Are these people totally bonkers

[ecoman]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/manchester/ 7584446.stm

[Rosetta]

Didn't some monk s and nuns use the scourge as self punishment in the Catholic Church?
Many moons ago .they could also have been quite young.
However the implement in this case sounds quite dangerous

[andy-hughes]

It's easy to see others' cultural practices as 'bonkers' to our western eyes - but is it any stranger than worshiping a man who suffered a common criminal's death to stamp out insurgents in occupied territory a few thousand years ago?

I do not for one moment condone cruelty to anyone, no matter what the justification, but it is well wide of the mark to simply dismiss concepts that are bizarre to us, but perfectly acceptable religious observance to others.

God forbid that powerful Western nations should wish to enforce their beliefs about 'freedom' on other nations by use of uninvited military power and occupation, now that would be bonkers ... wouldn't it?

[Quinlad]

I was raised as a Catholic. I had my first Communion and every week after that I was expected to drink communion wine.

This is fortified wine, usually around 15% alcohol.

I was 8 years old.

What were these sinister believers trying to do to me?

[Ethel]

Some Catholics flagellate too

http://english.ohmynews.com/articleview/articl e_view.asp?article_class=5&no=382155&rel_no=1

And crucify boys

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-540453 /Boy-15-nailed-cross-Filipinos-whip-crucify-go ry-Good-Friday-ritual.html

[anotheoldgit]

What were these sinister believers trying to do to me?

Turn you into a "Pi** Head" and do you know what they succeeded.

[sp1814]

Ha ha...I'm so naive...I thought flagellation was something quite different.

Of course these aren't moderate Muslims. What nonsense. These are flipping extreme Muslims.

Actually...I've just remembered - members of Opus Dei flaggelate themselves don't they?

Of course...they don't as far as I'm aware, force it on minors. But then again, nor do Muslims.

Hands up who'd heard of this practice before today!

Because it's not common. We'd know about it if it were.

[sp1814]

Quinlad

I once went to holy communion and the wine was definitely watered down.

I was abhorred.

[vehelpfulguy]

Lets face it many religions expect you to do, or not do, some very stange things because it was written down somewhere 2,000 years ago.

You cant eat this meat, you cant eat meat on a Friday, you cant work on a Saturday, you have to wear this hat or that scarf, you have to put a knife down your sock, you have to let your hair grow long, you have to fast for a month during daylight hours and so it goes on.

I went to Birmingham airport yesterday and saw a sign for a Wadu. I believe this is a place where you have to wash (your feet?) before prayers.

Lets face it, it is all a load of crap and just a load of stupid practices added by man thinking it appeases a "god".

[Panic Button]

Spot on v.helpful.

At most only one religion can be right, so the rest in their silly hats and frocks waving incense or whatever look pretty silly.

[Booldawg]

There is only one God. Maybe all religions are right, depending on how you were brought up. Maybe God expects you to follow your respective faiths as instructed; deviating or simply not following is a failure. The differences in religious opinion are is a very well constructed smokescreen, designed to test your faith. This means that all atheists are bug***ed but whats a bit of collatoral damage to the bigger picture?

[sp1814]

Inside every "moderate" Muslim there is an extremist just dying (no pun intended) to get out it seems.

????

Are ya kidding me?

[sandbach99]

Accordingto Granada news, the practice is forbidden to under 16 year olds and the boys wanted to attend the ceremony but not use the blades but were forced to do so.

Did the boys parents report it to the police? I haven't heard how the police got to hear about it

[andy-hughes]

Raggy - not sure if you were referring to my answer, but if so - I was not using the origin of Christianity to excuse anything - merely using it as a point of reference to illustrate that different faiths follow different practices for different reasons, and each obviously believe their own to be right - as is the case here.

[BertiWooster]

As the dragons say on Dragons Den - Shall I tell you where i'm at ?

As far as i'm concerned if your relegion requires you to poke your head inside a oven set at gas mark 8 ; then that is a matter for you ; subject to the following proviso -

- You are an adult , mentally capable of making that choice , and you are not forced into it if you do not want to

- it is not against the law

- You are not a minor .

Trouble is i'm not convinced that the leaders and or families , do not put pressure on some of these people to conform - that in my opinion is the problem .

[BertiWooster]

AOG
'' Turn you into a "Pi** Head" and do you know what they succeeded.''

Is this the same AOG , who posted the following on another thread ?


'' Eh! Thomas, why are you so rude, nasty, and obnoxius?

Can't you just disagree with me, but in a more polite way, or is it all down to your upbringing?

If this is the case then perhaps I should forgive you, because then it becomes obvious, that you know no better. ''










'' Eh! Thomas, why are you so rude, nasty, and obnoxius?

Can't you just disagree with me, but in a more polite way, or is it all down to your upbringing?

If this is the case then perhaps I should forgive you, because then it becomes obvious, that you know no better. ''

[keyplus90]

First of all this is a practice among only Shia Muslims. Shia�s are not more than 10% of the total Muslim population. Then even among Shia�s not all of them believe in it. And then what do you think is the reason for the dispute between Shia & Sunni you always hear in the news. Why do you think Sadam had banned all these sort of practices in Iraq. It has nothing to do with Islam.