Power of Faith or Mind? A Look at Stigmata

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Permalink Reply by Kelley Woods on November 3, 2009 at 6:07pm

Sorry, I didn't think of you guys over there not being able to view it. It was on the National Geographic Channel, named "Is it Real"...if that helps!

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Permalink Reply by Doreen Cohanim C.Ht on November 3, 2009 at 9:21pm

Well, It is OK to have a religion based on having hope and believing in miracles, but when it becomes like a cult, that is when it goes bad, I also think religion is nothing more then just a business...

My two cents, Doreen Cohanim C.ht

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Permalink Reply by Celeste Cole on November 3, 2009 at 9:28pm

Padre Pia was a famous Roman Catholic priest who bore the stigmata for 50 years. He was also famous for the gifts of prophecy and bilocation. Very interesting.

My only quibble with stigmata in the palms is that it's my understanding that nails driven through the hands would never have supported a crucified person, as the hands would tear due to the dragging weight of the body, and that in fact the crucifixion required that the nails be driven through the wrists. "With arms outstretched but not taut, the wrists were nailed to the patibulum. It has been shown that the ligaments and bones of the wrist can support the weight of a body hanging from them, but the palms cannot." http://www.frugalsites.net/jesus/crucifixion.htm This was the first web site I found with this information, but I had come across this information many years ago.

The most amazing thing is that stigmata of the palms occurs based on a belief in something highly improbable, unless the arms of Jesus were tied with rope to the cross.

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Permalink Reply by Ricky Strode on November 3, 2009 at 10:30pm

Also, which I find very interesting is that the crosses like jesus was crucified on is nothing like the crosses we see today. The ones they cruciefied ppl on looked like a T not a t. By the way his wrists were tied to the cross as with his legs. Afterwards to make sure they didn't get away,or could be helped so they followed up by nailing them to the crosses so that they knew they would die painfully slow.

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Permalink Reply by Kelley Woods on November 4, 2009 at 6:16am

The location of the nails is one of the main points addressed in this documentary. What I found most interesting is that once the idea that the palm location would not support a body and the wrist location was believed to be the more true nail point in Christ's crucifixtion (later refuted by additional testing), stigmatics symptoms changed also. As one sceptic posed, "Was God confused about His son's death details?"...

The Mind-Body point of view (beginning at the 30 min. mark in the movie) presents explanation as to how stigmata can gradually appear on a believer's body: It begins with a deep ache that gradually reddens and becomes tender. The skin then blisters and cracks to the point that it bleeds. This occurs during periods of religious holidays and events and throughout this time the wound fails to heal but does not become infected.

Another position presented was the possibility that the stigamatic had been fasting and that the lack of nutrition had caused these ulcerations.

The Roman Catholic Church takes a conservative viewpoint on stigmata, having only canonized a couple of persons (the first being St. Francis of Assisi).

Celeste Cole said:

Padre Pia was a famous Roman Catholic priest who bore the stigmata for 50 years. He was also famous for the gifts of prophecy and bilocation. Very interesting.

My only quibble with stigmata in the palms is that it's my understanding that nails driven through the hands would never have supported a crucified person, as the hands would tear due to the dragging weight of the body, and that in fact the crucifixion required that the nails be driven through the wrists. "With arms outstretched but not taut, the wrists were nailed to the patibulum. It has been shown that the ligaments and bones of the wrist can support the weight of a body hanging from them, but the palms cannot." http://www.frugalsites.net/jesus/crucifixion.htm This was the first web site I found with this information, but I had come across this information many years ago.

The most amazing thing is that stigmata of the palms occurs based on a belief in something highly improbable, unless the arms of Jesus were tied with rope to the cross.

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Permalink Reply by Kelley Woods on November 4, 2009 at 6:19am

That's strange, Ricky. I wonder what that information would do to the current debate raging over whether the cross is a religious icon or a universal symbol of memorial...

ricky strode said:

Also, which I find very interesting is that the crosses like jesus was crucified on is nothing like the crosses we see today. The ones they cruciefied ppl on looked like a T not a t. By the way his wrists were tied to the cross as with his legs. Afterwards to make sure they didn't get away,or could be helped so they followed up by nailing them to the crosses so that they knew they would die painfully slow.

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Permalink Reply by Ricky Strode on November 4, 2009 at 7:59am

Yeah, I'm full of that kind of info. I really like history and esp when related to religions.

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