Boy,15, nailed to a cross in Philipines

Some people in the Philippines still nail themselves to crosses and beat themselves as part of a sick good Friday ritual. These people are fanatics and bring a bad name to the church. This article highlights a 15-year old boy who took part in the ritual. Some will admire his actions calling them an act of selfless faith and strong desire to honor God. This kid was 15 years old! A 15 year old engaging in that sort of activity in the name of his religion suggests an oppressive cultural captivity. Something tells me there are better ways to honor God than gory debasement of the body.

In this day and age, religious extremism is associated with Islam. The difference with their version of extremism is that the torture and violence are concentrated externally rather than internally. That is, they kill and torture others and not themselves. I'd be interested to know what the Catholic Church thinks about this business of self-crucifixion. The Church argues that the body is a temple of God and is something he has dominion over. I wonder if this is as great of an offense to God as the extreme acts of radical Islam. Whatever the answer is, trying to live a virtuous life is good enough for me.