7/26/2006: Hindu ritual sacrifice
 

http://cellar.org/2006/hindusacrifice.jpg

"Hindus perform a ritual sacrifice for good health and safety on the south coast of Java, Indonesia", says the official caption on this from the WaPo Day in Pics.

I don't know how common this sort of practice is, and can't get any idea from Wikipedia on it. I would have to just say it's terribly sad and ridiculous, if not outright repulsive. In a culture where scarcity is not uncommon, why just drop a beast into the sea when it could provide several hundred meals? How can such a practice survive when it is clearly superstition - and worse than ineffective?

Do they eat sharks?

Could it be the scarcity that drives them to these practices? I think so. The practice survives everyday another fisherman comes back. If he doesn't return? It was a bad cow. These things are just part of what they believe, they aren't hurting anyone, but they do believe they are bettering themselves.

Hindus? The people that consider the cow a sacred animal?

If you love something...set it free. (Insert pretty butterflies here)
If it comes back to you...make a steak.
If it does not, it was a bad cow. Bad, Bad Cow!:3eye:

(Just struck me funny):D

Wouldn't be fit for sacrifice if it weren't sacred...

Huh. You're spot on.

It's only "clearly superstition" from the outside. Just ask James Randi.

Alright... I get the scarcity part, and I believe it to be mostly true. However, did anyone else notice the guys in the background with the videocameras?

Well, it's for the family movies.

"Ahh, dear progressive great granddaughter...here is film of your great great grandfather drowning a bad cow. These are the times we need to share."

Sniffle...:shock:

The world is a place of scarcity, and we live in it, and yet: McDonald's. Who am I, as an American, to pass judgement on a waste of good meat?

I'd like to dangle one of them over a boat, say a prayer and drop the line. jerks.

Yeah, and if they come back, then it means they weren't bad! :)

It's all part of the great circle of life, when it sinks the crabs get to eat the bovine, the fishies eat the crabs, fisherman catch the fish, prosperity and happiness abound.

Why does it look like a couple of the guys are throwing gang signs, though?

Why do people find it strange that someone is videotaping the event? Why does no one find it odd that someone took the still image of it that you're looking at right now?

They're drowning a cow for their religion. Big deal. These days plenty of people videotape another popular practice that is "clearly superstition" for home movie purposes that they do share with their family after the event: the circumcision of their newborn son.