All over the world people have different beliefs and methods to protect themselves from diseases and evil forces. However, some of the habits can be so strange and unbelievable that they are even a taboo subject for the rest of the world. Such is the case of a Filipino religious group and its method of warding off evil, even bullets
It is about the religious group "Iron King" ("iron king"), who perform a bloodless but painful ritual on a person, stabbing himself with a knife on various parts of his body. This action is believed to ward off evil spirits and cure disease, as well as confer super protection.
The group has about 100 members, including policemen and soldiers who joined for their own safety, although the group is considered a cult.
"Besides treating the sick, I joined to have protection from anyone who wants to harm me, so I will never give up." says Angelito Oreta, who disputes these claims.
"It's not about harassment or riots. Iron King's purpose is to serve the neighbor, the country and the government. The bible talks about the sword of the Lord, so you should get a blessing through machete because it will give you gave strength and wisdom," Oreta explains her visions.
“The moment you are blessed through the blows, you are no longer an ordinary person. You are a soldier of God the moment you face the enemy. We are not a cult, we are a spiritual group that serves through prayer and faith in the Lord who created everything in this world, he further explains.
Naikon Celis, who participated in the ritual machete bashing, said local rumors about the group forced him to delve more into their world. He says there are conflicting beliefs locally about the machete blessing. The blows are even and painful, but there is no explanation as to why no blood is shed during the strong blows with the knife.
"I heard about this group that claims to offer protection from bullets and knives, said Nikon, 32. "The blesser claims to have placed an invisible shield around the person's body after offering prayers. He said that only a member of this group can do this.
"People from various Christian backgrounds accuse them of being a sect because of their strange practice, which can be taboo for some faiths".
Nikon also says that followers abstain from sex, pork - on Tuesdays and Fridays - and dog meat and pray that if they do not observe these prohibitions they will lose their immunity to knives and bullets.
The 32-year-old adds: As a skeptic, of course it was scary. You never know when things can go wrong. And the punching really hurts when the machete gets close to your body, it's done with full force.
“I can't even believe I let myself get hit nine times. I don't feel like superman: it's one of the scariest things I've ever done, he says.
