BARIYAPUR, Nepal (AP) -- The ceremony began with prayers in a temple by tens of thousands of Hindus before dawn Tuesday. Then it shifted to a nearby corral, where in the cold morning mist, scores of butchers wielding curved swords began slaughtering buffalo calves by hacking off their heads.Over two days, 200,000 buffaloes, goats, chickens and pigeons will be killed as part of a blood-soaked festival held every five years to honor Gadhimai, a Hindu goddess of power.
Sound crazy? Clearly to the author of the article it does, as he describes the "blood-soaked festival". But how many turkeys died to honor Thanksgiving? In a country of 300,000,000, the answer is a far bigger number. I am not a vegetarian, at least not full time, though I rarely eat meat except on Shabbat, holidays, and special occasions. So this is not about the fact that all meat is murder and a pox on all those who think otherwise.
I am actually more intrigued by the way in which the same amount of butchery feels reasonable when it occurs in the context of a tradition with which we are comfortable, but seems barbaric when it does not.
In fact, the real story behind this story is that the offering of animals, whether upon a formal altar or upon the altar of our family table (a transformation for which we can be grateful to Talmudic sages of 2,000 years past -- Berakhot 55a) is a powerful expression of gratitude and connection. While it may not be the only, or even the best way to express such things, it is a way of doing so, and this Thanksgiving it also connects us to millions of people half a world away.
Who will be far from you this Thanksgiving, and how could you connect even if you are not physically together over the holiday? What can we do to bridge the gaps in our lives, whether with estranged family and friends, or with members of other communities which seem so different from our own?
Thanksgiving not only creates tensions by virtue of putting us together with those who we might not otherwise want to spend so much time. But it also creates an opportunity to acknowledge that while such folks annoy us or their actions disturb us, we probably share more than we first appreciate. Knowing that will not make everything perfect, but it does create the context in which to reach out to those near and far, do a bit of repair and restoration work on the relationships in our lives. That opportunity is surely one for which we can all be thankful.
Add to Del.icio.us
Add to Technorati
Add to Digg
Add to Newsvine
Add to Facebook
Add to StumbleUpon
Subscribe
Author, radio and TV talk show host, and President of CLAL-The National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership, Brad Hirschfield is the author of 
more on the orgy of blood at the Gadhimai temple:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rpb1001/4137245289/
and the photographer rightly compares this with the brutality of feedlots in the american west:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/27/weekinreview/27bittman.html?_r=2&em&ex=1201755600&en=5dfe202cdd898fe6&ei=5087%0A
"Those to whom evil is done do evil in return."
I believe Robert was actually pointing to the fact that animal sacrifices IS a part of our past, and of our future. When the Temple is rebuilt, we will be expected to get back to the rules outlined in the Torah. I wonder how many animals will be killed then? I'm not saying I won't do it too; I'm just wondering how we will stack up against this story?
Equating animal life with human life is insane. Animals were placed on earth to serve us and part of that service is that they are to provide their bodies for food and it just so happens that turkies make very good food. But now we will have the looney left trying to ruin Thanksgiving for all of us by telling us we are murderers because we eat turkey.
I suppose we should also not kill rats because they might feel pain when killed. Does a rat trap kill instantly. Should we give up getting high quality protein from turkey because the turkey may feel an instant of pain when its head is chopped off. You can argue against Big Agra with overcrowded,inhumane conditions for turkies, but saying give it up because you equate turkey with human life is total insanity and a form of terrorism.
Wow, I'm surprised "acclained Hindu statesman" and self-appointed Hindu pope wasn't there to pardon the animals like his hero Obama pardoned the turkey. What? There weren't enough cameras around?
OKAY, HOLD UP!!!
this is totally whack yo, ive been a vege for 15 years, as WELL AS A HINDU, and this is something totally unrelative to the beliefs of hindu religion, and for ANYONE to compare this idiocy to the the hindu religion is an insult to my face. Hindus believe that animls have a right to live, so shut up joe. IN YOUR FACE. and to bring up any random "sacrifice" being made under the pretense of being hindu, AND HAVING SOME IDIOT WRITE UP A DUMB ARTICLE IS BEYOND STUPID. i mean do you know how hypocritical you all sound right now? so shut up and stop dissing on those who are better then you.
hari om :)
oh btw joe, OBAMA KICKS YOUR BUTT
Post a Comment
By submitting these comments, I agree to the beliefnet.com terms of service, rules of conduct and privacy policy (the "agreements"). I understand and agree that any content I post is licensed to beliefnet.com and may be used by beliefnet.com in accordance with the agreements.