Corporal mortification

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Revision as of 09:20, 8 September 2012

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Not to be confused with Corporal punishment

Corporal mortification or mortification of the flesh is a practice of causing pain to one's self through bodily injury. It is largely associated with practices of many religions, including some more extreme Christian sects such as Opus Dei.

Corporal mortification can be seen as a form of masochism without the sexual delights.

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Methods

There are various forms of corporal mortification, ranging from simple denial of "earthly pleasures" through fasting, abstinence or teetotalism; acts of external pain such as wearing a cilice or flagellation; or permanent injuries such as scarification, tattooing or body piercing.

Circumcision and female genital mutilation are also forms of corporal mortification; however, because they are usually not perpetrated on one's own self, it would be inaccurate to lump these practices in the same context.

Why the fuck would people do this to themselves?

In many of the world's religions, one must routinely pay penance or otherwise atone for one's sins (or trespasses) through ritual or actions, such as charity work. Corporal mortification is one form of penance. In other practices, it can be seen as a sign of belonging to a particular group or religion.

In Abrahamic religions

The Abrahamic religions practice forms of corporal mortification, the most common being fasting before or during certain holidays such as Passover and Eid. Giving up certain pleasures such as meat or alcohol is common for Christians during Lent; prohibition of alcohol or particular foods altogether are tenets of Judaism (e.g., kosher meals), Islam (see halal) and Mormonism (whose practitioners cannot consume alcohol or hot beverages). Vows of celibacy among Catholic priests and nuns are also forms of mortification, and some are repuired to do more.

The more extreme sects, such as the aforementioned Opus Dei, practice external mortification as a form of experiencing the pain that Jesus supposedly experienced during his crucifixion. Ignoring Leviticus 19:28, they look to 1 Corinthians 9:24 and Colossians 1:24 to justify their practice.

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