Animal Sacrifices: Cruel Rituals

There are many different types of cults and religions that abuse and/or sacrifice animals. These rituals often take place in secluded areas or at secret meeting places, and most of these groups do not have rosters or membership listings, so they are difficult to track. Although the right to hold faith in any religion is protected under the First Amendment, whether this includes the right to conduct religious slaughter of animals is unclear and therefore problematic. Meanwhile, countless animals are tortured and killed in the name of religion.

Many Religions—One Painful Practice
With names such as Santeria, Palo Mayumbe, and voodoo, most religions that promote animal sacrifice find their roots in Africa. Santeria, for example, is a blending of Catholic and African beliefs that have been passed down orally from West African slaves taken to Cuba.(1) It is estimated that there are 1 to 5 million followers in the United States, mostly concentrated in cities such as Miami, New York, and Los Angeles.(2) Voodoo, also a derivative of the practices of African slaves, is thought to be practiced by 60 million people worldwide.(3) 

No matter what the religion, some ceremonies—to honor a holiday, mark a significant moment, or encourage healing—“require” the deaths of animals, often in painful ways. Chickens, goats, pigs, turtles, and pigeons are just some of the victims of these rituals.(4) The animals are handled roughly in often noisy, smoke-filled rooms and are restrained as their throats are slit or their heads are cut off. One reporter who witnessed a voodoo ceremony described how a “frightened goat” was led to a wooden platform, then strung up by her hind legs before “a ceremonial helper placed a knife at the goat’s jugular vein and sliced across.” The goat’s blood was mixed with that of a chicken and drunk by all of the participants.(5) 

Practitioners of Santeria have been cited for the cruel conditions in which they have kept animals. Animals awaiting slaughter have been found in cramped crates with their legs tied.(6) Nearly 150 animals, including chickens, goats, and a pregnant pot-bellied pig, were rescued by the San Francisco Humane Society from the home of a Santerian high priest because of the “filthy and inhumane conditions” in which they were kept.(7)

What You Can Do
If you discover evidence or have knowledge of any case of animal sacrifice or mutilation, contact the police. In addition, find out who in your town, county, or state investigates and enforces the anti-cruelty code (such as an officer from a humane society or the SPCA), and provide him or her with a concise, written, factual statement.
 
To protect your own animal companions from theft for animal sacrifices, keep them indoors, on leashes, or closely supervised. Black cats are especially vulnerable around Halloween, when people look for them to use in their “festivities.”
 
Unfortunately, ordinances that prohibit the killing or maiming of animals for ritualistic purposes can be ineffective. In 1993, the Supreme Court found that a Florida ordinance banning animal sacrifices at a Santeria church violated the First Amendment’s guarantee of religious freedom. However, the reason that laws such as this are ruled unconstitutional is because they specifically target religious practices.(8)  A more effective way for municipalities to stop animal sacrifices is to ban all slaughter outside licensed slaughterhouses or prohibit the keeping of certain animals in residential areas.
 
If all else fails, you can visit or call your local newspapers or television stations and try to interest reporters in the story. A news story might force officials to act or might scare the person causing the abuse into stopping.

References
1) Johnny Diaz, “‘This Is Mother Nature’s Religion’; Once-Secretive Santeria Faith Brings Its Healing Message Into the Open,” Boston Globe 4 Nov. 2004.
2) Daniel Hernadez, “Little Shop of Santeria; At His Botanica in Hollywood, Priest Charles Guelperin Welcomes Customers Who Want to Contact The Supernatural World,” Los Angeles Times 7 Jul. 2005.
3) Christine Aziz, “Human Sacrifice,” IVillage.co.uk, last accessed 17 Aug. 2005.
4) Hernandez.
5) Sallie Ann Glassman, “Animal Sacrifice Still Traditional,” The Times-Picayune 9 Oct. 1994.
6) Carlos Sanchez, “Animal Sacrifice Ritual Spurs Rights Debate in D.C.; Santeria Priest Threatens Slaughter Protest,” The Washington Post 30 Nov. 1987.
7) Ryan Kim, “Cruelty-Case Animals Get New Homes,” San Francisco Chronicle 29 May 2004.
8) “Voodoo Embeds in U.S.,” The Washington Times 12 Aug. 2003.