Yuck! Gross!

So, Joshua passes me this MSNBC article about Good Friday...

Filipinos mark Good Friday with nails, blood
Penitents retrace Jesus' last steps, relive his crucifixion


I really don't know what to think about this... Wait. I *do* know what to think about this. Yuck! Gross! I think people are getting a little too overzealous about trying to repent for their sins. I have heard of people repenting by whipping their backs with straw back in the day, but being nailed to the cross to imitate what the Lord went through [to me] is just WRONG. Remember, this is just my own opinion. I can't even believe that I'm talking about this, but just hear me out.

This might seem a little sacriligious [even though I think that being nailed to a cross like Jesus is sacriligious in itself], so I do apologize to those who are offended, but do you think that the good Lord is looking down at us from above with his right hand on his cheek saying, "Awwww... How sweet that my people want to *literally* go through what I went through for them by sticking huge nails through their palms + feet while being hung from a cross. Isn't that just adorable?" He did it to pay for our sins--ALL of our sins--the original sin that we are all born with. What purpose towards God does this serve for these individuals? Does it make them feel better after they have gone through it? Does it make them feel that this "deed" washes away their sins for them? I would hope so, at least, since they are going through all that.

Honestly, I wouldn't feel right doing something like that. But, it does make me see + believe that others have different ideas on how to repent, even though I do not agree with them. Personally, I just like to talk to God [in my prayers, of course] + tell him that I'm truly sorry for the sins I have committed + that I will do my best in not doing them ever again. I believe that He forgives me after I had confessed them to Him. But, that is only what I believe. At least I know the cross hangings weren't sanctioned/commissioned by the church. I can never ever speak for our God, but I would hope to think that He does not want us to suffer from our sins by hanging ourselves onto large wooden crosses. He's already been there + done that. We are not God. We can't do the same miracles as He did. So, I don't think we should try to imitate Him in that light. Confess + do good is what I believe.

I would post the photo from the article, but I am too offended by it, so I won't. Seeing it makes me uncomfortable. You can just go see it for yourself on the website. To each his own, I suppose. I prefer to observe Good Friday with prayer + go to my church to see our church's musical "Godspell" tonight instead. Now, some people might think that a church musical on a Friday night is just plain WRONG. But, I don't + that's really all that matters... to me.

On a lighter note...

Happy Easter!
He lives!
Peace be with all of you!

Please have a good weekend, everyone. ^_^