crucifix

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Real-Life Crucifixions Are Back After 3-Year COVID Pause

Church frowns on Good Friday reenactment of Jesus' suffering, but it's tradition in Philippines

(Newser) - Eight Filipinos were nailed to crosses to reenact Jesus Christ's suffering in a gory Good Friday tradition that draws thousands of devotees and tourists to the Philippines, despite the practice being rejected by the Catholic Church. The real-life crucifixions in the farming village of San Pedro Cutud in Pampanga...

Man With Dementia Shot Dead by Cop Was Armed— With a Crucifix

Francisco Serna was killed after officer from Bakersfield, Calif., fired 7 rounds

(Newser) - More details are emerging out of California on the 73-year-old man with dementia who was shot dead by police on Monday. Police now say that Francisco Serna wasn't holding a gun, as one Bakersfield neighbor who called 911 reported, but instead a crucifix, the Los Angeles Times reports. "...

This Tiny Viking Pendant Could Rewrite History

It suggests Danes became Christians earlier than thought

(Newser) - Denmark's Dennis Fabricius Holm got off work early on March 11 and decided to go for a stroll with his metal detector near the town of Aunslev. "Suddenly I hit upon something," he tells national broadcaster DR , per the Local . "Ever since I turned over the...

17 Men Nailed to Crosses in Philippines

 17 Men Nailed 
 to Crosses in 
 Philippines 
good friday

17 Men Nailed to Crosses in Philippines

Church opposes yearly ritual

(Newser) - At least 17 men were nailed to crosses to mark Good Friday in front of thousands in Philippine villages today. Under the watch of villagers posing as Roman centurions, the men were crucified for a few minutes as part of a religious reenactment that occurs yearly, the AP reports. Those...

Officials Oppose Right to Wear Crucifix at Work

British government ready to argue case in European court

(Newser) - Christians have no legal right to openly wear a crucifix at work, say British officials—who are planning to argue their case in court. In a landmark legal battle, Britain's government announced it will side against two women who say they were laid off or sidelined for sporting Christian...

Did Vermont Man Have Piece of Christ's Cross?

Earl Frost charged with possessing a religious artifact

(Newser) - A Vermont man charged with possessing a stolen religious artifact dating back to the crucifixion of Jesus Christ remained held on $10,000 bail yesterday after pleading not guilty. "The Relic of the True Cross"—which Christians believe was actually part of the cross upon which Christ was...

Man Commits Suicide by Crucifixion

Korean nailed himself to cross, investigators conclude

(Newser) - A man found dead, nailed to a cross in an abandoned quarry in South Korea wearing only underpants and a crown of thorns, committed suicide by crucifixion unaided, investigators have concluded. Police say the 58-year-old taxi driver apparently nailed his feet to the cross while standing on a small footrest...

Smithsonian Boss: I Regret Yanking Video So Quickly

G. Wayne Clough now says he was too hasty on crucifix film

(Newser) - The head of the Smithsonian said he's now sorry he so quickly yanked a video from a museum exhibit featuring gay artists because of warnings by Republican Party leaders that it could trigger "budgetary consequences." It's "the most painful thing I've ever done," G. Wayne Clough...

Smithsonian Could Lose Funding Over Jesus Video

Warhol Foundation wants video restored

(Newser) - The Smithsonian Institution could lose some of its funding over the uproar that ensued after the National Portrait Gallery removed a controversial video. The video by David Wojnarowicz, featuring ants crawling on a crucifix, was pulled after complaints by the Catholic League and some House Republicans. The Andy Warhol Foundation,...

Ant-Covered Crucifix Video Moves to NYC, Critics Follow

Battle moves from DC

(Newser) - A battle over an ant-covered crucifix has moved to New York City. The Smithsonian bowed to pressure by top Republicans John Boehner and Eric Cantor, and dumped an art exhibit video showing ants crawling over a crucifix. The "Fire in My Belly" exhibit, by artist David Wojnarowicz, who died...

Italy Battles to Save Crosses in Classroom

Europe says they violate freedom, Italy says they're culture

(Newser) - Italy is fighting a court ruling that bans crucifixes from classrooms. After a secular Italian woman sued to have crucifixes removed from her sons' classrooms, Italian courts said the cross belonged there as a symbol of Italy's culture and history. The European Court of Human Rights disagreed, ruling religious symbols...

Christ Wasn't Crucified: Scholar
 Christ Wasn't 
 Crucified: Scholar 
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

Christ Wasn't Crucified: Scholar

Ancient texts make no mention of crosses, crucifixion

(Newser) - Christ probably died tied to a pole instead of nailed to a cross, claims a theologian who has pored through ancient texts. There is no mention of nailing people to crosses as punishment in Greek, Roman, and Hebrew literature from the time of Homer to the first century AD, Gunnar...

Outrage Over Crucifix That Kinda Shows Jesus' Genitalia

Oklahoma priest defends the rendering

(Newser) - Churchgoers in tiny Warr Acres, Okla., are, um, at war over a crucifix that appears to depict Jesus' genitalia covering his abdomen. "I was horrified,” one parishioner says. "I was appalled at the sexualization of Christ," says another. Says a third: "If I hadn’t...

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