U.S. Supreme Court supports Religous Sacrifice

by DevonMcBride 6 Replies latest jw friends

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  DevonMcBride

  I heard about a horrible case of animal abuse in Philadelphia. The police found decapitated goats, chickens and birds in a trash dumpster near a gas station. Some of these goats were babies and their mouths were tied shut prior to their death. This is the second time in a month decapitated animals were found in this same
  dumpster. The police and the SPCA believe this was some sort of religious sacrifice.
  
  Should they get caught, they may be fined but there will be no jail time. The U.S. Supreme court supports religious sacrifices.
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  Amazing

  What is your source reference for the US Supreme Court ruling on this? Please cite the case number, date, and if possible the title of the case, such as The State of Florida v Church of Lamb Killers ... as this will help in finding this case ... I find it hard to believe that the US Supremes would blanketly support animal sacrifice ...
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  Dutchie

  Certain religions with significant numbers of adherents in the United States practice animal sacrifice. Much controversy and confusion has arisen concerning the state's ability to prohibit the sacrifice of animals in religious ceremonies.

  Litigation of this issue has centered on the use of animals in the Santeria religion. Santeria is based on an ancient African religion that metamorphosed into Santeria in the New World. When hundreds of thousands of members of the Yoruba people were brought as slaves from Eastern Africa (mostly modern Nigeria) to Cuba, they were prohibited from practicing their religion openly. In the process of syncretion, Yoruba people mixed their faith with the Catholicism of their captors and owners, and began to practice "Santeria," -- "the way of the saints." Yoruba spirits, "orishas," are given devotion through the iconography of Catholicism. Many Santeria gods have a dual identity with a Catholic saint. Some of the religious rites of Santeria involve the sacrifice of animals.

  Sacrifices are performed to mark significant events such as birth, marriage and death, or when new members or priests are initiated. Chickens, goats, doves, pigeons and turtles are among the animals sacrificed. The animals are killed in a ritual manner by cutting the carotid artery. The sacrificed animal may be cooked and eaten, except when used in healing and death rituals.

  Cases have recently considered whether, and by what means, a state can prohibit such practices. In 1983, Gary Francione litigated the first case that raised the question whether Santeria animal sacrifice was protected by the free exercise of religion clause of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. The New York courts, in the case entitled First Church of Chango v. American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals; 134 A.D.2d 971, 521 N.Y.S.2d 356 (Ist Dep't 1987), affirmed, 70 N.Y.2d 616, 521 N.E.2d 443 (1988), ruled that animal sacrifices were not so protected, and could be prohibited under the New York State anti-cruelty law, that is a neutral, generally applicable statute.

  The Supreme Court struck down the ordinances by which Hialeah had sought to prohibit animal sacrifice, on the grounds that the ordinances specifically targeted religion in a constitutionally impermissible manner. The Court did not state, however, that a municipality would have to give an exemption from a neutral, generally applicable statute such as the anti-cruelty statute at issue in First Church of Chango, if a municipality wished to use the anti-cruelty statute to stop cruelty to animals in sacrifices.

  Gary Francione led the effort to correct the misinterpretation of the opinion that caused prominent humane societies to conclude that Santeria sacrifice was beyond state regulation after the Lukumi Babalu Aye decision. We faxed materials to humane societies across the country after the Supreme Court decision was announced, and Gary Francione published articles, letters and editorials emphasizing that animal sacrifice could still be prevented under state anti-cruelty laws.

  We append the amicus curiae brief filed in the United States Supreme Court in the Lukumi Babalu Aye case.
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  heathen

  Personally I think the animal sacrifice thing is pretty sick .In reference to dutchies post I feel like I had a lesson in swahili lol .I also know that satanic rituals often call for animal sacrifice and blood drinking .They even said in a documentary about the son of sam that they were into that kind of crap,very disturbing.What can the supreme court say as long as you are slaughtering your own animals in the name of religious freedom? [:?]
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  Farkel

  : The U.S. Supreme court supports religious sacrifices.
  
  From a goat's point-of-view, that really sucks.

  Farkel
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  Satanus

  Millions of animals are slaughtered every day, after growing up fast and miserably. Then we and our kids go to macdonalds and enjoy eating them. I don't like seeing or knowing that animals suffer. I share my apt w a cat and a spider. So far, the spider has been able to avoid the cat.

  Killing Animals for religious reasons, doesn't make sense to me. But tell that to a billion christians who believe that god inspired the old testement. That he loved to see barrels of blood flowing on the ground, plattered on the priests, who picked it up and plattered it on the people. He loved the stench of their burning carcasses. It brought him peace in his far off heaven of heavens.

  Knowing all that, calling for jail time for religious nuts, that kill a few animals directly, IMO, seems a bit much. Fines and/or beatings, sure. That's my rant, anyway.

  SS
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  DevonMcBride

  Amazing,

  I saw this story on the News on my local Fox station.

  http://www.foxphiladelphia.com/news/index.html

  Devon