Why I personally am against animal sacrifice

[kyrene]

C'mon, you all have been DYING for me to do this...admit it...waiting with baited breath...


Reasons why I am against animal sacrifice:

1) Animal sacrifice no longer has the meaning, connotation, or understanding that it once did. It was originally done in ancient times where they didn't have supermarkets and food wasn't as easy to come by. The Mediterranean diet typically is pretty lean on meat so animal sacrifice would've been a huge feast and an especial treat for people who may not necessary get enough food daily. When you can buy a package of beef at your corner supermarket you can't possibly understand what makes an "animal sacrifice". Don't make me quote that song "Common People" by Shatner again, m'kay?

2) I am vegan. Let me repeat that: I am vegan. I...do...not...eat...meat. I don't even eat eggs. Or dairy products. I'm not only against eating meat for myself, I certainly wouldn't be in favor of killing an animal. Not to mention the complete hypocricy of sacrificing something to the gods that which I would not partake of myself.

3) I am with the Orphics: the idea of spilling blood on gods' sacred altars is abhorrent to the point of being blasphemous in my eyes.


And now...the "Why I'm against animal sacrifice" FAQ!

Q: Will you tell people not to partake of animal sacrifice?
A: I'd advise against it, yes, but I'm not about to harass people or beat them over the head with it, either. If people are willing to eat meat and kill it with their own bare hands, I'm not going to be one of those types who douses their fur coats with paint and shuns them at every turn--at least they aren't being hypocritical and ignoring the fact that every time they eat meat, an animal's life was given so that they could eat. I like the Native American sentiment on this, actually, but it's really not the common opinion or thought. I actually find it way more hypocritical to be against animal sacrifice AND eat meat.

Q: Are you against people eating meat?
A: No, I am well aware that some people have ridiculous dietary restrictions (like yours truly, which is why I initially wound up going vegan to begin with) which prevents them from eating anything other than heavy food (like people who have severe IBD, etc) or having to live on a lo-carb diet (try being vegan and lo-carb, I dare you...I try but it's pretty damned hard). I also am well aware of what a PITA it is for people to tell ME how to eat, so I'm not going to lecture people on their dietary habits.

Q: Will you go to a Hellenic festival where you know an act of animal sacrifice will take place? Not just an offering of meat purchased at a store, but a real killing of an animal in honor of the gods?
A: No, and you can't entice me by offering "vegetarian options" for food there, either. Not a single vegetarian I know of would support the killing of an animal, let alone a vegan.

Q: Are you sure that you wouldn't want to support your fellow Hellenists by going to the festival anyway?
A: No, I am quite sure and while we're at it, if it's so important to kill animals in order to be "reconstructionist" why don't you go REALLY hardcore and start shoving people off of cliffs for the Thargelia??

Q: *gasp* But that would be MURDER!
A: So is the killing of an animal. NEXT!

Q: Suppose we dress up the animal to look like a piece of celery, then kill it?
A: It's still an animal in a celery costume!!

Q: Suppose we take a piece of celery and draw a face on it, would you still eat it?
A: Yes because celery is a VEGETABLE!

Q: What if the vegetable cries out in pain?
A: Then STOP DOING DRUGS!!

Comments

[brontosproximo.livejournal.com]

3) I am with the Orphics: the idea of spilling blood on gods' sacred altars is abhorrent to the point of being blasphemous in my eyes.

Well, except of course in the case of if someone REALLY REALLY REALLY wanted to become a priestess and smearing blood all over an altar would make an event dramatic enough that people would buy that they had called down the goddess into the body of someone just so that the person could tell everyone you really really deserved a tiara. Right?

[kyrene-myste.livejournal.com]

Yeah because spilling blood should win you a tiara every time!

[kali-ma.livejournal.com]

Stop trying to turn me on.

[brontosproximo.livejournal.com]

*laughs*

[kyrene-myste.livejournal.com]

ROFLMFAO

[cktraveler.livejournal.com]

Oh, brava!

[cktraveler.livejournal.com]

I'd feel justified in killing an animal if it was currently in the process of attacking a human being with the intent and capability of causing serious bodily harm or death, and the only way of preventing that harm from being inflicted was to kill the attacker immediately.

Funny, that. Those are also the only circumstances in which I'd feel justified in killing a human being.

On top of that ... the more contact I have with my Goddess the more conscious I become of the life force inside all things, and the more conscious I become of the life force inside all things the more repulsive the idea of consuming the remnants of life becomes.

If a natural side effect of contact with Her is enforced vegetarianism, what sense would it make for that Goddess to expect animal sacrifices?

Naturally, for those who follow other gods and goddesses, YMMV, but for me ...

[kyrene-myste.livejournal.com]

Yes, I am all in favor of doing whatever is necessary to protect yourself, even if that means the ending of another life that is the source of the threat. This includes murder, killing animals, and abortion. If someone's life is in danger because someone or something else is threatening it, so be it--you have to do what you have to do.

I am in favor of having abortion be legal so that women do not go into backalleys to get theirs. I am personally only in favor of abortion in the event of rape, murder, or threats to the mother's lfie. But that's a whole other can of worms to be opened....

What happened to my body was so drastic and stupid that people have thought that yes, the gods were responsible and wanted me to be vegan. So be it.

[cktraveler.livejournal.com]

I'm in favor of legal abortion largely because I know, secondhand, what life is like for unwanted children. But abortion is the wrong solution -- a technological means of making human beings default to sterility is necessary, so that children can only be conceived deliberately.

*nods* I don't exactly serve a sweetness-and-light Goddess, but if she ever demands a blood sacrifice I know whose blood it's gonna be. (She seems to be content with anything that contains DNA, though, and locks of hair are much easier ...)

[kali-ma.livejournal.com]

Tee-hee
Well you know I am not on the same page with you as this (to use an overused corporate metaphor) but I also think some of the reasons people have for being appalled at you being AGAINST animal sacrifices are pretty bizarre. Me, I'm just a barbarian. I am now at the odd moral position that meat form some sort of ritual slaughter would be the ONLY time I eat meat, as opposed to the daily or near daily meat consumption that most Americans do. But I'm a wild animal, don't expect other people to be like me, standard disclaimer yadda yadda yadda :))

[kyrene-myste.livejournal.com]

Not only against it but tell me that I need to cite sources for my opinions and reasons for being vegan and against animal sacrifice. Because clearly, my wanting to not eat meat and have bloodless sacrifices isn't enough.

Oh yes, and I got flamed too. Because my not wanting to kill animals or support festivals that do was offensive to them. Apparently I do not love my community or the gods enough to support the death of an animal.

[kali-ma.livejournal.com]

"Apparently I do not love my community or the gods enough to support the death of an animal."

Pfffft.

[chironcentaur.livejournal.com]

I really don't care if someone is either for or against animal sacrifice. As far as that goes, I take a neutral stance.

I do eat meat. I am aware that animals have died so that I can eat, I do try to keep that in mind. If I ever had to see an animal being slaughtered I feel fairly certain I could handle it, no way to know for certain ahead of time, but hell I look at disgusting things all the time so chances are good. But would I ever actually attend an animal sacrifice? Probably not. Even if I could handle it no problem, I really don't feel that's something I need to go out of my way to see. I've never had the sense my god is demanding an actual death on his altar from me, and until if and when he does I'll be content with what I'm currently doing. Others feel called to perform an actual sacrifice, that's fine I have no issue with them; I likely won't attend unless there were alternate activities so I didn't have to watch. Others don't want to attend at all, there's nothing wrong with that either.

[kyrene-myste.livejournal.com]

A very sane approach to take, IMHO.

[ysathora.livejournal.com]

I think there should be a drinking game for all the Hellenic lists.

*Someone brings up animal sacrifice - take a drink
*Someone bitches about the "neopagans" - take a drink
*Someone calls someone else an idiot - take a drink
*Someone states an opinion as a fact that everyone should accept - take two drinks
*etc etc, you get the point

We'd all pretty much stay drunk, and I think the lists would be way more interesting that way.

[kyrene-myste.livejournal.com]

ROFLMFAO!!!

Oh I completely agree. Omgs.

[brontosproximo.livejournal.com]

I think you have an idea there!

[ysathora.livejournal.com]

Yeah, but it would require me rejoining HP, and I need at least a week of being off the list before I can join back up again and recommence the cycle.

[kyrene-myste.livejournal.com]

Here I'll add a few:

Someone implies that everything not reconstructionist is "fluffy bunny neopaganism New Age pull it out of your ass crap" - 1 drink

Someone babbles about how they never believe in anything that the ancients didn't then in the next breath refers to themselves as a "hard reconstructionist" - 1 drink

Someone refers to Hellenism as a single, unified religion - 2 drinks

[ysathora.livejournal.com]

Someone refers to Hellenism as a single, unified religion - 2 drinks

Good one. The quicker we become intoxicated, the better.

[fallenkalina.livejournal.com]

You know, while I don't agree with you entirely (if one does like, live on a farm or a sustainable environment, and eats meat, I think it is more than acceptable, and so forth, yelling at people for not having the same thought out opinion as you is just deplorable.

Having a good argument or debate is one thing, pissing the internet is another.

[kyrene-myste.livejournal.com]

I concur.

I'm totally cool with what people do. I have die hard carnivores as friends (just ask brontosproximo who "loves eating little animal bits"). Somehow, we all manage to put up with each other, and even feed each other when we come to visit. ;)

How people have reacted to me by stating my opinions, however--and continue to act as a result of them--is just downright silly. Now, if I told them that they would all rot in Tartarus they'd have a right to be pissed, but I certainly said no such thing. "Do as thou wilt" or some such was more like it.

[romulus214.livejournal.com]

just gotta say, AMEN SISTA!!!!!!

[psyilax.livejournal.com]

Hola M. Epoptes,

I noticed that you friended my and thought I would say pop in and say hello. So, yeah...I hope you enjoy my journal.

[kyrene-myste.livejournal.com]

Hey there! :D

Welcome to my little corner of insanity. Pleased to meet ya. Would've done the polite thing and introduced myself sooner but my life's been a little nutty.