Looking for food.  At least she isn’t on the holiday menu here

One of our neighbors came calling this morning of Passover and Easter weekend.  A black bear sauntered across the patio and up the walkway to the front door.  We watched as s/he ambled over to the doors of other neighbors on the street.  I guess that beats having JW’s come knocking.

Got me thinking about the holidays we call “holy” and what happens to animals in the name of Religion, Faith and God.

Here’s how I put it in a post a few years ago:

Once again, another slaughter season begins. . .

I read this bloody article on the sacrifice of animals in Nepal.

Half a million animals beheaded to give an orgasm to Gadhimai, Hindu goddess of power.  Lovely.

The people carrying out this brutal sacrifice are farmers and factory workers, all hoping that this bloodshed will bring them prosperity from the Hindu goddess Gadhimai. The sights and sounds are unimaginable. Pools of blood, animals bellowing in pain and panic, wide-eyed children looking on, devotees covered in animal blood, and some people even drinking blood from the headless but still warm carcasses.

So, let’s do the murdering math for the gods (I’ll round off the numbers just for the sheer joy):

-Millions of calves have their heads cut off for a Goddess.

-Millions of goats cut open for Allah (Eid al-Adha).

-Millions of chickens and lambs hacked apart for Yahweh (Passover and Yom Kippur).

-Millions of birds, hogs, cattle, sheep chopped up for the Great American God (Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, etc).

-And let’s not forget the millions of animals poached for Folk Medicine Spirits.

-Not to mention (ok, I will) the millions of living trees (full of countless other living things) cut down for the Baby Bethlehem God (Christmas)

Any others you can think of?

I would recommend that we Give Some Protection to Living Things in all seasons, “holy” or not.  Think about what is killed, especially for Ancient Stories.

It seems the Gods we humans love to please so much Really Don’t Like Animals!

(or maybe they just like the taste and smell?)