A little too fervent about Easter....

[Veritas]

Yikes!

Dozens of Catholic devotees were nailed to crosses, scores more whipped their backs and others chanted the Passion of Jesus Christ as Filipinos mixed faith and gory ritual on Good Friday.

Frowned on by church authorities, the voluntary crucifixions in villages north of the capital Manila are one of the most extreme displays of religious devotion in Asia's largest Roman Catholic state.

Monsignor Pedro Quitorio, spokesman of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, said the church discourages such rituals because the penitents were expecting rewards for hurting themselves.

"We only encourage the faithfuls to fast, pray and confess their sins," Quitorio told Reuters. "We can't stop the practice. It is not necessary, but the church has no police power. These rituals challenge us to guide our flock on the true teachings of the Catholic church."

In the small village of Cutud in Angeles City in Pampanga, about 80 km (50 miles) north of Manila, the crucifixion of Jesus Christ was re-enacted in a colorful street play with dozens of men carrying wooden crosses as heavy as 50 kg (110 pounds) and scores whipping their backs to a bloody pulp.

After walking barefoot for more than a kilometer around the village in scorching heat, the drama ended at a man-made hill where 11 men were nailed to crosses with three-inch nails driven into their hands and feet.

the rest of the story at:
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/regio ... -friday-rp

 

[Adullam]

First, we should not egg these people on at Easter. Many are basket cases although they are often as innocent as bunnies. We can't just passover this kind of behaviour, nevertheless. They need to be warned to not be so fertile in their imaginations.

 

[Caroline H]

I think it's sad that they feel they need to do this.

 

[Vic C.]

When one reads the passage surrounding this verse:

1 Ki 18:28 And they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lancets, till the blood gushed out upon them.

one will realize God does not reward this type of behavior at all.

 

[destiny]

I agree Vic, and was thinking how deceptive and brutal religion is apart from Jesus Christ. It's so good to be free in Jesus!

 

[lovely]

We can not 'pay' for healings and faith. The Lord accepts a broken and contrite heart only. I hope the local churches are able to show these people in the word how wrong this is.

 

[Jon-Marc]

Unfortunately, too many people have been taught that they have to atone for their own sins, but that is just not possible or necessary. When Jesus said on the cross, "It is finished", He meant that the work for our salvation was finished. There was nothing more to do except for us except to humbly come to Him in repentance and call upon Him for forgiveness and cleansing, which I did on May 18, 1963.

 

[MMarc]

What about those who sin after going to the cross?

This is where atonement kicks in, even after coming out of Egypt at Passover, God put forth a feast called atonement.

Look at the letter to the churches, these were all Christian churches who came to the cross, but sinned afterwards, how do you keep their names in Heaven if you sin after becoming a Christian?

I know God did away with carnal sacrifice, so I don't agree that by there works they will atone of course, but by curcumcision of the heart.

 

[AnnieHere]

First, we should not egg these people on at Easter. Many are basket cases although they are often as innocent as bunnies. We can't just passover this kind of behaviour, nevertheless. They need to be warned to not be so fertile in their imaginations.

Eloquently stated.