Whatever happened to self whipping

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SacredHeartBassist

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Heard st Francis whipped himself. Why don’t people still do ghis
 
Some people use a rope to simulate it, but don’t actually hit themselves hard enough to have it hurt. It’s probably not done anymore because people lived harsher lives than we do now. What kind of penance would sleeping on a floor or going to bed hungry be if you did those things every day?
 
Because it’s too easily misunderstood and can be used superstitiously for magical thinking.

This is an extremely advanced spiritual practice that most people should never attempt, and then only under the strict obedience and supervision of a profoundly spiritual director.
 
Some years ago I saw a film about Hildegard of Bingen, the medieval German abbess. In one scene, a devout lady was undressing herself, and one of the things she had to remove was a cilice, a sort of metal belt with spikes round the inside that cut into your flesh. It almost made me ill to the point of vomiting to realise people used to do things like that. Of course, then I think of the torments of Purgatory, and I figure what I will have to endure is a thousand times worse, I am sure.

Edit: Sorry, I just looked it up, and the cilice was the hairshirt she was wearing. Not sure of the name of the metal roundabout thingumbob.
 
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Is spiritual pride such a bad thing? I mean we wear ashes
 
I would think it still goes on. I expect this happens among cloistered religious, besides elsewhere.
Naturally, anyone doing this wouldn’t talk about it. Such practices are between the person and God alone.
 
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Yeah, but he is far and above everyone here…

Whipping should only be taken up under close spiritual direction
 
SacredHeartBassist said:
Heard st Francis whipped himself. Why don’t people still do ghis
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I think its still done, but its kept on the QT among those who practice it. People were never that public about it before, but after the practice was portrayed in the Devinci Code, some folks might think that practicers of self whipping are insane or homicidal- and that is usually not the case.
 
Imagine some of the scrupulous posters here if they heard that self-flagellation was a recommended form of penance. Half of them would beat themselves to death because they walked past a Victoria’s Secret billboard.

I’m sure its a good spiritual practice for some, but only under the close supervision of a varsity level spiritual director.
 
i would agree with that

but if secular people ( ie 90% of the population) see you doing that

the secularists think you are nuts

remedy? i don’t know…
 
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While it is something that was done it doesn’t mean it is something that people should be doing. This practice would seem contrary to current church teachings on the body. The body is a temple. We are not to do destructive things to the body. Not sure how God would be pleased with such a thing?
 
Why? I think because its a little crazy to do honestly. We live in a very modern world today that if you did this, you could very easily be put in a psychiatric hospital hold by force. Just takes one phone call from a friend, a neighbor, or relative, and at least here in the United States, they’ll take you away.
 
I never heard of self whipping. I have heard of penance. Penance is good. Penance is like dressing up in sackcloth. You don’t see many people wearing sackcloth anymore; what a shame. It shows a lack of religion. The closest we get to it today is not eating meat on Fridays.
 
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Bon_Croix said:
You don’t see many people wearing sackcloth anymore; what a shame. It shows a lack of religion. The closest we get to it today is not eating meat on Fridays.
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Depends on where you’re at. In some countries like Mexico and the Philippines , its a lot more common.
 
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