This is crazy

[Norman Humann]

Devotees in the fervently Catholic Philippines marked Good Friday by being nailed to crosses and whipping their backs bloody, in extreme acts of devotion that attracted thousands of spectators.

As the flagellants made an excruciatingly slow barefoot march to the hill in San Juan, a rural district of San Fernando north of Manila where the crucifixions were to take place, some of them stopped at times to lay face down on the hot pavement and let children flog them with twigs.

Five men had nails hammered through their palms and feet while four others, some with fake beards drawn on their faces to resemble Christ, were tied to the crosses.
They wailed in pain as attendants, costumed as Roman centurions, pounded the nails through their palms.

I've known many deeply devout believers, but this is a completely new level. It's insane. I had to check the date to see if this wasn't some kind of April Fools joke.

The fact that some would voluntarily mutilate their bodies like this and put themselves through such torture in the name of some deity is absolutely terrifying to me. The particularly disturbing part, if one can be differentiated from all this madness is that children were taking part in this apparently annual ritual. If that doesn't mess them up, I don't know what would.

And they even manage to make money out of it.

San Fernando Mayor Edwin Santiago openly conceded that the religious ritual has vast economic benefits for the community.

“We don’t have the exact record of the money… but for sure the Good Friday activities help our locals in their businesses,” he said.

Well, since you shall love your neighbour as yourself, I'd pack my shit and leave immediately if I was your neighbor.

[watchamadoodle]

Thank goodness Christians aren't crazy like those Muslims

[Alex K]

Sweet gorilla of manila!

[Norman Humann]

Insanity knows no limits. This is much more masochistic than islamic extremism, though. Still appalling. The article mentions tourists who got blood splattered over their clothing while watching the ritual... just... no words.

[AFTT47]

They did the same thing every year (though not to such an extreme) in Guam during the six years I lived there. Hindus do some pretty nasty stuff of that type too. I say let them knock themselves out. At least they aren't hurting other people.

[Norman Humann]

They did the same thing every year (though not to such an extreme) in Guam during the six years I lived there. Hindus do some pretty nasty stuff of that type too. I say let them knock themselves out. At least they aren't hurting other people.

Well, at least it's voluntary... but still, what drives a person to do something like this?

My mind is full of fuck.

[Pyrrho]

...
I've known many deeply devout believers, but this is a completely new level. ...

It isn't new at all.  It has been going on for many years.

Also, other forms of "mortification of the flesh" has been practiced for a very, very long time:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mortificat..._the_flesh

But yes, it is pretty crazy.

[Polaris]

They do this every year. The Moslems also have their own celebration where they perform similar self mortification, but I forgot the name of it.

[Norman Humann]

It isn't new at all.  It has been going on for many years.

Also, other forms of "mortification of the flesh" has been practiced for a very, very long time:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mortificat..._the_flesh

But yes, it is pretty crazy.

I know, but it's news to me, I've never heard about it before.

They do this every year. The Moslems also have their own celebration where they perform similar self mortification, but I forgot the name of it.

So... is it safe to assume that self-mutilation is a common practice among religions?

[Polaris]

That and self-deprivation.