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Page: Profile: Wren's Nest News Local
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Article: 21129
[Civil]
Date Posted:
9/9/2009
5:28:43 pm EDT
Wvox Stats
Views: 2,526
RSS: 18,148
Comments: 4
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Court Won't Rehear Case On Man's Animal Sacrifices
Author: Associated Press Source: Dallas Morning News (TX)
Title: COURT WON'T REHEAR CASE ON MAN'S ANIMAL SACRIFICES
A federal appeals court has denied a Fort Worth suburb's plea for a rehearing on a Santeria priest who sacrifices animals during religious ceremonies inside his home.
Jose Merced sued the city of Euless, saying its decision to ban his slaughter of goats violated his First Amendment religious freedoms.
The city contends animal sacrifices jeopardize public health and violate its slaughterhouse and animal cruelty ordinances.
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Community Thoughts: There are 4 comments posted | Reverse Sort |
| You Know... | Sep 12th. at 1:36:22 am EDT
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chaosmonkey (Fort Wayne, Indiana) - Email Me
I know all of this, in fact I choose to honor the Lwa in all of the manners in which you described, rather than do any sacrifices at all. I sat with one, (which one shall remain nameless, as with much of the detail, because it happened within the bounds of the Temple) , and I asked if it would be something that I would have to be comfortable with, because it is rather traditional for the culture and path. I was told that not only would I not have to do it, but that it would be considered an insult.
Maybe I didn't make myself clear, I understand sacrifice ONLY within a culture that, if you want to eat meat, there's a good chance you're gonna kill it yourself. At that point, the act becomes something more, it becomes a way to bring the Gods into your life. In a culture like that, a sacrifice is, quite frankly, treated better before it's death than an animal that would just be food, the animal is, ideally at least, killed quickly, and with as little pain as possible (a bad death is considered not just inhumane, but often a bad omen) , and, believe it or not, the animal is eaten, just as it would have been killed and eaten anyway in the culture.
For me, living as I do in the US, I am separated from the necessity of killing anything that I eat. This makes the sacrifice of an animal not just unneeded, but insulting. I have in fact shared many a meal with the Lwa, and it does fill much the same place in the spiritual life as a sacrifice would.
I just feel that the sacrifice is bashed here, because every time I read about it, no matter what the cultural context, I read the same comments. But anyone who eats ANY meat, who are you to say that this is wrong, when the chicken sandwich you had for lunch killed as many chickens as a sacrifice. On this specific issue, however, I will say this
"The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals agreed with Mr. Merced last week, reversing a lower court ruling. He is now in the clear to sacrifice animals in a ceremony to initiate a new priest, which he has put off for years because of the case. The ceremony usually features the sacrifice of at least seven lambs or goats, 15 birds and a turtle, which are usually eaten a day after they are killed."
I have included the link for this article here, but as far as that goes, I can't find any reason that anyone would need that kind of blood and death within their ritual, it seems excessive, and while I can support the idea that he should be able to do what he believes is necessary, I can't believe that any spirit or group of spirits that REQUIRED that much blood in ritual, is anything that people should be working with.
IF and I do say IF, this is what is required, because I can't find any references to this at all, not to anything remotely like this scale, but IF this is what the Orisha truly require as a gift to bless a new Priest, then I question not just the ethics of the Priests, but the ethics of the Orisha themselves.
Find More info -- HERE
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| In A Better World . . . | Sep 11th. at 11:08:36 pm EDT
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R. Cicero (Seattle, Washington) - Email Me
I would so much hope to see animal sacrifice substituted with those many other things that (with a pure heart) are PERFECTLY effective and pleasing to both you and your gods: the best rum or attractive drink, perhaps a fine cigar or tobacco, some pretty flowers, tasty fruit and nuts, a pleasing incense, your clean and purified body sending out the ocean deep thoughts and prayers. Add some inspired dancing or movement to great music, etc., all at the most opportune of times, of course. Call them like that with love and respect, and they WILL come! And then you can ALSO fall into the good graces of the greater animal kingdom of which we are so lucky to (in most instances) dominate with our intellect, creativity, and ingenuity. And I will love you too, whether you like it or not. Lucky you, huh!
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| Well... | Sep 11th. at 3:41:06 pm EDT
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chaosmonkey (Fort Wayne, Indiana) - Email Me
Well, personally, I don't hold with the sacrifice of any animal for religious purposes but... I do understand that within the bounds of the Santeria religion, animal sacrifice is sometimes asked for by the Orisha. I work with Voudoun, which is somewhat the same, and traditionally the sacrifice of a chicken or goat or something can and is asked for, but the Lwa have told me that I don't need to do that, I don't normally kill animals for food myself. The sacrifice of an animal for religious purposes makes sense in a culture where animals are regularly slain for food, by the same people as do the sacrificing. It also makes sense when a person comes from such a culture. I don't know whether this is the case here, but that does make sense. Just saying.
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| You Know The Drill | Sep 10th. at 8:54:27 am EDT
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R. Cicero (Seattle, Washington) - Email Me
I'm vegan, but as an occultist I have no doubt regarding the efficacy and magical power of such practices. I still find it morally repugnant in the year 2009. No sweat off my back, though. It's just that what goes around has that tendency to come right back around. I hope their ethics are very clear, because my compassion for animals makes me shudder at the blowback of such violent actions in a quest for power. I have to wonder too how that power is wielded, once granted, if that is the ramp-up. I wouldn't want them for my neighbor is about as nicely as I can state it, but I of course have much curiousity and respect in regards to the Santerian path. It is certainly not only about this.
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