Can anyone comprehed this religious practice?

What are they doing to themselves exactly?

I dunno, I was brought up a Catholic, and if the nun didn't want you going in the hallway for a drink of water after recess, she would tell you to swallow your spit and offer up your thirst to Jesus.

I never could get how one is supposed to offer up their pain.

If I was to slash myself in front of another person and tell them I was doing this for him/her, they'd put me under death watch at the mental illness holding facility, and call me a stalker.

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They're f*cking idiots. There is no way any other conclusion can be reached in this day and age. F*cking stupid backward-ass idiots.

Although, if they let me, I'd love to help them out in their suffering by kicking each one of them in the face a few times as hard as I can. I'd enjoy that.

Idiots.

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ok, now that cyracruz has gotten 2 opinions from the intelligentsia, let's see what the less literate have to say...

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Chai wrote:

What are they doing to themselves exactly?

They are slashing at their own heads with swords and knifes. Also they use whips and stick to beat at themselves.

This practice is illegal in every country of the world, and it is only in the areas controlled by Hizbollah that it's allowed.

The irony is that these muslims rejoyce in the demise of Saddam Hussein, because under his rule they weren't allowed to do this thing in public.

There was a video on the page where I found these images (norwegian speaking site, or I'd post a link) where a small boy was slicing at his scalp with a knife.

I'm having a hard time comprehending how this can be anything but insanity. Confused

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http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/41560000/jpg/_41560594_flagellation416_ap.jpg

http://pre.guerrero.gob.mx/pics/art/articles/31/normal.turismo_flagelacion310306.jpg

http://media.eresmas.com/biblioteca/img/starmedia05/Procesion_G.jpg

They do this to suffer along with Jesus Christ, killed in the year 33. He was the son of Joseph the Carpenter and Virgin Mary.

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fbaezer wrote:

They do this to suffer along with Jesus Christ, killed in the year 33. He was the son of Joseph the Carpenter and Virgin Mary.

Thank you for some educated sanity Fbaezer.

Yes, many religions across the eons have had adherents who perform various acts of self or other injury in the name of their gods.

Think of Jews etc and foreskins, just as one example, still vigorously defended in the west by its adherents, which would, without this tradition, clearly be labelled child abuse.

Some male adherents of Diana cut off their genitals for their goddess....some cut off others' genitals for god....various flagellatory and other tortuous practices have a long tradition in Christianity.

I think they are all rather nuts, but cherry picking only the nuttiness of Muslims is unfair.

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fbaezer

Thank you for that. Now there is a chance that this won't turn into a christianity vs islam debate. Those christians beating themselves aren't more comprehenible to me than are the muslims.

Both cases display a zeal that borders on insanity, and to be honest I think the world would be better off without it. It scares me what some people are able to do based on some friggin fantasy.

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sorry, I wasn't trying to turn it into a christian vs. islam thing, I'm just not familiar enough with other practices.

Some people are natural fanatics, and others are natural followers of these fanatics. I'm not sure if that makes these people fanatics to, or just a way to blend in with the others.

Look at other atrocities that have taken place, not involved in religion, where many just follow along.

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I can understand accepting pain in order to accept an Order of the Universe, but embracing pain?

Personally, I find "normal" life difficult--and messy--enough without deliberately drawing blood.

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Noddy24 wrote:

I can understand accepting pain in order to accept an Order of the Universe, but embracing pain?

Personally, I find "normal" life difficult--and messy--enough without deliberately drawing blood.

One assumes such practices lead to endorphins being released en masse, and lead to a kind of entranced ecstasy.

People who self mutilate because of emotional trauma report tremendous relief.

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dlowan wrote:

One assumes such practices lead to endorphins being released en masse, and lead to a kind of entranced ecstasy.

People who self mutilate because of emotional trauma report tremendous relief.

Interesting dlowan.
Would you say then that those who have a "herd mentality" in general are partly/mainly being part of the group, not just for the security it offers, but because it too produces these endorphins?

I'm thinking of situations like rock concerts, political rallies, competitive sports. I've seen people acting so out of character at these events, it's like they are strangers.

Of course, depending on the situation, it might behoove one to play the part of joining in, as the consequences of not participating might be preceived to be worse.

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Chai wrote:

dlowan wrote:

One assumes such practices lead to endorphins being released en masse, and lead to a kind of entranced ecstasy.

People who self mutilate because of emotional trauma report tremendous relief.

Interesting dlowan.
Would you say then that those who have a "herd mentality" in general are partly/mainly being part of the group, not just for the security it offers, but because it too produces these endorphins?

I'm thinking of situations like rock concerts, political rallies, competitive sports. I've seen people acting so out of character at these events, it's like they are strangers.

Of course, depending on the situation, it might behoove one to play the part of joining in, as the consequences of not participating might be preceived to be worse.

Damned if I know.

I do not know that the Abramamic three are all that comfortable with ecstatic experience (which I am assuming the self mutilating religious form part of the tradition of)...although they, and pantheism, seem to have been able to tolerate them if they don't get too out of hand (for pantheistic versions, look at the rites of Dionysos, and, in a more controlled form, the Eleusinian mysteries)...for christians, the charismatic folk and such ecstatics as Juliana of Norwich.

I suspect the ecstatics tend to be more on the non corformist end of the scale these days, but I have no claim to expertise on such matters.

The rock concert and sporting event have, for most of us, replaced the mass ecstatic "religious" experience in the west I suspect.

Which probably means we crave for it!

Better that than Nuremberg Rallies, I guess.