Not to detract from your main point, but cultural and ritualistic body modification and self harm is fairly common and occurs all over the world - from tribal tattoos to lip/neck stretching to intentionally being bitten by venomous creatures, from foot binding to body suspension to self-flagellation - there is nothing new under the sun.
Well, true, provided that you’re talking about good Catholic priests. On the other hand, though, I can find no record of any Protestant ever surviving a bite from an Irish snake.
And GuanoLad, are you saying that snakes contain no chemicals which interfere dangerously with the metabolic processes of living things? Because if they do contain such chemicals, then they’re poisonous.
In common parlance, snakes are poisonous. But if you want to get technical about it, snakes are poisonous. They’re more specifically venomous, but a venom is a kind of poison.
Tragically, this is quite right, and it’s not just members of the clergy: every Protestant ever bitten by an indigenous Irish snake has died of it. It’s almost uncanny.
Anybody know the Straight Dope on this? Substances that may be toxic if injected into your blood might nevertheless be harmless when swallowed and digested. If you ate a venemous snake, venom and all, is the venom digestible and rendered harmless?
Yes, I know it doesn’t necessarily work that way. Don’t try this with fugu, kiddies.
Indeed they are, not alas that tattoos are limited to tribal expression. None of these gruesome things though are presently mandated by organized religion, nor approved as a mark of faith if one goes to one’s local priest, rabbi or imam.
Not even knife-slashing one-self which was moderately popular not long ago: dervishes didn’t just dance. *
- Safely: a sheik would lick the blade to sterilize it before the devotee thrust in through their cheeks.
To dead preacher: When come back, bring pie-thon.
I was once engaged to a girl who was a member of a snake-handling church. When I found out, I broke it off.
I wish I could get my diamondback.
Obviously they weren’t speaking in Parseltongue.
How do you know? They spoke with forked tongues.
Oh jeez.
All these puns!
Boooo! Hisssss!
Mamba mia, that was bad!
No symbolism necessary when the groom tosses the bride’s garter to the wedding guests.
Ouch! Just because you have a keyboard and a bad venomous snake pun, you should still really think first before just taipan it in.
Don’t make me come in there and viper floor with you.
You’re making an asp of yourself.
<TweetyBird>
He faw down and gaBOON!
</TweetyBird>
That’s go “boom”, not “boon.” Use the proper words here, please. Don’ t need any of that boomslang.
You said it. The MPSIMS is quickly becoming the lowest forum of humour.
If by “organized religion” you mean only Christianity, Judaism and Islam, then you are correct. Very narrowly defined, but correct. Many of the activities I listed (and others I didn’t list) are still central to the religion of that particular tribe or peoople group. I included tribal tattoos because, unlike modern tattoos, the more intense pain is considered a big part of the experience.
We on this board tend to be American/Euroopean centric 'cause that’s where we live. I’m just reminding folks that the world is a big, diverse place. I was specifically addressing this one line in your post:
I was including Buddhism, Shintoism, Communism, Zoroastrianism, Hinduism etc. etc. in the category of generally sensible organized religions, who now will at least remit your self-guilted suffering if you slip them a little bit of money; and not recognizing Animism as organized.
I sometimes think that in the not too distant past, when Roman Catholics submitted themselves — in lieu of other victims — to quite as extraordinary torments as any savage tribe, some priests must have felt fairly blase about the idiots amongst them.
I don’t generally capitalize different religions.