My Fox New York :
Authorities have accused three people of cutting a child and forcing her to watch an animal sacrifice inside a Paterson home.
Three are charged with endangering Paterson child during animal ...
LEGAL ASPECTS OF ANIMAL SACRIFICE WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF AFRO ...
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Typical Fox cr@p.
I wonder how many of the people expressing disgust and shock over this case happily eat factory-farmed meat? Sorry to be a "snooty elitist", but I hope those people don't cry over a handful of goats sacrificed in the name of religion when a prodigious amount of animals are being sacrificed to fatten an already overfed society. The "brutality" of this religious cult's sacrifices PALES in comparison to the systemic and excessive brutality that THIS country engages in day in and day out. The vast majority of commercially farmed animals are packed in tight quarters, infested with disease, weaned early from their mothers, given limited to no access to the outdoors, are forced to eat a diet unnatural to them, are pumped full of antibiotics to keep them healthy just long enough to fatten them for slaughter. Yes. We're soooo much better than these people practicing their "exotic" religion.
I'm an atheist, so I think the religion thing is ridiculous, personally, but *at least* the people engaging in this practice are conscious of the life their taking (and perhaps giving "thanks" for the animal's life) , whereas so many people consume their animal-based food without even a passing thought of the life given to feed them.
Second paragraph, first sentence: 'their' should be 'they're'.
a reasoned practical argument. appreciated, thank you.
All too true, and I don't agree with the mass producing of animals to slaughter, especially when so much of the meat just goes to waste. Which is why I refuse to eat animal meat that was produced that way. But then again I don't believe in inhumane treatment and/or killing of any animal, or killing for no justifiable reason. As a not particularly religious person I don't believe religion is a reason to kill anything (don't even get me started on religious based wars). But as I stated below these are just my opinions, not based on any legal stance.
What is interesting is this: If a particular group of people comes to the U.S. with the understanding that we have laws against animal abuse, why should those laws change or adapt because said group of people chose to leave their country of origin where that was legal? So animal abuse is fine, as long as it is for religious purposes? Why? You see where I'm going with this, there is the law and then there are people who disagree with inhumane treatment of animals because the animals have no voice to speak up for themselves. So perhaps the law will eventually change.
(And sure, let's have an overhaul of the way we treat animals who are used for food, we'd all be much healthier for it.)
So you want our country to create a special law that limits the exercise of ones religious beliefs that harms no person, is no threat to national security, and is conducted in private?
Very intelligent reply.
Zoey,
You certainly know the facts about the awfulness of the meat market and I congratulate you Zoey. Our specie has created a terrible delema to survive and perhaps in the future if humanity survives
we will also evolve to the level of organisms utilizing the energies of the cosmos without the additional distruction of life.
As for you being an atheist, is perhaps from lack of seeing the enormous and vast cosmos and all the potential within and throughout its' emense distances. Within the scales of the cosmos we humans are only at the bacteria level of development. That said there is bacteria on earth at the present time which is estemated to be more than 2 billion years old and existing in huge colonies.
I also had thought atheist was the right way some years ago though found it to be simply silly and arrogant.
Humans foolish assumptions.
Nasty perverse people. what about charging them with animal cruelty as well??
cant. animal sacrifice is legally protected.
Let's charge Burger King, KFC and and all other meat serving establishments with animal cruelty as well.
The animals are not being mistreated. They are being ritually slaughtered.
When will the Leave it to Beaver America come into the new millenium?
Sometimes the citizens of this country act like they're in the United States of Mayberry rather than the United States of America.
Do we really need to see the photo of the animal getting killed? The article would have been enough.
Forcing a child to watch this, no matter what your religion is, is wrong. How harrowing and horrifying for a child. And isn't killing an animal like this considered animal abuse as well?
I would bet my life that this is not an actual photo of the ritual that took place. In my opinion that is considered irresponsible journalism.
The reason for the photo is to add more sensationalism to the story. That's how most media sources treat these types of religious practices. Rather than reporting them from a theoligical point of view, they would rather give the Hollywood version.
Well at least they weren't hunting witches. Just sad!
Hey, if it was a "religious" ritual, we can't touch it because religion is special and privileged. If it's religion, you can cut the girl every time. Way to go America.
Who are we to judge what a persons beliefs are when they do not affect us? Everyone says that they should be respected and their privacy honored. Everyone says that they have a right to believe as they want to as long as it does not infringe upon the rights of others that are able to consent.
Now, if we use animals as food, clothing, etc., and the religion is not obtrusive into any non-believers life, then ultimately the large complaint here is:
1.) You dont want people to practice their private beliefs. Which is a violation of their person and individuality.
2.) You want to force your beliefs/ideas (debate existence of god later not the point) onto someone else.
Having said that, if a minor who could not legally consent was injured then it is a crime. The animal sacrifice is protected by the Supreme Court Decision Church of Lukumi Babalu Aye v. City of Hialeah
It DOES affect me because animal abuse and child abuse deaden my society's sensitivity to violence and humane treatment of weaker beings. It keeps the savagery level high in general, which is in turn a threat to me and mine every time we leave the house. No more special treatment for religion, not any of them.
should there be special treatment for you and your lack of religion and/or beliefs? what makes your position more valid?
A perfect example of religious intolerance and religious ignorance in general.
Okay, religious freedom argument aside, I still find it DISTURBING as hell that you think it's okay to murder innocent animals for the sake of someone's religion. If some teenager tortures a cat to death, it's animal cruelty and rightly against the law. How is animal sacrifice any different? We have laws, weak at times yes, but laws about what our society deems as acceptable and humane treatment for animals. It doesn't make it noble because they are killing for their religion. So you are right, when it comes to this horrific sacrifice nonsense, no , I do not want them practicing their beliefs. They can believe whatever they like. Their right to act on their beliefs stops when other sentient beings have to suffer and die for it.
what separates a persons use of animals in religious activities from use for sustenance as food? one is emotional and spiritual and one is physical.
i want to know what makes the difference there?
Sorry, Ignorant beliefs DO harm everyone. Look at Christianity as commonly practiced. When your so-called religion abuses another living creature, human or other, it has no right ethically. I am aware the law says otherwise and needs to be changed.
I live in Spanish Harlem. Santeria is animal cruelty through and through. I mean, let's just hold girls down and castrate and cut them like they do Iin Africa? Isn't there a religious component to that as well?
did you know that christian scientists can deny medicine to a sick child based on their beliefs?
why arent you fighting that fight?
where does the abuse of animals separate itself from the use of animals?
if a mormon cannot marry more than one wife he loves which is a mutual thing between the group of them as set aside by law, then why not? where does the application of a societies morals separate itself from repressing the individual in consensual activities?
It becomes a problem when these Santeriacreeps dig up the dead remains of your loved ones for their twisted rituals. A dead two-year old girl was recently dug up in Connecticut and her body was found in a plastic bag in the Hackensack river in NJ near Paterson. How about respecting the rights of the dead little girl's family? This was not an isolated incident as numerous other graverobbing incidents related to this "religion" have happened in and around northern NJ.
Have any of them been proven? The article provided below states nothing other than conjecture and assumption. Legally that proves nothing. Even the testimony of the expert says that it appears unusual.
but, its a digression from the topic at hand. when the religion does not force itself upon you or society or another individual that does not consent, then what harm does it cause?
Do you think that this should be respected and honored as well?
http://www
the article is speculative and proves nothing that the same belief system here is related. speculation is not proof.
The people( and I use this term loosely) need to be exterminated immediatel
that brings nothing to the table.
I found it intriguing.
in your opinion.
I agree, dumb, ignorant, cruel, there's no real value in these people. Sorry you feel compelled to defend such actions.
Get this photo OFF the page!!!!! No one should see this crap UNLESS they choose too!!!!!!
It needs to be seen by people so it can be STOPPED, not just denied, swept under the rug.
You do have a point but I also agree that the photo is very disturbing.
why should a legal practice that does not harm you need to be stopped?
The HEADLINE should provoke the reader to click on it and find out more NOT SOME GRATUITIOUS PHOTO like that. It's called JOURNALISM. gah.
It is impossible that this photo could have been taken during the actual ceremony. It was probably copied and pasted from another website. It's just to get you people's imagination worked up.
I must say it's working pretty well.
The girl needs to be put in a foster home.
And what about animal abuse charges? Not just abuse, but murdering animals? Sorry, but sacrificing any living creature is not a religion. It is insanity, and these people need to be jailed before they move on to sacrificing humans. Animals are just the first step.
You must be from Mayberry also. Say hi to Opee while you're out there.
Contrary to your belief, the surpreme court recognizes animal sacrifice as a legitimate religous practice. Google: supreme court, animal sacrifce, hialeah FL.
These traditions don't sacrifice humans.
Stupid stupid stupid
this is just pure hocus pocus insanity.
prosecute 'em for animal abuse and child abuse.
eff em.
cant: Church of Lukumi Babalu Aye v. City of Hialeah
Trust me when I say there was no child abuse involved in the ceremony.
The story doesn't say WHO reported the incident. Possibly a nosey neighbor.
I know the ceremony they speak of.
Whoever wrote this story twisted it into a nightmare and should be publicly condemned by the ATR community.
Catholicism.
Somehow this doesnt surprise me but it does bother me! Why are we letting every crazy into this country and allow them to practice their religious beliefs when they clearly contradict our values of life. Animal abuse, child abuse. Cults? These people need to be deported!
Santeria is by no means Catholicism. When it says it is a blend of different religions, think of this analogy: English is a blend of Germanic languages and French. Is English French? Is English German?
Actually it does fit our values, specifically the right to religious expression.
and its been deemed ok by the supreme court. Church of Lukumi Babalu Aye v. City of Hialeah
Then it's time to overrule that precedent with a new ruling 'cause this crap is unacceptable.
LOL! Where is the evidence of animal abuse? I have yet to see proof of it in this story. There was no child abuse involved in this ritual. This ritual predates your Catholic church and has been perfromed on possibly millions.
It is not a cult reason being is the following:
It does not have a SUPREME leader that governs the actions of its members (yours does)
We are not threatened with hell for not following written documents (yours does)
It does not make it mandatory to give your money every week (yours does)
Your religion has caused more wars and killed more people than any other religion.
Your religoin tells people our way is the only right way to think and everyone else is wrong.
So who is the real cult here?
Or do you know what a cult is? A cult is where you sit in church every sunday and give that child molesting priest your money every week.
ain't religion grand?
What , more stuff from Sarah Palin and her speshul gang of Pro-Life Killas?
Shoot some fish in a barrel.
Shoot wolves from a plane.
Shoot Tiller.
It's all one, is it not?
NO ONE should be sacrificing animals!!!!!
Freaks.
But, can we kill them, and eat their carcass afterward?
If I knew the animal had lived a happy, comfortable life and been killed instantaneously, I might be okay with it. Factory farms and mechanized slaughterhouses are not okay. Put glass walls on those things and everybody would be vegetarian in a month. Insist the elementary school children be given regular tours of them, and we'd be vegetarians in a week.
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First Posted: 07- 8-09 07:56 PM | Updated: 07- 8-09 08:10 PM