Global Village my arse ! Animal slaughter in Nepal

[toppstuff]

Apparently there is a religious festival coming up in Nepal, where some half a million buffalo, pigs, sheep, goats and birds are slaughtered to "bring good fortune" to people's families.

What bothers me about this is that far from being a sensitive, religious process, it seems that it is an orgy of killing. For example, at one stage some 10,000 fenced-in buffalo are set upon by 1000 drunk blokes with knives and hacked to pieces. It is done in the name of religion apparently..

I must confess that far from being one global village, I look at some aspects of humanity and wonder if we are the same species..

As so many religions teach compassion, respect and humility toward animals, how on earth do things get interpreted and twisted in this way to somehow justify inflicting suffering? I simply do'nt understand.

http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/World-News/Animal...

[Papa Hotel]

Each to their own. It's not the worst aspect of any religion, is it? I don't see you making threads condemning suicide bombers.

[bonsai]

Such a cruel waste. Despite being obviously impossible, I would love to somehow be able to tap into their abject despair moments after each of them die, to realise that there is no mystical sky daddy who's going to welcome them to Nirvana but rather pitch black nothing, forever.

[rhinochopig]

You think that's bad, the origins of my Family are the Faroe Islands - Great Grandfather was a Harpoonist on a whaling ship that came to the UK. In researching our family history I came across this delightful little practice carried out by the islanders.

Islanders in motorboats first drive the whales into a bay. The chase may be lengthy. The exhausted, terrified and confused whales are eventually driven into the shallows. Here the bloodbath begins. The islanders repeatedly hammer 2.2 kg metal gaffs into the living flesh of each whale until the hooks hold. A 15 cm knife is then used to slash through the blubber and flesh to the spinal column. Next the main blood vessels are severed. The blood-stained bay is soon filled with horribly mutilated and dying whales.

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/end-whale-dolphin... - just be warned if you click on this link the picture is VERY gruesome.

[Snoop Bagg]

And who are we to judge another culture just because it's different to ours. "This is a divine power center," said Mangal Chaudhary, the head priest of the Gadhimai temple by phone. "When people wish for a son, a job, good health or anything else come true, they make an offering to the Gadhimai goddess."

Don't get me wrong I've no tolerance for animal cruelty but in the UK we probably slaughter around that amount every day for food Chickens, Fish, Lamb etc. The animals will be eaten and not wasted and it's wrong as "westerners" to judge foreign cultures and traditions!

[Dr.Doofenshmirtz]

Snoop Bagg said:

And who are we to judge another culture just because it's different to ours. "This is a divine power center," said Mangal Chaudhary, the head priest of the Gadhimai temple by phone. "When people wish for a son, a job, good health or anything else come true, they make an offering to the Gadhimai goddess."

Don't get me wrong I've no tolerance for animal cruelty but in the UK we probably slaughter around that amount every day for food Chickens, Fish, Lamb etc. The animals will be eaten and not wasted and it's wrong as "westerners" to judge foreign cultures and traditions!

I agree - it's difficult for us to judge when we have so many people still supporting Fox hunting - it's the same difference.

[RichBurley]

Dr.Doofenshmirtz said:

Snoop Bagg said:

And who are we to judge another culture just because it's different to ours. "This is a divine power center," said Mangal Chaudhary, the head priest of the Gadhimai temple by phone. "When people wish for a son, a job, good health or anything else come true, they make an offering to the Gadhimai goddess."

Don't get me wrong I've no tolerance for animal cruelty but in the UK we probably slaughter around that amount every day for food Chickens, Fish, Lamb etc. The animals will be eaten and not wasted and it's wrong as "westerners" to judge foreign cultures and traditions!

I agree - it's difficult for us to judge when we have so many people still supporting Fox hunting - it's the same difference.

Not really. There are plenty of us who abhor fox hunting.

[Snoop Bagg]

Dr.Doofenshmirtz said:

Snoop Bagg said:

And who are we to judge another culture just because it's different to ours. "This is a divine power center," said Mangal Chaudhary, the head priest of the Gadhimai temple by phone. "When people wish for a son, a job, good health or anything else come true, they make an offering to the Gadhimai goddess."

Don't get me wrong I've no tolerance for animal cruelty but in the UK we probably slaughter around that amount every day for food Chickens, Fish, Lamb etc. The animals will be eaten and not wasted and it's wrong as "westerners" to judge foreign cultures and traditions!

I agree - it's difficult for us to judge when we have so many people still supporting Fox hunting - it's the same difference.

It will essentially be a good knees up, every year we celebrate a Harvest Festival where we decorate churches with food and pray for a good harvest the following year.

Granted we kill fruit rather than animals, but the principal is the same!

[Bill]

IL_JDM said:

If you kill it, eat it, pretty simple really.

They do. And they only use gaffs on dead animals. Look here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whaling_in_the_Faroe_... for a less sensationalist view. Obviously there are pics of dead animals so it's not fo the squeamish/NSFW.

[Snoop Bagg]

Bill said:

IL_JDM said:

If you kill it, eat it, pretty simple really.

They do. And they only use gaffs on dead animals. Look here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whaling_in_the_Faroe_... for a less sensationalist view. Obviously there are pics of dead animals so it's not fo the squeamish/NSFW.

Exactly my point of view, whaling is totally unnecessary we don't make soap or need whale oil anymore!

[toppstuff]

Dr.Doofenshmirtz said:

Snoop Bagg said:

And who are we to judge another culture just because it's different to ours. "This is a divine power center," said Mangal Chaudhary, the head priest of the Gadhimai temple by phone. "When people wish for a son, a job, good health or anything else come true, they make an offering to the Gadhimai goddess."

Don't get me wrong I've no tolerance for animal cruelty but in the UK we probably slaughter around that amount every day for food Chickens, Fish, Lamb etc. The animals will be eaten and not wasted and it's wrong as "westerners" to judge foreign cultures and traditions!

I agree - it's difficult for us to judge when we have so many people still supporting Fox hunting - it's the same difference.

I'm not sure. A fox hunt is essentially an extension of relatively natural behaviour - pack animals hunting down a single prey..

This is not the same. In Nepal they basically put thousands of buffalo in a paddock and then guys go at them with marchete's. I've seen a video and to be honest, it's pretty disturbing stuff - not just the slaughter, but the behaviour of the people committing it. You can't help but reflect on the personality/humanity/compassion of the people willing and motivated to commit such acts..

edited for bard spooling

Edited by toppstuff on Tuesday 24th November 10:46

[Digga]

Dr.Doofenshmirtz said:

Snoop Bagg said:

And who are we to judge another culture just because it's different to ours. "This is a divine power center," said Mangal Chaudhary, the head priest of the Gadhimai temple by phone. "When people wish for a son, a job, good health or anything else come true, they make an offering to the Gadhimai goddess."

Don't get me wrong I've no tolerance for animal cruelty but in the UK we probably slaughter around that amount every day for food Chickens, Fish, Lamb etc. The animals will be eaten and not wasted and it's wrong as "westerners" to judge foreign cultures and traditions!

I agree - it's difficult for us to judge when we have so many people still supporting Fox hunting - it's the same difference.

Sorry, but that is a bit different. Fox hunting is the rural equivalent of controlling the population of urban rats - a necessary evil - and once set upon by honds, the fox is normally despatched quicker than other 'humane' methods, i.e. shooting, which is fraught with difficulty. That fox hunting is a class issue is another matter.

I agree, it's wrong to judge and that, if consumed and not wasted, those of us who east meat have little cuase for complaint.

[Bill]

Snoop Bagg said:

Exactly my point of view, whaling is totally unnecessary we don't make soap or need whale oil anymore!

It's food. They take fewer than 1000 of a non-endangered species, so how is it different to eatin any other game animal?

[cs02rm0]

toppstuff said:

I must confess that far from being one global village, I look at some aspects of humanity and wonder if we are the same species..

We're not so far away ourselves. Three square meals and all that. I don't believe we're fundamentally any different really.

[Marf]

Non story, the animals will be eaten. We slaughter animals every day, but because it happens behind closed doors no one bats an eyelid.

[toppstuff]

cs02rm0 said:

toppstuff said:

I must confess that far from being one global village, I look at some aspects of humanity and wonder if we are the same species..

We're not so far away ourselves. Three square meals and all that. I don't believe we're fundamentally any different really.

So you would take an axe and walk into a paddock of cows and hack their heads off ?

Or would you show the animal enough respect to have each one isolated and, in turn, have it quietly, humanely despatched?

Are you sure there is no difference?

[5unny]

Marf said:

Non story, the animals will be eaten. We slaughter animals every day, but because it happens behind closed doors no one bats an eyelid.

+1

Have you seen the conditions in some of our own abattoirs?

They do it for religion and we do it to make money and east some testy meat.

[Gylen]

toppstuff said:

cs02rm0 said:

toppstuff said:

I must confess that far from being one global village, I look at some aspects of humanity and wonder if we are the same species..

We're not so far away ourselves. Three square meals and all that. I don't believe we're fundamentally any different really.

So you would take an axe and walk into a paddock of cows and hack their heads off ?

Or would you show the animal enough respect to have each one isolated and, in turn, have it quietly, humanely despatched?

Are you sure there is no difference?

If I was starving, I'd bowl into the field and start swinging!

Are you seriously telling me you'd cart it off somewhere quiet to kill it?? Would you give it a blindfold and a cigarette as well?

I'm an animal lover but have no problem with killing something for food and in the 'three square meals' scenario (which I don't actually agree with) I'd use whatever means I could to despatch my food as quickly and cleanly as I could. I wouldn't worry about offending the others, particularly though.

[Bill]

IL_JDM said:

But these people aren't 'starving'.

They hold a mass slaughter once a year, do you think they starve themselves for weeks in order to conduct this 'festival', from what I've read, it appears not.

Hardly 'survivor' mentality, which you appear to hold, poor comparison really.

They may not be starving but they do need to eat.

[Gylen]

IL_JDM said:

Gylen said:

toppstuff said:

cs02rm0 said:

toppstuff said:

I must confess that far from being one global village, I look at some aspects of humanity and wonder if we are the same species..

We're not so far away ourselves. Three square meals and all that. I don't believe we're fundamentally any different really.

So you would take an axe and walk into a paddock of cows and hack their heads off ?

Or would you show the animal enough respect to have each one isolated and, in turn, have it quietly, humanely despatched?

Are you sure there is no difference?

If I was starving, I'd bowl into the field and start swinging!

Are you seriously telling me you'd cart it off somewhere quiet to kill it?? Would you give it a blindfold and a cigarette as well?

I'm an animal lover but have no problem with killing something for food and in the 'three square meals' scenario (which I don't actually agree with) I'd use whatever means I could to despatch my food as quickly and cleanly as I could. I wouldn't worry about offending the others, particularly though.

But these people aren't 'starving'.

They hold a mass slaughter once a year, do you think they starve themselves for weeks in order to conduct this 'festival', from what I've read, it appears not.

Hardly 'survivor' mentality, which you appear to hold, poor comparison really.

Edited by IL_JDM on Tuesday 24th November 11:18

Not really. The post I responded to brought up the 'three square meals' scenario I even mentioned in my post. So yes, a survival situation.