

12. Oh lord!

[Iggo]

13. Fucking.Morons.