Man rips out own eyes during church

[tgrwulf]

www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/03/aldo-bianchini-tears-eyes-church_n_992108.html

A 46-year-old man who told doctors he was hearing voices reportedly ripped out his own eyeballs during a Sunday church service in northern Italy, The Sun reports.

According to The Daily Mail, Aldo Bianchini, who was born in the UK but spent most of his life in Italy, used his bare hands to tear out his eyeballs just as Rev. Lorenzo Tanganelli began conducting Mass. He then collapsed on the floor in a pool of his own blood.

He was in a great deal of agony and he was covered in blood. He said that he had used his bare hands to gouge out his eyeballs after hearing voices telling him to do so -- to do something like that requires superhuman strength.

[lighthorseman]

Wow. That's... commitment?

[Vypernight]

Reminds me of Henry Kuttners, 'Bells of Horror,' short story, where people would do the same thing when the bells tolled. What is with people wanting to gouge their eyes out when their hear something creepy? Wouldn't it make more sense to rip your ears off?

Oh wait, we're talking about religion, nevermind.

[lighthorseman]

Oct 5, 2011 7:52:36 GMT -5 Vypernight said:

Reminds me of Henry Kuttners, 'Bells of Horror,' short story, where people would do the same thing when the bells tolled. What is with people wanting to gouge their eyes out when their hear something creepy? Wouldn't it make more sense to rip your ears off?

Oh wait, we're talking about religion, nevermind.

In fairness to religion, I think we're talking about psychosis.

Only religion I know of where any significance is given to actually plucking one's own eyes out is the Germano/Norse religion, where Wotan/Odin did so to gain permission to drink from the fountain of knowledge.

There is, of course, Matthew 5:29 and Mark 9:47 but I'm pretty sure most people consider these metaphorical, and not an actual example of something anyone was expected to do. That said, it wouldn't surprise me in the least if one could find examples from the dim distant past of Christianity where this directive has been taken literally by someone somewhere.

[Tenfold_Maquette]

Poor guy. It's a pity no one was able to intervene before he finished maiming himself. Hopefully he'll get the help he needs.

[Dragon Zachski]

Yay, nightmares. ._.

That man needs help. More importantly, he needed help long before this.

[Rat Of Steel]

I was half expecting this guy to say "liberate tutume ex inferis" before passing out.

[terri]

Did he have sex with his mother?

[Old Viking]

@ LHM: ever notices how the Bible's Bambi passages are literal, and those that refer to violence are metaphorical. That's the damndest thing.

[gyeonghwa]

Oct 5, 2011 9:37:34 GMT -5 terri said:

Did he have sex with his mother?

That's Oedipus! In the Bible you rip out your eyes when something offends its.

[MaybeNever]

Auditory hallucinations giving specific commands? Schizophrenia!

[Admiral Lithp]

Oct 5, 2011 15:15:33 GMT -5 Old Viking said:

@ LHM: ever notices how the Bible's Bambi passages are literal, and those that refer to violence are metaphorical. That's the damndest thing.

And then there's this:

"So, do you think the Bible is completely literal?"
"Yes, but it's important to keep in mind that some passages are allegorical."

I can't believe the nonsense of that didn't hit me at the time.

Also, I have my doubts about this story, & they rhyme with "Haley Wail."

[Thejebusfire]

Well, the bible does say, "If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out."

[Admiral Lithp]

Oct 5, 2011 15:35:47 GMT -5 Thejebusfire said:

Well, the bible does say, "If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out."

Like a boss.

[brendanrizzo]

This is horrifying. That poor guy.

And why am I not surprised that this man is Italian? For some reason it's always the people in heavily-Catholic countries who go to such extreme measures.