Freethought & Rationalism Archive

Toto · 03-24-2002, 11:50 PM

Now that the Taliban has been overthrown, Shi'ite Muslims are free to practice their religious rite of self-flagellation.

<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/international/AP-Afghan-Self-Flagellation.html" target="_blank">Story here</a>

Quote:

As the men chanted, they rhythmically slapped their chests -- raising each hand high in the air and bringing it down, right then left, harder and harder again until their bodies were bright red to experince the suffering of Hussein.

. . .After more than a half-hour of the slapping ritual, the men then brought out their whips: foot-long chains with diamond-shaped pieces of metal on the end attached to wooden handles.

Some women cried and pleaded with the mullah not to sing, but the chanting began again and the men took full swings over their shoulders flaying the whips across their own backs.

After about 20 lashings, the chains were cleaned in a bucket of water and wiped clean, and another group beat themselves as streams of blood ran down their backs and arms. Similar self-flagellation was to be held at other mosques throughout the city and over the next three days.

"Everybody, especially the Hazara people, were victimized in the revolution against the Taliban," said Sayed Mahdi, 21, one of the men beating himself. "Now everyone has freedom to study, freedom to work -- and freedom to do this."

Born Free · 03-25-2002, 03:18 AM

Nutjobs, at least they are doing it voluntarily though so if that's what floats their boats let them get on with it. Sad but what can you do???

Writer@Large · 03-25-2002, 05:22 AM

Ugly? Yes. But at least they're hitting themselves, and not the women. "An it harm nome, do as ye will," I suppose.

Jamie_L · 03-25-2002, 07:11 AM

It's like my stance on drugs and prostitution:

If you're not hurting someone else, so be it. The government shouldn't be in the business of keeping you from hurting yourself.

Jamie

ohwilleke · 03-25-2002, 12:58 PM

Orson Scott Card, the famous Mormon sci-fi writer evisioned a religion in one of his books with similar practices -- only in the book the "God" was really a defective satellite able to control the minds of genetically altered humans, the first generation of which, had intentionally allowed themselves to be controlled in hope of creating a utopia.

randman · 03-25-2002, 01:22 PM

Kind of reminds me of the more elborate boby piercing going on here in America.
Assuaging guilt with pain?
Just a question.

livius drusus · 03-25-2002, 01:52 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by randman:
<strong>Kind of reminds me of the more elborate boby piercing going on here in America.
Assuaging guilt with pain?
Just a question.</strong>

Neither I nor anybody I know has gotten a piercing out of guilt. I find the very notion odd.

It rather reminds me of the xian tradition of mortification of the flesh, from the deprivations of the Desert Fathers to the (nauseating) public sado-masochism of the Flagellants.
<a href="http://www.ku.edu/~medieval/melcher/matthias/t24/0083.html" target="_blank">Here's</a> a short but interesting description of the mechanics of pain in search of the mystical.

Toto · 03-25-2002, 02:03 PM

Self-flagellation is still a practice of the Catholic Opus Dei faction. It does not appear that they do it for purposes of religious ecstacy.

From <a href="http://religiousmovements.lib.virginia.edu/nrms/dei.html" target="_blank">this site</a>:

Quote:

One of the most controversial practices of some Opus Dei members is their regular self-mortification, which involves fasting, self-flagellation, and their frequent wearing of a type of cicile (a spiked leg band.) 9 Self-mortification was once common in the Church, but has become fairly rare in Catholic practices. Followers of the Work feel that self-mortification is a way to be reminded of what the Lord endured. 10 Critics believe that these practices are dangerous and similar to cult-like behavior.

Despite its long and honorable history, I still wonder if it is a sign of mental instability.

Howard · 03-27-2002, 02:02 AM

Evolution in action. One would think that people who practice self-inflicted pain and suffering would have both their sex drives and life spans reduced, thereby lowering their chances of reproducing. Such people should be encouraged to do this as they fall into the “too stupid to live” category. The quicker they die off the better.

03-27-2002, 03:22 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Howard:
<strong>One would think that people who practice self-inflicted pain and suffering would have their sex drives reduced</strong>

Why would you think that?

Thread Tools	Search this Thread
Show Printable Version	Search this Thread: Advanced Search

03-25-2002, 03:18 AM	#2
Born Free Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Scotland Posts: 4,177	Nutjobs, at least they are doing it voluntarily though so if that's what floats their boats let them get on with it. Sad but what can you do???

03-25-2002, 05:22 AM	#3
Writer@Large Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2000 Posts: 7,198	Ugly? Yes. But at least they're hitting themselves, and not the women. "An it harm nome, do as ye will," I suppose.

03-25-2002, 07:11 AM	#4
Jamie_L Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: U.S. Posts: 2,565	It's like my stance on drugs and prostitution: If you're not hurting someone else, so be it. The government shouldn't be in the business of keeping you from hurting yourself. Jamie

03-25-2002, 12:58 PM	#5
ohwilleke Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: Denver, Colorado, USA Posts: 4,834	Orson Scott Card, the famous Mormon sci-fi writer evisioned a religion in one of his books with similar practices -- only in the book the "God" was really a defective satellite able to control the minds of genetically altered humans, the first generation of which, had intentionally allowed themselves to be controlled in hope of creating a utopia.

03-25-2002, 01:22 PM	#6
randman Regular Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Posts: 333	Kind of reminds me of the more elborate boby piercing going on here in America. Assuaging guilt with pain? Just a question.

03-27-2002, 02:02 AM	#9
Howard Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Orlando, Fl Posts: 5,864	Evolution in action. One would think that people who practice self-inflicted pain and suffering would have both their sex drives and life spans reduced, thereby lowering their chances of reproducing. Such people should be encouraged to do this as they fall into the “too stupid to live” category. The quicker they die off the better.

Freethought & Rationalism Archive

The archives are read only.