Is it satanic or is it simply primitive?

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   klarawieckposted 13 years ago

   I've read a few hubs on Santeria and most readers seem to classify this religion as a satanic cult due to the practice of animal sacrifice. My question is the following...
   
   In the Old Testament sacrificial offerings seemed to take place all the time, as a way to show God how important He was and how far you were willing to go to prove your faith and devotion. Santeria on the other hand, is the syncretism of West African tribal religion and Catholicism, the only difference being that the African rituals have not changed much throughout the years. Yet, no one seems to think that Jewish sacrifices prior to Jesus were satanic while santeros get criticized for practicing the African religion as their ancestors did.
   
   Does that make Santeria a primitive religion or a satanic practice?

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      Jeramiposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      question having great depth!
      
         Does anyone dare go where no man has gone before???
      
         Good night Again .. Yawl

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      DoubleScorpionposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Not satanic or evil. They are just following old practices. I guess their "jesus" hasn't came and passed out a new covenant for them yet so sacrifices aren't required anymore.

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         klarawieckposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         I feel bad for the chicken though... Them santeros? They're not expecting a new covenant anytime soon.
         
              But strangely enough, every Santero considers him/herself a Catholic as well. And in many cases (with the exception of the additional African practices) they are more traditional church goers than other churchmembers that don't practice Santeria. But to them, the coming of Christ was never meant to stop sacrificing animals.

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            DoubleScorpionposted 13 years agoin reply to this

            And they are right. Jesus said to follow the old laws. It was Paul who said not to. So I am curious are Christians followers of Jesus or Paul?
            
            I have a friend who is a Santero, he has Catholic roots as well. I think it is a blended belief more these days.
            
            And he always eats the chicken afterwards...

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               klarawieckposted 13 years agoin reply to this

               LOL
               In santeria sacrifices there are times when you are allowed to eat the animal and other times when you're supposed to dispose of the dead body. You eat it when it's an offering done to celebrate a feast of a specific Orisha (Deity) but if the animal is used to cleanse a sick person, then it's supposed to be thrown away. It stinks because the Orishas will usually mention the place where the dead animal has to go, and it's usually under a palm tree, or a specific type of tree, or by the railroad. The signs that say "Up to $5000  fines for littering" keep getting larger here in Miami.

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                  DoubleScorpionposted 13 years agoin reply to this

                  I don't think he does any cleansings. We don't talk about religion much...he keeps his observances of religion pretty private.

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               Jeramiposted 13 years agoin reply to this

               DoubleScorpion
               And they are right. Jesus said to follow the old laws. It was Paul who said not to. So I am curious are Christians followers of Jesus or Paul?
               ====
               
               
               me
               That is basically what I came in here a couple a yeaes ago; sayin ?.
               
                  
                 That question "IS" one of the top three or four questions that we should all be asking ourselves!

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   Cagsilposted 13 years ago

   It's a religion that is stuck in a primitive mindset.

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      klarawieckposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Is it enough reason to think of it as satanic?

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         Cagsilposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         No, because Satan isn't an actual entity. Satan never actually existed, like the god of religion.

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            klarawieckposted 13 years agoin reply to this

            well, don't think of it as satanic, think of it as evil. For us it seems unfortunate to kill an animal for the sake of its blood and it gives the whole practice a darker, most perverse character. But I don't practice either religion and yet, I'd say if one thing applies to one it should apply to the other. Jews practicing animal sacrifice makes me feel as uncomfortable as a black African singing some Yoruba ritual song while beheading a goat. I can't think of one better justified than the other simply because one evolved and the other practice didn't.

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   wildernessposted 13 years ago

   Is there really that much difference between killing a chicken for God and slipping $20 into the collection plate?  Assuming, of course, that you believe the church is Gods representative here on earth?
   
   There is no reason to think either one worships Satan.

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      klarawieckposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Yes, the chicken seems to think there is a BIG DIFFERENCE!

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         wildernessposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         Maybe.  Or maybe that $20 just goes to buy the pastor a turkey to kill instead!

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            klarawieckposted 13 years agoin reply to this

            But the chicken says... "with $20 you can buy yourself five frozen chickens at the supermarket! I can help you pick the best ones!"

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   Wentworth35posted 13 years ago

   Any sacrifice of animals is barbaric and very primitive.  The fact that this is what God supposedly wanted according to the Old Testament, is one reason amongst many for my rejection of a belief in this particular God.  Animals feel pain in the same way the human animal does, and the fact that humans are the most savage and brutal animal on this planet is made evident by the fact that not content to kill in order to survive, humans kill in the name of their gods, or just for pleasure.

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      wildernessposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      I'm not sure your argument is particularly valid.  Of course the sacrifice of animals is barbaric and very primitive - so were the people then.  As well as any people practicing it now.
      
      Man isn't the only animal that kills for pleasure - wolves do, and you should see a house cat play with a mouse.  Or watch the movie of a pod of killer whales as they work for hours to kill a baby humpback, only to eat the tongue and lips while abandoning the rest.

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   psycheskinnerposted 13 years ago

   The chicken probably dies more humanely than those slaughtered for meat in the US--hung upside down, electrocuted, scalded, sometimes alive etc. Killing an animal is killing an animal. We all do it (excluding vegetarians). I don't think doing it as a religious observance is much different from religious slaughter or normal slaughter.

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   Emile Rposted 13 years ago

   A couple of points.
   
   Psycheskinner is right. Thousands, perhaps millions, of animals are slaughtered every day. I doubt the  one sacrificed for a god suffers any more pain than the ones sacrificed for man.
   
   The comment that Jesus didn't come to abolish the law leaves out his subsequent statement that he came to fulfill it. Sacrifices were done with when he made the sacrifice and, thus, fulfilled the law.
   
   As to the Old Testament God. Animal sacrifice was common practice. Perhaps, the point was to create a series of rituals, because that was what man understood at the time; knowing that one day humanity would progress to the point that they could be shown a different way.

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   MelissaBarrettposted 13 years ago

   I'm not sure it's any more barbaric then hunting an animal down just so you can stuff it and use it for decoration in your lodge.

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   klarawieckposted 13 years ago

   You know I'm trying to put myself in the shoes (or barefeet) of a primitive person and there's one thing that comes to mind... Primitive people as well as tribal people saw the every part of daily life as a ritual. Think of Native American culture, every aspect of their life had some kind of sacred ritual behind it, whether it was recreation, eating/cooking, or dancing. So, it's hard to nail down what could be the right reasons for killing an animal. I think overall, it's the mindframe in which these practices are done. In the old days, an animal was killed and all the parts were used for different purposes. Nowadays people throw entire meals to waste. We could at least do our own compost! Just sayin'!

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