Santeria threatened. (Jesus, priest, tradition, beliefs, blood)

[ChrisP]

And for once I'm not talking about Music!


EULESS, Texas -- A Santeria priest is suing a Dallas suburb to keep officials from enforcing ordinances he believes restrict him from practicing his religion.

In a federal suit, Jose Merced alleges that Euless city officials denied him a permit to perform Santeria ceremonies with animal sacrifices inside his home, even though people outside would not have been able to see or hear them.

The 45-year-old Merced insists that blood sacrifices of animals are essential to practicing Santeria, a religion that mixes Roman Catholicism with African beliefs.

Police have gone to his home at least four times in the past two years, citing complaints from a neighbor over animal slaughter.

[ayani]

i think he should be able to do this. Santeria is part of a very old tradition, in which animal sacrifice has often played a part. people buy animals for eating all the time. we boil crustaceans alive and that seems to be ok with local police. so long as rules related to abuse or neglect of animals are not an issue here, i don't see why Mr. Merced should be halted from buying and sacrificing animals for religious ceremonies.

[Booko]

They will probably quote a public health issue or something, but considering how a Thanksgiving turkey might be equally used in ways that endanger the public health, that seems silly.

If there's no reason to suppose his house is going to be covered in dried blood, there's no reason to oppose his private practice (for reasons gracie already mentioned) any more than one should be concerned over the presence of pet dogs (who arguably spread more disease and parasites by leaving those doggie bon bons lying around in yards).

[athanasius]

Santeria threatened.???

Lets hope! It has made a mockery out of Jesus's Catholic Church and its practices for years.

[YmirGF]

Originally Posted by Booko

They will probably quote a public health issue or something, but considering how a Thanksgiving turkey might be equally used in ways that endanger the public health, that seems silly.

If there's no reason to suppose his house is going to be covered in dried blood, there's no reason to oppose his private practice (for reasons gracie already mentioned) any more than one should be concerned over the presence of pet dogs (who arguably spread more disease and parasites by leaving those doggie bon bons lying around in yards).

Would you be opposed to modern day Mayan worshippers conducting human sacrifices Sharon? It is their belief after all. Heck, the sacrificed, if memory serves correct, considered it an honor to be chosen to placate the blood-lust of their gods.

[Random]

I'd rather have kindness than animal sacrifices.

[doppelgänger]

Originally Posted by athanasius

Santeria threatened.???

Lets hope! It has made a mockery out of Jesus's Catholic Church and its practices for years.

Actually, the Church and its practices have done that just fine on their own.

[JMoum04]

I think it's a shame that they don't allow him to practice his religion like this. Why? Because after the man is done sacraficing the animal, he eats it. I bet if anybody else bought a live chicken or goat soley for the purpose of killing it and eating it, people would probably think they're odd, but not object that much. Why should a little ceremony before hand suddenly make it wrong?

[doppelgänger]

Originally Posted by jmoum

I think it's a shame that they don't allow him to practice his religion like this. Why? Because after the man is done sacraficing the animal, he eats it. I bet if anybody else bought a live chicken or goat soley for the purpose of killing it and eating it, people would probably think they're odd, but not object that much. Why should a little ceremony before hand suddenly make it wrong?

And there are similar sacrificial ceremonies in Judaism, Christianity and Native American religions as well. Just because Christians go through a thanksgiving ritual after the slaughter doesn't really make it all that much different. If there are public health reasons for not allowing the slaughter of food animals at someone's home that's one thing, but aside from that, it's nobody's business.