Philippine Devotees Nailed to Cross — The end is near.
Fernando Mamangon, 37, was among the first of some 30 men scheduled to go through the Good Friday rites in three villages in northern Pampanga province’s San Fernando city. Five other devotees, including a woman, were nailed to crosses in nearby Bulacan province. It was Mamangon’s 13th straight year for the rite, which penitents endure to fulfill a vow or pray for a cure for illnesses.
On Wednesday, Archbishop Paciano B. Aniceto of San Fernando city urged devotees not to turn Holy Week into a “circus.” Aniceto said he has been telling penitents “to take time to thank God for the blessings and never use their devotion for tourism purposes.” The yearly tradition has become a tourist attraction, especially in San Fernando’s San Pedro Cutud village, which sometimes draws thousands of local and foreign tourists.
Aside from the cross nailings, scores of men pound their bleeding bare backs with bamboo sticks dangling from ropes in a flagellation rite meant to atone for sins.
Hold it, Hold it! These guys are nailing themselves to a cross to “pray for a cure for illness”?
What? Huh? I’m missing the logic here. Wouldn’t that be “praying for an illness to cure”?
These are some guys in need of a cock punch.
What John C Dvorak calls “crackpot Catholics” I see as devoted Christians seeking to understand the depth of their savior’s sacrifice.
And to use such a derogatory term only proves how BIGOTED “dvorak.ork/blog” truly has become.
#3 – Would you have preferred “crackpot people with imaginary friends?”
#3
While I admire the good works of good people everywhere, religious or not, I have to disagree.
I cannot see in my wildest imagining Jesus coming down in a cloud of glory and saying “Hey, why don’t you guys drive some nails through your hands or flail yourselves or something to prove to me you care.”
I thought that Jesus was about doing good works and showing your devotion by taking care of your fellow man, which includes yourself.
No self-mutilation here. Nowhere in sight.
Just my view on things…
#3
“What John C Dvorak calls “crackpot Catholics” I see as devoted Christians seeking to understand the depth of their savior’s sacrifice.”
…and as a bonus, they’re a very compelling tourist attraction too. 🙂
Well to truly feel the saviour’s suffering one has to die for three days. Duh.
If Jesus/God/Holy Spirit really cared–wouldn’t he tell them to stop?
Also, I’ve never understood what “sacrifice” was involved in sending yourself to die when you have everlasting life all at the same time.
#3–Matt==what exactly was the sacrifice that was made?
Hey! Don’t knock it till you’ve tried it, John!
Matt, by definition most Christians are bigots. So what’s your point?
Matt, in fact i would take my last statement one step further and postulate that there are far fewer bigots among atheists than there are among Christians or believers of any religion in general.
Most atheists were “Christians” reared by Christian families who were eventually became atheist. Those atheists had personally experienced the religious superiority over mere animals, and the conceitedness of praising a creator. Then they personally experienced the complete rejection of supernatural origins, accepted the humble truth of being nothing more than the most intelligent species of animal, rather than the children of a god.
Alternatively, a Christian is born and raised as such, part of which is demonizing atheism, and being superior to all living things as the most important creations of a god, separate from all other animals in that way. Even a born again Christian rarely if ever, by all recollected examples, reverted from atheism. Rather,they had a different religious belief or they were bad Christians by Christian standards, and never experienced the feeling of certainty that there is absolutely no supernatural god reining over humanity.
So while atheists usually have had the experience of being both atheist and Christian, most Christians have not.
Being bigoted requires prejudice against those who hold different opinions, and prejudice is a preconceived opinion that is not based on reason or actual experience.
So, without knowing the religious background of posters here Matt, you really can’t judge anyone as being a bigot. I speak from experience.
Who are you to judge someone elses beliefs. They aren’t trying to hurt you and they aren’t impeding on any of your natural freedoms. Wars are started by people judging others beliefs. Although I think it’s weird that’s just from my viewpoint. I’m sure they feel many of my and your actions are weird as well.
Look, I agree this is as creepy as hell but it’s anything but unusual. Self-inflicted suffering clearly meets some universal human urge.
If it’s not religious, then its something like the Iron Man triathlon or climbing Mt. Everest.
Here’s a link to last year’s Crucifixion Tour Package schedule. Tour operators scheduled brunch for 10:00 on Good Friday morning so tourists would have enough time to eat before the Crucifixion Rites started at 11:30. Personally, I usually like to have a little more time to digest a meal before I watch a crucifixion, but that’s just me. If you throw up during the ritual, they don’t have snacks scheduled until 3:00 PM, so try not to get nauseous watching the torture.
Come for the transformational spiritual experience, but stay for the terrific Philippine cuisine 😉
Okay, this blog used to be great, but now it keeps reporting these disgusting things that make me sick. Dvorak.. come on, this used to be a joke/tech blog, now it’s a disgusting blog about what sick people do. I’d rather not know, thanks.
Shame on you John for reporting what they are doing there. Can you please post more stuff on what the Christians are doing in this country? Sometimes it’s nice to see the twisted way man, in his human ways, can change the true word of God. So many hypocrites any more.
Am I an ashiest if I believe in God but don’t practice any organized religion?
What else is new? Saying these people are odd for having themselves crucified is kind of repetitive – these are the same people who believe an all-powerful, all-knowing being created everything, that he sits in the sky watching everything everyone does, and that after you die you go to a beautiful sanctuary in the sky.
It’s all crazy if you ask me.
Gary,
Your post reminded me of a story my friend told about the first cremation he went to in an Asian country. He said the body was right there on the pile of wood for all to watch getting burned up.
He said it was traumatic and it took all he could do not to hurl, especially when they served BBQ!
♪Always look on the bright side of life… ♫♪do- doo-do, do-doo-do…♫♪
RBG
Would you call me a crazy lunatic If I stuck a nail through my nose, ears, bellybutton, and private part? Would you if I added some nice tattoos also? How bout I call you Bro and pull my pants half way down and turn my hat cockeyed. What is a crazy lunatic these days?
OK…more jokes in the weeks ahead.
Hey, Catshit! Here’s an article you really need to read and use!
http://tinyurl.com/39g6zr
I guess there wouldn’t be religion if there weren’t a healthy supply of wackos who followed it.
#16 – We know what “christians” are doing in this country. We have the misfortune to be exposed to televangelists while grazing on cable. I rate that right up there with hip-hop and rap music.
If these nut cases that nail themselves to crosses really wanted to impress me, they would go with cremation. I’d donate the gas, pass the plate, tape it for You Tube and otherwise help out anyway I could. I’d promise not to laugh when the “God Hates Fags” people show up.
thank god that in Islam its forbidden to torture yourself in the name of god. In Koran its mentioned that your body has rights and you are responsible for its well being. No one needs to suffer just to please god. Too bad too many suicide bombings carried by some fanatics are linked to Islam while in Islam , suicide is out of the question. Even if you’re dying of some incurable disease (god forbid) you’re still not allowed to pray for death.
#22–Ah Yea==the link at the bottom of the article to play the game were dead. Too bad, I wanted to play.
I think the standard “prisoner’s dilemma” is different because it (like life?) isn’t about “averages” but rather about the situation at hand right now?
I wonder how much the “real” lesson of that competition game actually applies to life?
#26 bobbo, there was a minor mistake in the link. Try this instead:
http://www.princeton.edu/~mdaniels/PD/PD.html
#22,Ah yea,
I fail to see the relevance between someone’s version of a lame game and their extrapolation to real life. Maybe they could have actually played a more relevant game such as Risk or a physical sport such as hockey or lacrosse.
But thanks anyway for playing the game.