What do you think about the Turkish sacraficing of animals?

Question

The news article is here. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061231/ap_on_re_mi_ea/turkey_animal_sacrifice_3

Whoops! Sacrificing, not sacraficing!

Answer 1

Whether it's for Eid or Easter, I disagree wholeheartedly with the slaughter of any animal for any reason on any given point in time.

To use the argument that we've always slaughtered animals for food is pure rubbish. We've always committed rape, murder, incest, and robbery. In all of human history, we've had slaves. In all of human history, we've had war and carnage. We've always had torture of prisoners of war. Does the fact that we've always done these things make it right? Of course not.

We keep animals incarcerated in factory farms with no veterinary care. We separate babies from mothers and steal the milk meant for these babies. We slaughter them with no medication to take away any kind of pain, no matter how horrific the slaughter. Look at photos of the holocaust, then look at photos of millions of egg laying hens in battery cages, and you tell me if you see any difference in their care. None, I tell you, none. Factory farms are concentration camps for animals, and humans are their terrorists. If you don't believe me, watch the videos at the PETA website and see for yourselves. If it's hard to watch, force yourselves. If you say you can't watch, too gruesome for you, well, okay then... head, sand, bury, hide, remain ignorant of it all. No guilt that way. The easy way out. Just remember, chickening out makes it all the more COMFORTABLE for you to continue the <<<>>>. TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT WE'RE DOING!!! Yes, it's gruesome. Yes, look at it.

Animals not only feel physical pain and suffering, but they have emotions just like us. They feel fear, anxiety, depression, sadness. They feel joy, curiosity, delight, and love. Who the hell are WE to be so arrogant as to say they aren't sentinent beings?

We are the planet's most powerful creatures, which does NOT give us the righ to slaughter those weaker than ourselves. Rather, it means we have the OBLIGATION TO TAKE CARE OF ALL OTHER CREATURES.

Sacrifice Day is for people of means to sacrifice what they have and give it to the poor. It's supposed to be about PEOPLE sacrificing what they have, not about the animals' sacrifice, they don't sin so they don't need to sacrifice at all. In times past, people kept animals for food. Most of them no longer do this, most of them live in cities. When do they ever keep animals for food? If they wanna give to the poor, they can buy them rice and beans. Poor people don't have refrigerators, this meat will not last, but rice and beans will, no refrigeration needed. I say, take the money you use to buy the animal, and buy A LOT more beans and rice instead. Better yet, give money. Poor people can't pay their bills/debts with steak, money is more useful to them. Give that, give what's most useful.

"When it comes to having a central nervous system, and the ability to feel pain, hunger, and thirst, a rat is a pig is a dog is a boy."
~Ingrid Newkirk, President of PETA

"But for the sake of some little mouthful of flesh, we deprive a soul of the sun and light and of that proportion of life and time it had been born into the world to enjoy.:
~Plutarch, on the eating of flesh

Answer 2

Even if it wasn't to do with their religion I wouldn't have a problem with it.

They're just slaughtering them as per usual, it's just that they're dedicated to god or whatever that makes it a sacrifice as opposed to your run of the mill slaughter. They still eat them afterwards, and just have a feast, like we have a feast of turkey at Christmas.
No different to any normal day really is it, except maybe people killing animals who don't normally?

@ Dolores, the animals grown in these countries aren't factory raised, making most of your points redundant.
I didn't find Peta's videos hard to watch, and I still eat meat. It isn't really gruesome; well maybe if you're the kind of over sensitive person who cries when they see a squashed rabbit on the side of the road, but that video wouldn't put most people off their lunch. Wow, there's blood and death, it's not like those things are unnatural, their part of normal life and I pity anyone who can't see that.
Besides, what Peta shows are rare exceptions, most aren't treated as bad as that, and many of the practises it shows are illegal, even in the US.
We aren't able to say they sentient because most animals, although most people do, because all being sentient is is being able to react to stimuli. Most animals are still not self aware or conscious, which is I think what most people generally understand sentience as. Hell, turkeys have been known to be frightened to death by seeing paper fluttering, and most animals cannot work out it is them in the mirror, this is because they do not have the power to work things out or act in a way that is not in their nature, and they do not even know they exist. Most animals are governed almost completely by instinct, with a few exceptions.
Being not self aware of conscious, it is right to say that while they can feel pain, they do not suffer. Nor can they feel love or the other complex emotions we have.

People are sacrificing things they have, as they own the animals. You may not like that, but that it the way it is. Besides, if you looked at why they slaughter animals, it isn't principally to do with giving to the poor, although they do do that and it isn't sacrificing something important to them, it is - to quote the original article - 'a ritual commemorating the biblical account of God's provision of a ram for Abraham to sacrifice as he was about to slay his son'. I don't think a can of beans would quite cut the mustard.
Also, food isn't as available to these people as it is to you, they really do NEED meat.

Answer 3

Honestly!!!! What an article ! I have lived in the country my whole life....we butcher(ed) our own meat every year so I'm not squeamish about this sort of thing, but this goes to unbelievable proportions. A sacrifice of mass (or biblical as the case may be) proportions what "holiday" condones this sort of thing???!! This doesn't sound like a religious sacrifice it sounds more like a bunch of knife and ax wielding maniacs. I don't even want to try and picture it. I know all cultures are different and some even strange but really!!!!!!!!!!!!

Answer 4

People engage in a lot of odd practices, most of them not related to religion or sacrifice. Check out the Guiness Book of World Records. Happy New Year. -r

Answer 5

I am Turkish and I actually hate that thing, and I must say that there is a great majority of people who think the same way. But some people think they should do that due to the religion though it is not strictly like that

Answer 6

I think if it's part of their religion then they should be able to do it. It says "They share the meat with friends, family and neighbors and give part of it to the poor." They are eating it and also sharing the food with the needy. I mean we slaughter and eat meat 24/7 so I think I am ok with it.

Answer 7

Guess it depends on the animal. I'd say my family is guilty every day since we aren't vegans.

Answer 8

It is part of their religion and they have the right to do it.

Answer 9

is this practice really any worst than what we do to the Billions of animals we slaughter for food?

check this out and you tell me

http://www.petatv.com/tvpopup/video.asp?video=free_me&Player=wm&speed=_med