Wasn’t Saint Peter crucified head down because (as tradition tells us) he did not feel worthy to die like his Lord Jesus Christ? Apparently some don’t subscribe to that belief. Keeping to a renowned tradition of subjecting themselves to extreme self-flagellation, Filipino penitents have themselves crucified — for real — in Mining, Pampanga, Philippines. The whole thing was captured by photographer Benny Aldaba.
See the complete album of photos on Facebook here.
* * *
| SUPPORT INDEPENDENT SOCIAL COMMENTARY! Subscribe to our Substack community GRP Insider to receive by email our in-depth free weekly newsletter. Opt into a paid subscription and you'll get premium insider briefs and insights from us. Subscribe to our Substack newsletter, GRP Insider! Learn more |
Centurion and cohorts looking for the accused–with a motorized detachment (above).
A really long nail (above).
The agony of a two-inch nail driven through your palm (above).
Hammering the nail in (above).
Nailed (above).
Penitent whipped with palm stalks (above).
* * *
[Photos published here with permission from photographer Benny Aldaba. For more info or to get in touch with Benny, refer to his Facebook profile at Facebook.com/BennyA.]
benign0 is the Webmaster of GetRealPhilippines.com.
Sometimes, I think religions made people crazy. They nail themselves to crosses. They strapped bombs to their bodies, and blow themselves up, and the non believers. They sit down for a long time, emptying their minds. They go and bath in some Rivers, they believe are Holy…Politicians used religions to deceived people, in order to win elections. Ancient Kings and Emperors called themselves Gods….to have absolute Powers…Cory Aquino is being nominated for Sainthood, inspite of her Greed on massive land scam of the Hacienda Luisita…Maybe, her daughter, Kris Aquino will be the next, to be nominated for Sainthood. This is a Crazy World…
Emperor Constantine in his quest to stay in power allied himself with the troublesome but very fragmented Christians whose strategy of fanatical terrorism is very much similar to that of our present day Talebans. Thus was sown the seeds of organized religion.
I can never dig to this. Even Archie Gerona calls this as an insult. And indeed it was.
Yes, this is indeed insulting. True Christians do something more constructive- and more heart felt than this trash demonstration of ‘faith’. I don’t think that most Filipinos are real Christians. To begin with, when has there ever been a filipino leader of ANY organisation of any kind employed the Christian values that taught them?
Not anyone who said ‘Lord, Lord’ is saved. God would rather spit people out who are spiritually lukewarm. Now, I’ve met atheists who are even more Christianly than most of these other ‘Christians’. I don’t mind rituals if they are expressions of their love for God. However, this is NOT even an act of faith. It is blatantly exploitative and worse, it infects the body of the person. These acts really devalue Christ’s sacrifice for his people- and also devalue those who sincerely follow his teachings.
Sorry for the preachy rant (if I ever come off that way). And for non-believers, I hope you don’t paint all Christians in this same light as others who demonstrate such a distorted, misguided example of Jesus’ teachings. I have immense respect for people who reason well, regardless of their beliefs. Peace.
And I don’t think it’s a Spanish thing either. The Spanish were into self-flagellation, but they weren’t so stupidly religious that they would get crucified for the fun of it.
They showed how real crucifictions were done by the Romans on NG, and it isn’t at all anything like what the Pinoy Priders do. The real ones were meant to squeeze every pain receptor in the body for all their worth, while making the victim suffocate, like drowining in air. All the Pinoy Priders do is show off and lay bullshit.
Folk catholicism. *facepalm*
Filipino priests would encourage it rather than tell people to get off their hungry asses and work.
They even crucify people in the wrong manner. Just goes to show they don’t do real research into their faith and the history behind it. It’s not about Jesus’ suffering and humiliation anymore, it’s for promoting Pinoy Pride.
Christy:
To begin with, when has there ever been a filipino leader of ANY organisation of any kind employed the Christian values that taught them?
-this is just wrong to say..
Don:
Priests have been trying to stop the people from the ritual even condemning it, it’s hard to remove from the culture
Try and visit and help them understand
I truly do not understand the real reason why some people do this. Is it due to ignorance of the true reason why Jesus Christ died on the cross? Don’t they know that penitence does not get rid of sins? If what they want is for their sins to be forgiven all they have to do is to humbly ASK the Lord for forgiveness; repent.
(Isaiah 55:7
Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts. Let them TURN to the LORD, and he will have mercy on them, and to our God, for HE WILL FREELY PARDON)
In my opinion this act is a complete mockery of Christ death on the cross because He died once and for all for all our sins. The Lord does not keep a record of our iniquities, so we can confidently approach the throne of grace and meekly buy our pardon.
“Isaiah 43:25 I, even I, am he who BLOTS OUT YOUR TRANSGRESSIONS, for my own sake, AND REMEMBER YOUR SINS NO MORE .
Isaiah 1:18 (King James Version)
though your sins be as scarlet, THEY SHALL BE WHITE AS SNOW; though they be red like crimson, THEY SHALL BE WHITE AS WOOL.
He is a loving and forgiving God and therefore we crucify Him again and again when our action does not match our faith.
If Peter, the apostle of Christ, didn’t feel he deserve to die in the same manner as the Lord, what then, gave some people the confidence to duplicate his death?
Epal politicians might as well crucify themselves:
Link