One repeating tradition I’ve seen in country after country is the reenactment of the crucifixion itself. Why anyone would want to reenact something so horrific is beyond me. People gather and watch this happen en masse like a sporting event. It’s garish and morbid to me. I understand wanting to acknowledge an event so cruel and inhumane, but to actually reenact it? Can you imagine reenacting the death of your own loved one, especially if they were murdered? This is a strange way to pay tribute in my opinion. In villages in the Philippines, they go so far as to actually nail a person to a cross. I’m beginning to remember why religion does not appeal to me.
Another interesting tradition in Spain involves the donning of white robes and hoods eerily similar to those worn by the Klu Klux Klan in the states. The photos of white hooded men marching while holding large wooden crucifixes made me extremely uncomfortable due to our own violent past with such props. The hoods are meant to hide those penitent people too shamed by the crucifixion to show their faces. It makes me wonder how this same action came to be adopted by the KKK. This is yet another corruption of religious practices. Take something intended to show respect and penitence and turn it into a ritual for murder and terror and call yourself religious.
I also don’t understand why we call it “Good” Friday. What’s so good about it? Wasn’t Jesus supposed to have been murdered on this day? Sounds like a pretty lousy Friday to me. I suppose maybe it’s intended to reflect that the crucifixion killed the ultimate in goodness? That’s sort of lame. I could research it, but I don’t really care all that much. I think it’s stupid and I’m happy staying with that. This isn’t a damn thesis, it’s my blog.
How a crucifixion spawned a holiday, lent, , and the name “Good” is beyond me, but how Easter bunnies, eggs and chocolate got in the mix is sheer absurdity. I’m not ever going to knock a day devoted to eating and chocolate – I’m not crazy—but it does seem way outside of reason. One day I’d be interested in tracing the connection between these things, but tonight’s not it. I’m never going to completely understand the seemingly convoluted path religion has taken, but I’m all for chocolate, performance art, and “good” Fridays, just maybe not the bloody history that goes with it.
i can't explain the actual nailing someone to a cross in modern times, that's just whacked out.
ReplyDeletewhat's so good about it? and why 'celebrate' a murder? i know i'm not gonna be changing your mind so i'll just explain real quick from a christian perspective. imagine a ship was sinking and one man saved a bunch of people from drowning but lost his own life in the process. the survivors would 'remember' the day and maybe get together every year on the anniversary to honor the fallen hero right? the death of Jesus wasn't a murder. it was the execution of not 'a' but 'the' innocent man. He lost His life to save ours.
re; eggs and bunnies; it's springtime, rebirth, fertility, all the pagan religions celebrate it in some way. you know, "please make the crops grow" kinda stuff.
bj
Well Ame- for us Christians this was the only death that someone "escaped"- you are not going to understand any of it if you don't believe it. That is between you and God and if you don't even believe in a God then that would be impossible. It is "good" for Christians because without it we would be doomed to hell.
ReplyDeleteWhy would we reinact it? Well, we don't want to forget- at least I don't-- the sacrifice HE made for me. It is good because he did not stay dead- He rose. That is the only reason we call it good friday. Of course for Jesus it was not a good day but he was fulfilling what he was sent here for. Think about this- if he really wasn't the son of God- why would he go through with it. All he had to do was say he wasn't the son of God and he would have been set free. He would not- because he knew what he was sent here to do. So for anyone who doesn't believe in the resurrection of Christ this would not make any sense.
The whole egg thing is the commercial side of the holiday and if that was the focus in our family I wouldn't do it but we make sure our kids know what the true meaning is - just as we do with Christmas. I may not be happy all the time but I always have a joy in my heart that no one can take away. That's me--
It's so interesting how you are trying to make sense of things that you won't open your heart to. You were raised Catholic- that doesn't make you a Christian just as I could go to church all my life and still not be a Christian. It's something you feel in your heart when you open it up to the possibility. There are lots of people who won't do that because of how they perceived Christians in their past. I'm not trying to be preachy here but I get this vibe from you that you were hurt by some of those so called "Christians" and have a harded heart because of it. Tough skin if you will. So- not to disagree with just Christianity you aren't even gonna believe in a God- There - So maybe I am way off--- if so- sorry then my intuition is off but just humor me and think about it.
I'm only saying all this because I have some sort of connection with you I feel- We are soo different yet deep down I'm not sure. Deep down under all these so called issues I think the motives are the same. I think deep down under all the "stuff" you are searching for what you will not find logically.
So if you are thinking I am crazy- That's fine and I'm cool with that but for me- I feel like there would always be smething missing if I didn't have my faith. So if you are like-- Shauna- you are all wrong, I am complete and feel complete so get off my back- I'm off. But know that you are my friend no matter what your beliefs are and I would never make fun of your belief or disbelief. I just had to say that.
Don't take this that I am trying to get you to change how or what you personally believe. I'm just telling you not to ignore something you feel. Or at lest something you seem to question quite a bit.
If you have any questions of the logics or illogics of being a Christian- read "The Case for Christ" If you really have no care about it then just forget I ever wrote this. It just seems like you have a lot of passion for not believing and sometimes I wonder where that comes from.
Oh- and I ate my fair share of the pagant chocolates today. It made me feel happy but the joy I have comese from the risen Christ. Two for the price of one;)