Easter in the Philippines: Christianity's glass house

Like everyone else in Canada . . . North America . . . the West in general, I've spent the better part of the last two and a half years listening to the (usually) Christian complaints about how the Arab terrorists are just so fanatically religious that there is no way to deal with them. No argument from me. I have an issue with the excesses of ideology, dogma, and other mindlessness in general and will make no exception for the nut-bar activities of those who choose to follow Muhammed's books. But, those who live in glass houses . . .

I heard about this on the radio on the Saturday of the Easter weekend and had to look it up. Apparently there are many devout Christians in the Philippines who re-enact the Passion, including a real cruxification, every year. They choose -- volunteer, I understand -- someone/some people to be the flagellant(s) who carries the cross, is beaten (whipped), and then is tied to the cross and has real nails pounded through hands and feet.

How can one group of people (say, us Christians in Canada and the USA) stereotype on a religious basis a group for being replete with fools who will die for the glory of Allah and the virgins of the hereafter without feeling just a little hypocritical? Call it like it is. Osama and which ever other villians you can point to are maniacal, genocidal psychopaths whose delusions are, if not driven by then are supported by fierce religious doctrine. Let's deal with it. But, let's be careful of how we characterize others unless we know what's in our own closets.

Posted by Grayson at April 13, 2004 09:10 PM