I don't get this...

www.dailymail.co.uk...

Boy, 15, nailed to a cross as Filipinos whip and crucify themselves in gory Good Friday ritual

Frankly it piss me off! As a follower of Christ I feel that this mock crucifying flies in the face of Christ, making what he did for the World nothing. Sad!

Some peoples kids.

Roper

It was for nothing, just like this show is for nothing. Don't you get it yet?

Has a blood sacrifice ever changed anything?

reply to post by ben91069


Jesus' blood sacrifice changed and affected the whole world whether you believe he is the son of God or not.

His sacrifice created an entirely new religion that is practiced the world over, without his sacrifice the world would be a different place today, with no Christianity at all.

Who knows whether it would be worse or better, but it would still be completely different and it was a blood sacrifice that changed it into what it is today.


As for the nutters who crucify and whip themselves, let them get on with it, they're only hurting themselves.

Faith can drive people to anything, If it makes people feel spiritually complete by doing such an act then good luck to them, Just because it sounds barbaric to a lot of people is no reason to insult their intelligence.

Being of the Pagan faith i believe 100% in spiritual freedom, for the glory of the soul, and whilst i don't condone anything the Christian faith does (for obvious reasons) I do believe they have a right to worship any way they like, just like Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, Pagans, as long as they leave others alone which unfortunately does not happen.

I just refuse to drop to the level of the hypocrites in every faith. and that includes ridicule because i find something strange.

I'm sorry, but I think the masochistic element in some of today's religions is, frankly, pretty sick. I do not understand why, in contemporary times, people still abuse themselves on behalf of a faith. Hasn't history taught us anything about valuing ourselves above an institution?

Originally posted by azzllin
Faith can drive people to anything, If it makes people feel spiritually complete by doing such an act then good luck to them, Just because it sounds barbaric to a lot of people is no reason to insult their intelligence.

I couldn't read that whole article, it was that disturbing to me, but I agree with you about spiritual freedom. There are a lot of rituals in the world today that I can't see myself doing, but that doesn't deminish their importance to the ppl who practice them. I don't think that we should point fingers at the Philipinoes and say, "You are mocking what Jesus died for!" Seems to me that to do something this extreme would be more about sharing his experience. I don't think he had that in mind for them, but I can see how extreme faith could make you want to do as he did.

Funny thing is, from what I know of Jesus he didn't choose this corse for himself, he allowed it to happen cause that's what God wanted. These men are choosing to participate. Does make a difference when you think about it, but then like I said I couldn't read the whole article so I may have that wrong.

Christianity doesn't have any self inflicted torture such as that. Only Roman Catholics does that in that country. This practice comes from a pagan source.

..

The following are customs of self torture as an act of penance are practiced worldwide from different religions:

(Don't view if you have a weak stomach, viewer discretion is advised)


Roman Catholic

i2.tinypic.com...
www.youtube.com...
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Thaipusam (Hindu)

i3.tinypic.com...
www.youtube.com...


Trang Vegetarian Festival (Taoist Lent):

i5.tinypic.com...
www.youtube.com...
www.youtube.com...
www.youtube.com...

give me a break, what about people who pierce themselves or people who get tattoos, or plastic surgery, or people into s&m? is this is so much worse because its for religious belief?

scared of a little bit of strong faith?

Originally posted by amitheone
Christianity doesn't have any self inflicted torture such as that. Only Roman Catholics does that in that country. This practice comes from a pagan source.

What! So are you saying Roman Catholics aren't Christians? I think they would strongly disagree with you, since they were the one's who gave you the Bible as you know it today! hehe nice try on the Pagan comment too, so show us the Pagan source it comes from, because last I checked, Catholics were not Pagan's. Although they did steal a lot of our traditions. lmao

Originally posted by ben91069
It was for nothing, just like this show is for nothing. Don't you get it yet?

Has a blood sacrifice ever changed anything?

Jesus was the "last" blood sacrifice. Ben it's all a spiritual thing and it has changed people.

Roper

I find it mildly revolting that people would do these things to themselves in an effort to draw closer to God, but I find it completely reprehensible that it would involve a 15 year old.

If you are of an age of majority, I believe that you should be free to make your own decisions, including those that I disagree with; but a minor should never have been allowed to participate in this.

Eric

reply to post by owzitgarn



Yes it definitely did make a difference. But, it hasn't changed a thing for the salvation of man.

Gee, a kid crucifies himself, or another kid whips his back bloody, another straps on a bomb and gets on a bus, another shoots indiscriminately into a crowd, all in the name of God.

This says less about the kids than the state of religion today, or the state that religion has always been.

Free the chains from your mind, and the chains on your soul will melt away.

These sort of practises have occured in religions all over the world for just about forever. Willing sacrifice of flesh and blood is a way of drawing closer to whichever God you or your people worship.

Nothing really all that strange about it. Not my cup of tea, but to each his or her own.

Originally posted by enchantress62

Originally posted by amitheone
Christianity doesn't have any self inflicted torture such as that. Only Roman Catholics does that in that country. This practice comes from a pagan source.

What!

So are you saying Roman Catholics aren't Christians? I think they would strongly disagree with you, since they were the one's who gave you the Bible as you know it today! hehe nice try on the Pagan comment too, so show us the Pagan source it comes from, because last I checked, Catholics were not Pagan's. Although they did steal a lot of our traditions. lmao

Seems to me you are not familiar with pagan symbolism and practices.

The original Christians were over run by the Roman pagans who were in power. Since Christianity was already emerging as a popular belief, they took Christian beliefs and mix it with their pagan traditions, and thus the Roman Catholics was born.

These are most common in pagan practices:

1. Repetitive prayers
2. Prayer Formulas for invoking a dead saint or an angel
3. Idols made of wood, stone, or gold. (Statues of their gods and goddesses)
4. Prayer beads to assist them in counting the repetitive prayers
5. Image of their gods and godesses in pictures or paintings
6. They carry the statues/idols of their gods during a procession
7. Self Torture

True Christianity don't do the above.

Do a research, I'm sure its easy to spot the differences.

reply to post by amitheone


Other pagan rituals:

1) Using a ring as a symbol of fidelity in marriage
2) Declaring worship of the spouse
3) Set weekly worship in a regular space, overseen by a professional clergy
4) Singing in worship
5) Wearing of white by the bride in a wedding
6) Having a male and a female witness or signatory for the wedding ceremony
7) Having memorial ceremonies for deceased loved ones

All of which (and many more) are practiced by Protestants.

What does this mean? Absolutely nothing.

Eric

Originally posted by amitheone

Seems to me you are not familiar with pagan symbolism and practices.

The original Christians were over run by the Roman pagans who were in power. Since Christianity was already emerging as a popular belief, they took Christian beliefs and mix it with their pagan traditions, and thus the Roman Catholics was born.



lol I'm Wiccan so I think I know a thing or two about Pagan practices, and I think you got you're information backwards. Here read this and I think you'll see what I'm talking about.

341 CE: Many now believe that Christianity became the dominant religion of the Empire through the evangelical efforts of the early church during the fourth century CE. The evidence seems to show that this is not true; "The Greek-Roman world was not...converted to a new religion, but compelled to embrace it." The Emperor Theodosian issued a series of decrees or rescripts in the years 341, 345, 356, 381, 383, 386 and 391 CE. The effect of these orders was to "suppress all rival religions, order the closing of the temples, and impose fines, confiscation, imprisonment or death upon any who cling to the older [Pagan] religions."

Here's the link where I got this information from.

www.religioustolerance.org...

Sorry still relatively new to this site so haven't learned how to use those outside source boxes yet. lol