Animal sacrifices are all embodied in the holy texts of the world religions, for instance, Christianity, Islam, as well as Judaism. All over the world, this idea is still being used by religious communities. In many religions, sacrificing of animals is common. The New World religions practicing animal sacrifices, for instance, the Cuban Santeria, follow guidelines similar to the practices carried out by Islam as well as Kosher Jewish. The religions sacrifice only the healthiest animals to the gods (Masri, 2016).
Although the concept of animal sacrifices has not been understood by individuals in the modern tradition, the practice has not faded away. In fact, animal sacrifices are significant, in many cultures. Additionally, they form an essential part of the system of the society. The practice of animal sacrifice started in the Neolithic period, although it was prevalent in the Mediterranean religions. Their population of people experienced growth because of the domestication of animals favored by the warm weather. People separated themselves from the natural world through religion. People believe that animal offerings impress the invisible beings and that they would be protected against natural forces, for instance, blizzards as well as food scarcity and so on. Religious and ritual sacrifices were also used as a way of giving thanks to the Almighty, as well as to gain prosperity. On the other hand, animal sacrifices have some disadvantages; for instance, it was seen to be inhumane.
Importance of the Ritual
Animal sacrifices are a part of the social life of the people in the world. Ancestors are invoked by religious as well as ritual sacrifices. Over the years, animal sacrifice has been made to appease the gods as well as ask for protection. Researchers have unearthed animal bones in places of worship, for example, the Gobekli Tepe in Turkey, the oldest temple in the world built 7000 years before the Stone Age period.
The traditions, as well as religious customs of the Greeks and Romans, were founded on animal sacrifices. The wealth of individuals grew, as the society excelled in resource production. Sacrificing animals became prominent because of the bumper resources. In the ancient time, a community was formed by the elite as well as the general public. In the Hellenistic period, the elite used animal sacrifice as a medium of showing their power as well as how the whole society as a whole benefited from their good deeds. Additionally, the general public recognized them and was in turn able to establish their superior status.
In some cases, animals are sacrificed as a way to thank the Almighty, for instance, in Islam multitudes of goats as well as sheep are slaughtered during Eid al-Adha to mark the end of the Hajj, unlike where other traditions use such sacrifices to appease an angry God. Some of the religious books such as the Bible as well as the holy Quran forms the foundation for the history of the tradition. In both the books there is a mention of Abraham who was instructed to carry out a sacrifice to the Almighty as a way of thanking the Almighty. Until today, animal sacrifice is performed in religious occasions, for instance, the Hajj, as well as Umrah and so on to mark the sacrifice in the religious books.
In the ancient times, animal sacrifice was viewed in different ways, for instance, the meal which is shared after the sacrifice is a form of reciprocity. According to research conducted by Walter Burkert, individuals share a meal with the gods in sharing a meal bringing a sense of community. The meat shared in the sacrifice was the most available protein for most people. Even in the world today, “feasts” is used to refer to holidays.
Disadvantages of the Ritual
Each year, human beings participate in the killing of animals because of religious ceremonies. This practice has been termed as many researchers to be insane and barbaric. The act violates some laws of countries such as the Andhra Pradesh Birds as well as Sacrifice Act formulated in 1950. The long tradition of animal sacrifice was banned by a court in India considering the practice cruel as well as barbaric. The ban extended to the places of worship throughout the state. After the ruling, local activists argued that animal cruelty would end.
Many religions of the New World are horrified by the practice of sacrificing animals. Research that is against the act is concerned with the animals involved or fearing the practice might result to “othering” by mainstream society. Also, the exercise is associated with a fundamental disconnect with the food system as well as a smoldering of racism.
In recent years, the sacrificial priests do not carry out the practice as it is supposed to be. For instance, the animals used are raised in industrial meat factories rather than small farming set-ups. Moreover, the animal is supposed to be taken care by individuals it is familiar with. This is to ensure the animal is regarded with respect as well as dignity in the course of the period it is kept before the sacrifice. Animals which are handled in industrial places are considered to be distressed and therefore unfit for sacrificial rites. The primary logistic concern is the calmness as well as the comfort of the animals (Regan, 2010).
Modern standards of sacrifice demand that the lives of animals should be taken without suffering. According to the kosher method of slaughtering animals, a single cut is needed to end the life of the animal. The cut is supposed to slice the arteries, veins, esophagus, as well as trachea leaving the spinal cord undamaged. A sacrificial priest, Telemakhos Night claims that by leaving the central nervous system intact, the animal is left biological as well as natural. Additionally, instead of leaving the animal in a state of agitation or panic, it settles into a state of euphoria and death. Proper training, as well as skill, ensure that the animals will not be subjected to suffering. If the sacrificial priest has strong emotions, there would be a probability that mistakes will be made because of hesitation, as a resulting in subjecting the animal to pain.
Sacrificial traditions vary widely, crossing racial as well as religious lines and so on. All of the three major branches of the religion of Abraham have sacrificial practices different from the understanding of pagans. In all of the religions, consent seems to be universal. Moreover, it must be acquired from the participants, as well as the animals involved and so on. If one feels uncomfortable, for instance, if the practice breaks taboos, one should not take part in an animal offering. Before the offering, divination is used to confirm if a particular deity wants the offering. Even though, when a sacrificial priest is experienced, he will observe the body language of the animal and ascertain the creature’s emotional state. In the world today, most of the priests do not understand this.
According to Salisbury, sacrificing animals boils down to the ego. Individuals believe that by taking a life, the gods would be impressed; as a result, many people want to perform the act to appease them. The act of sacrificing animals’ serves only to make people believe that they are more important compared to other living beings existing on the planet.
Issues of racism form part of the practice of sacrificing animals in the United States. Over the years, it is considered problematic when Reconstructionist polytheists take part in ritual animal sacrifices whereas deemed okay when individuals from the African diaspora as well as African Traditional Religions take part. This kind of arguments is found to be racist as well as offensive. This only implies that the traditions practiced by Europeans and the individuals who practice them ought to know better.
According to the Hindu scriptures, animals have souls. All living beings, for instance, the insects, and so on have souls. They are subject to the laws of nature, just like humans. Additionally, they are intelligent as well as have their language, although most individuals consider them ignorant. In the manifestation as well as the evolution of the world, animals perform an important role, for example, they provide people with milk and self-sacrifice. In Hinduism, animals are mentioned in the myths and forms part of the Hindu pantheon and are considered to be a vehicle of many gods as well as goddesses. Additionally, they are regarded as divinities as well as incarnations of Vishnu. The decorative art of Hindu is embellished as well as beautify. According to the Hindu scriptures animals should be treated fairly and not subjected to cruelty as well as pain. Individuals practicing the Hindu tradition believe non-violence towards all living beings to be the highest virtue. This implies that people should not even have the intent to disturb them. In the past, individuals sacrificed animals but grew uncomfortable over time to the extent people practicing Hinduism do not appreciate it. The Hindus’ historic attitude towards animals is evident from the fact that the Indian forests had all kinds of animals, until the arrival of the British. People who practice animal sacrifice consider animals to be inferior. Using animals in sacrifices reduces the population of the animals in the world. They are supposed to be protected as well as nourished (Weddle, 2017).
Conclusion
To eradicate some general misconceptions, the general public needs to be educated concerning the nature of animal sacrifices within the context of religions in the world. Individuals tend to make better decisions as well as exercise good judgment when they understand the religions in the world. Additionally, this will impact individuals with a tolerant behavior.
Through a consensus among the various religions in the world, tolerance, as well as an understanding of the rituals, can be increased. Several countries, for instance, the United States, does not have legislation concerning religious issues because of the fear of violating the country’s constitutional amendment that protects the freedom of worship. Until today, traditional religions have found it challenging to agree mutually. Therefore, reducing tolerance towards the religions that have been known less.
In historical terms, the movement of civil rights of America is still a newborn child. In many parts of the United States, religious discrimination is still alive even in the world today. Misunderstandings affect the road to accept one another completely and to love our neighbors unconditionally. Furthermore, some of the misconceptions are an attempt at domination by the moral majority, for instance, the Christians. Continuing to misunderstand each other is like negating that we are all the children of God and therefore have equal rights.
The Christian religions differ with the religions of the New World. Between the two religions, animal sacrifice is at the point of departure. Although the Christian religions consider Jesus to be the sacrificial Lamb of God and is meant to cleanse the worlds’ sins, they do not recognize that the same theory forms a basis of the animal offerings performed by the religions of the New World. The practice of animal sacrifice is facing legal problems, in the twenty-first century. Several cases remain to be resolved. These cases need to be addressed by the states as well as the government since conflicts might sprout as a result.
Animal sacrifice evokes strong reactions in many religions of the New World, although modern America finds the practice to be legal, as well as more humane compared to industrial slaughter. Individuals may never agree with whether or not the sacrifice of animals has a place in religious practice. On the other hand, the argument is opening up, leaving individuals the chance to carefully examine their feelings towards the practice as well as their own beliefs towards the gods (Frohock, 2001).
References
Frohock, F. M. (2001). The free exercise of religion: lukumi and animal sacrifice.
Masri, A. H. B. A. (2016). Animal welfare in Islam. Kube Publishing Ltd.
Regan, T. (2010). Animal sacrifices. Temple University Press.
Weddle, D. L. (2017). Sacrifice in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. NYU Press.
