The following comes from an October 20 LA Times article by Josh Blackman:
Every year, Jews around the world seek repentance before the holiday of Yom Kippur through an atonement ritual known as kapparot. In exchange for a donation, a rabbi gently waves a chicken over one’s head, reads a blessing, and then the bird is humanely slaughtered according to the precepts of Jewish dietary laws.
Animal rights groups have repeatedly tried — and failed — to stop this ancient ritual. They tried again this year, filing a federal lawsuit in California against Chabad of Irvine, and seeking a restraining order just 12 days before Yom Kippur.
With less than 72 hours left to complete the ritual, U.S. District Court Judge André Birotte Jr. issued an unprecedented order halting Chabad’s and Rabbi Alter Tenebaum’s free exercise of religion. After some intervention from the First Liberty Institute, a Texas-based legal organization that focuses on religious freedoms, the judge dissolved his injunction but at that point it was too late to perform kapparot. And this case is not over; soon the lawsuit will be heard on its merits.
Those merits are nonexistent. The activists are challenging kapparot as an “unfair business practice” that involves “maliciously and intentionally” killing chickens. This argument is flatly contrary to California law, and even worse, it is unconstitutional on its face.
The activists argue, among other things, that because Chabad gets a donation, kapparot is not only a religious ritual but also a “business act.” But faith groups routinely charge fees — large and small — for a ticket to worship services, admission to Bible studies or to light a votive candle. Reading the law in this broad manner would entangle countless spiritual practices with a code designed to prohibit unfair business dealings.
Nor are chickens maliciously killed in the kapparot ritual. California has specifically recognized slaughtering poultry according to the “rules of the Jewish faith … [as] a humane method of slaughter.” After the ritual is complete, the bird can be either donated to the poor for food (if kapparot takes place in a slaughterhouse), or converted to fertilizer. This is in no sense a wanton or cruel act.
Finally, and most importantly, if California law were to be interpreted to criminalize kapparot, it would be unconstitutional. In 1993, the U.S. Supreme Court considered an appeal involving a Santeria church that sacrificed chickens as a form of spiritual devotion. The church challenged a Florida law that prohibited the “sacrifice or slaughter” of an animal if it is killed in “any type of ritual,” but permitted slaughtering animals in “any licensed [food] establishment.” The Supreme Court unanimously ruled that the law violated the 1st Amendment. The exact same act of slaughter was legal if performed in a food establishment, but illegal if performed in a house of worship. Such discrimination against a ritual that “may seem abhorrent to some,” Justice Anthony M. Kennedy explained, violates the free exercise of religion.
I have never heard of this extremist Jewish group. All of the Jews I know, are very kind, love people and animals, and love to go to all of their religious services, with their families! Many are big supporters of all groups to help both people and animals, and contribute to the SPCA, and other good animal welfare groups. Many of them keep a traditional kosher diet, but none believe in the ancient religious ritual killings of animals, which were abolished centuries ago, in their faith. I think that America is not country that should allow any extremist religious or cultural practices of cruelty. I think a group must discard such things, when entering America, and such things should be illegal.
P.S. I have heard in the news, of reports of the police arresting people who perform religious ritual animal killings, who belong to other religious groups of Latin America, Africa, the Middle East, and the Orient. In America, we do not do such horrible things! And children must all be taught, that such horrible practices are wrong! We worship a God of LOVE in this good country! All cruelty of any kind, should be forever abolished!
Linda Maria, the ritual is on line (Glory Television for one), and these people are just a section of Orthodox Jews. They gently put the chicken around their heads symbolically three times. Then it is probably killed in the most human way and the meat given to the poor or those who bought it. Since chicken was not a sacrificial animal under Old Testament Jewish Law, it is just symbolic of repenting from sin and is not considered a sacrifice. Jewish law is very kind to animals as the Old Testament was one of the first book of laws that required work animals, such as oxen be given rest on the Sabbath, right along with the people. Kosher meat is killed in the most humane way possible.
Linda:
If the animal (and it is the sort of animal you and i allowed to be killed for our tables) is dispatched according to procedures legally recognized as humane, I will not side against them. I only wish Catholics had the chutzpah of Jews. If we defended our faith man-for-man as they do, there would be no threats to our liberty in this country.
Tom Byrne– I hope the children at your Catholic school are taught to “Be Kind to Animals!” Halloween is coming up, and some kids who are juvenile delinquents, commit very violent ritual acts of torture and animal sacrifice, in the name of— anything! Some violent gangs do this! Religion is certainly NO EXCUSE for such behavior! We believe in a God of Love! America is certainly a CIVILIZED country– NO PLACE for anything of this sort! Freedom of Religion is not in any way to be misconstrued, as freedom to commit senseless, violent acts, of any kind, towards either animals, or people!
“Humane” to Jews and Muslims who strictly follow their religious slaughter laws is not humane in Christianity which is the source of the humane Western Method. Humane slaughter is a Western method that stuns the farm animal. The fact is the USDA-FSIS have given Jews and Muslims a “religious exemption” to the U.S. Humane Methods of Livestock Slaughter Act. This means that farm animals are not stunned and remain fully conscious prior to the kill, which is inhumane by the Act’s standards. To learn more I hope you visit https://thewisershopper.wordpress.com . There I have a page that compares the Western Method vs. the Halal Method of Slaughter. The Kosher method also does not use stunning. So far, the Catholic public has not made a…
…So far, the Catholic public has not made a fuss about halal meat being secretly sold in our supermarkets and restaurants. We show you how to get vocal with the supermarket butcher. I also have delicious recipes. My most recent recipe is a Paella Supper in honor of Saint Teresa of Avila’s feast day. It is a free public service. Hope you visit.
Wiser it is great that the animals are stunned, and we should encourage Jews and Muslims to slaughter animals that way too, but Christians, of whom I am one, have not always “killed with kindness” either. My grandfather and grandmother use to kill their own chickens with a hatchet. I was told by one cousin, though, that my grandmother, all 5 feet 8 of her used to swing the chickens around by their necks to kill them. She had six children, and she probably did that when she had nothing for dinner and the ax broke. I do not buy real fir, but if I lived in Siberia, it would be a whole different matter if I could not obtain synthetic clothing heavy enough to keep out the cold.
Wiser, after looking up USDA approved methods of slaughtering animals, it seems as if the Jewish method of Shechita, as described on Wikipedia, is very humane.
Also, the Lord Jesus Christ, who was descended from the tribe of Judah, as the second person of the Holy Trinity gave both the Old Testament and New Testament laws, so in that sense we did get some of our ideas for kindness to animals from the Jews. I recommend the article on the Homiletic and Pastoral Review called “Re-assessing the Role of the Pharisees in the New Testament.”
Linda Marie, I often agree with your comments but here I must disagree. I ask if you are a vegetarian…? If you believe slautering chickens is cruel then wouldn’t you’d be a hypocrite to eat one?
I do not see any indication that the chickens are being tortured or used for satanic purposes. i myself have killed chickens for food and done it in the most humane way that I know how.
Be careful about what religious ceremonies you want to outlaw because when they come for us Catholics there will be no one left to side with us!
The Veiled Thread– I am sure glad we Catholics believe in a God of LOVE! I always loved the fact that while the cold-hearted, selfish human beings had “NO ROOM AT THE INN” for Baby Jesus, the poor, dear, innocent, loving animals, were the first on earth to welcome Him, in their humble little stable!
The various religious peoples of the Middle East seem very primitive, hardened, crude, and insensitive to their fellow man, at times! They all have been fighting and killing each other FOR CENTURIES!! WHY do they have so many on-going, constant BLOOD-BATHS– in the name of GOD and RELIGION?? Hope in the West, we “Christianized” people will not again descend to that level! We preach a God of LOVE and PEACE and GOODNESS! Religion should NOT be an excuse for unnecessary BLOOD-BATHS, of either people or of animals!
Linda Maria, I think you may be incorrect as to the abandonment of the ritual killing of animals. Orthodox Jews observe “kashrut” (the kosher dietary laws) and will eat only meat slaughtered by Orthodox rabbis certified for that purpose. Of course, Jews keeping kosher never eat pork, shellfish, or other species of fish which are bottom-feeders (e.g., catfish). Neither will they allow meat or fish to be served together with any dairy product, nor allow both to touch any common dish.
The practice mentioned in your last line, Roberto Vicente, comes also from a “kindness to animals” law — “Thou shalt not boil a kid (baby goat) in its mother’s milk.” That was a common practice among the pagan tribes around Israel, and the Lord wanted to remind the Israelites not to be cruel, so the separation of dairy products and flesh served that purpose. Also, the separation of clean and unclean animals served to remind them that they were to be holy and separate from the unholy practices of some of those other tribes. Some of the kashrut laws were for health purposes too.
Since pigs used to be fed garbage, pork carried trichinosis and had to be well cooked to kill the disease. Now in this country pork is fed corn and catfish is farmed and fed better food too, but I still cook pork well done. Another reason shellfish was not allowed, besides being bottom feeders, was that they were thrown alive into boiling water in order to kill and cook them. Some places now have a kinder way of killing shellfish before throwing it into boiling water. They snip a certain nerve, or something like that. It probably cannot be done for all shellfish, such as mussels
Thank you, Anne T. I knew some of the “facts” of kashrut law, but you were kind enough to explain some of the “whys”.
You are welcome, Roberto Vicente. There are some excellent Jewish websites that give the reasons for kashrut laws. I read a book, too, called “Doesn’t Anybody Blush Any More?” by an Orthodox Jewish rabbi years ago, and it was very enlightening about the “whys” of Jewish Laws (Old Testament Laws). Some Jewish people get rather scrupulous about them as some of us Christians do about our laws at times. In fact the Holy Father just gave a sermon about the difference between laxity and rigidity. It is on the Vatican Inside website.
Correction: ” get over scrupulous” would have been better words for me to have used in my last post in line three.
Donald Trump has not said that he will accept the election results. I do accept the results, but I do not accept Hillary Clinton.
Hillary Clinton accepts the killing of unborn babies and abominable marriages. She does not accept the First Amendment or the Second Amendment.
Let’s stop the transformation of our country from a democracy into a dictatorship. Let’s do what it takes to get rid of Hillary Clinton.
I have always found it to be APPALLING that there are so many HARDENED, INSENSITIVE, UNWOMANLY, MODERN, DIABOLIC “WOMEN,” to include Hillary Clinton– who all mindlessly SOLD THEIR SOULS TO THE DEVIL– and adopted “FEMINISM” as an UNNATURAL belief, to live by! Instead, Hillary needs to be a Role Model for America, to promote the Traditional Marriage, Home, and Family– and the Sanctity of Life, from conception to natural death! Sadly, America will eventually COLLAPSE in SIN, on its own sword! I wish, by a way acceptable to God only (not malice, of the Devi!) for Hillary’s downfall, to bring about God’s grace, goodness, and blessings, for America!
Tell us what you really think of her.
Unfit for any kind of public leadership.
Tersely put.
We are to be kind to animals, and the Old and New Testaments require that — but not to the extreme. Both Jews and Christians were not and are not required to abstain from meat all the time as long as the animal is killed as humanely as possible. Some people seem to have more concern for animals than they do human beings, especially children in the womb.
I do not understand how Jews are “under seige” in the same manner that Christians are. Christians are under seige by the government! Catholic nuns taken to court over healthcare coverage for abortion and contraception; same with Christian-owned bakery being sued by Oregon. No comparison.
I’m a meat-eating Animal Welfare advocate. This ritual slaughter occurs on the street! It must be stopped! Here’s why: I’m sure that Muslims are tracking the outcome of this religious battle. This is a warning: Muslims will eventually slaughter conscious large farm animals – without stunning – on America’s streets! Their annual Farm Animal Ritual Sacrifice is known as Eid al-Adha. Look it up. Savage blood-letting running in the streets…
I don’t think it is a good idea, in America, for children of any religious sect to be indoctrinated into some violent, bloody, senseless, religious ritualistic animal sacrifice, telling them that this will somehow remove their guilt and sins! Better to instill in children, a healthy belief in a God of Love, and personally taking responsibility for all their actions!
When I was only seven years old, a little boy of the same age, in my neighborhood, cam down with pneumonia. I asked my mother if we could go and visit him. She explained to me, that the little boy’s parents belonged to a religious sect, that rejected all of modern medicine, and only believed in prayer. She explained to me, that America is a land of religious freedom. Well, within a few days, my poor mother had to next tell me, that the poor little boy had died, despite all of his church’s prayers and religious rites, and his funeral was next. I was so shocked! I couldn’t believe it! No common sense, with freedom of religion, in our country??.
Just so everyone knows the priorities in America run by Democrats: slaughtering a few chickens on one day each year is to be prohibited because it is inhumane, but dismembering and vacuuming out human babies in the womb every day to the tune of about one million per year in the U.S. is to be lauded as progressive.
Voting for Democrats is sinful. Democrats advocate grave evils in America. The Democrat Party of today is not the Democrat Party of the 20th century: it is a secular leftist, totalitarian, corrupt and sinister political organization.
I detest the Democrat Party, and so should every decent American and every Catholic.
The world has a great many tragic practices, in the name of religion. Christian missionaries, both Catholic and Protestant, used to be HORRIFIED when working in the country of India, trying to rescue and educate poor, young Indian girls, who were destined by their families, to be sold, to become Temple prostitutes. Prostitution used to be a part of Indian religious beliefs and practices! It was finally outlawed, in 1949. Also, Christian missionaries have been horrified, trying to help the persecuted caste of people, and their children, known as the “Untouchables.” Christians are very BLESSED to believe in a God of LOVE, and to live by our precious Christian Morals!
Sorry, but I may have the wrong date, as to when Indian temple prostitution was outlawed, by the Indian government! It may have been more recent, actually! Hope this practice was effectively outlawed– I feel very sorry for those poor girls, if not!
Christians believe in Christ, and a God of Love– and have no religious dietary laws. Most try to feed their families the best and most nutritious foods possible. Some Christians, like myself, desire to take one step further, due to a belief in love and non-violence, for all God’s little creatures– and adopt a plant-based diet for themselves, and accept no product for themselves, made due to a act of violence, to any creature. There are also some traditional, contemplative Catholic religious orders of nuns and monks, who live this way, as an “extra” little act of love. Any little act of love, that anyone can possibly do, for love of God, is a much-needed thing, in this poor, suffering world! Not all can do it, however.
In my last line, above, when I said “Not all can do it, however,” I meant that not everyone can do as I do! However, there are many, many fine Christians, and others, in the world, who have their own little acts of love, which they offer each day, and I love to hear people talk about their little “love gifts!” Some might say a “Hail, Mary” for a suffering person, each time an ambulance rushes by, or pray for all in a hospital, when they pass one. Some pray Rosaries daily, for special needs. Many go out of their way, to pray and to help, those in need, just informally. Everyone can do a little something, to help Christ brighten up the world, and make it a little better! I love to hear all about these little “love gifts!”
Years ago, I wondered why the former head of the local Catholic Charities did not get down on his knees, daily praying the Rosary, asking Our Lady’s help, to convert his son, from the gay “lifestyle.” And what if his son got AIDS and died?? Anyway– I once said that he should say his Rosary each day, instead of promoting wrongful gay sex acts, and gay “marriage,” in his job, working for the Church, in a prominent position! Why not be a good Catholic father and Role Model, on-the-job, for his son, and for others, too?? To ask for grace of Our Lady, for his son to lead a good, chaste, happy life, would have been a true act of a father’s real love, for his son!
What is deeply troubling, in today’s world, is to see so many selfish, hardened, “Death Culture” liberal leftist people, demand their so-called “freedoms” to sin, without even one little thought of self-control, love, respect, or kindness to others! Why is the degrading, filthy “shack-up” so important, with “free sex,” children by different lovers, dope, pornography, and killing unwanted babies?? Why is the gay lover, or so-called “marriage” so important? Why is it so important, and so necessary, to have all of these filthy, degrading, and unnecessary “freedoms” to sin? Why not, instead, self-control, mature behavior, kindness and respect for others– and REAL, UNSELFISH LOVE??