Today AOL News and other news outlets on the internet had an article describing the ritual sacrifice that will over the next two days kill over 200,000 animals in Bariyapur, Nepal which neighbors India. The animals to be slaughtered include male buffaloes, goats, pigeons, and chickens. The sacrifice is to the goddess Gadhimai, the goddess of Power. It seems to have attracted world attention probably because of the fact that so many animals are killed at once for this festival and because of the method of killing used which involves the use of curved swords.
This sacrifice has sparked outrage and protest throughout the world and even in the local area where the sacrifice is taking place. The feast is criticized because of the mass killings which is seen as barbaric and cruel and because of the fact that so many young animals are being killed. Young buffalo calves are killed by hacking off their heads.
It should be noted however that these animals are not just simply being killed and left to rot; they are being used for food as people take the animals used for the sacrifices and take them back to their towns and villages and have a feast.
By way of commentary, it should also be noted that the American holiday of Thanksgiving is coming and literally millions of turkeys will be slaughtered for the feast and many overlook the religious origins of the American holiday.
Another note of comment on this story is that animal sacrifice is a feature of all ancient religions and that during certain times of year mass sacrifices were held in many ancient religions. In Western religious tradition, there is Judaism, which in ancient times, at the temple in Jerusalem, would slaughter thousands upon thousands of lambs, bulls, and goats for the various sacrifices sacrificed to God, and during the feast of Pesach (Passover) countless thousands of lambs were sacrificed to commemorate that holiday where the Hebrews were freed from slavery in the land of Egypt. The Christian concept of the atonement is rooted in ancient Judaism and the fact that the ancient Hebrews offered sin offerings, both individually and as a nation to God as a way of apologizing for wrongs that were done and for making up to God -- which is what atonement basically is. There are of course also pagan elements in Christianity which also involve animal sacrifice, too and these have been melded together to create modern Christianity.
Although modern Christianity no longer offers literal sacrifices, the language still retains some of the old concepts. Why is the front of the church where the communion is served called an altar?
Comments
why would anyone find this suprising...brutal, stupid,ignorant....but not suprising.
No religion,culture or tradition has ever justified cruelty to animals. This barbaric behavior is the purest demonstration of ignorance steeped in superstitious beliefs. Anyone who tries to justify this bloody act of violent entertainment is unmercifully cruel and should be shamed by the world.
this so-called "news" is yet another holier-than-thou hubris of western media. it reeks of a certain religion groups trying to throw negative light at another culture and heritage. killing is killing, however it's done. where is the protest against tens of millions of turkeys being killed this week in USA & Canada for thanksgiving rituals? there is no alternative to killing if you eat meat. better out in open so you see the gory details and cost of your source of meat, rather than in some hidden corporate slaughter houses. this outlandish "news" reporting is the height of hypocrisy!!
Bloody barbarians... this is just another example that despite the advance of science and technology the human race has not moved far beyond the stone age.
@mark (below), if you eat meat, you're equally a Bloody barbarian. don't hide behind corporate walls of slaughter houses. if you get to kill an animal by your own hands, may you'd realize the real cost of your veal chop.
Killing animals is cruel and wrong. We all know that in our hearts but most of us choose to ignore it. Religion does not need sacrifices, our bellies do not need dead flesh. My heart goes all to all the animals whose lives have been stolen from them.
What a sad story to read. Had they given the animals as food
to the poor people, God might have been greatly delighted,
and the people might have worked or played well.
Plants are people too. Killing is killing and we must kill to live. However It should be done in a sacred manner. I think that the animal/ plant to be killed for food must be honored,respected, and thanked.To kill in a wild crazed blood orgy,where the animals are herded together full of fear is so heartless it is unspeakable. What small time cowards these people are to arrange for an animal to suffer so their "god" will be pleased and they won't have to suffer.
Its disgusting as to what happened in Nepal. Its pathetic that Nepal too, like India is a Hindu nation, but promotes such a brutal and massive sacrifice of innocent animals. The question is not 'HOW' can these people do such a thing, the question is 'WHY' are they doing it and what benefits are they being assured , and that too by 'WHOM', god?
People's beliefs in fake religious rituals are of no use in this 21st century of science & technology. Though there are strong sentiments attached to ones religion & its related practices, but that does'nt mean one should fulfil them by murdering animals just because they have no rights, no voice....
How can nations expect to develop, if they are tied down by such primitive practices. Its purely and utterly ridiculous and disgusting.
How can americans and muslims tolerate the slaughter of millions of turkeys and lambs is the real question. Talk about hypocrisy.
Given that they do this every 5 years, the last time was in 2004, just before the Indian Ocean tsunami. How did that work out for y'all?
Aparantly this happened because they wanted to prove to there god that they had "Power". these animals where starved before they got brutally slaughtered. This should be stopped now, Humans have always had power over animals. I wish that the people that slaughtered the animals became one in there afterlife. "Reincarnation". And i hope that they get slaughtered in this when they are reincarnated. so they know how it feels.
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