Kurban Bayraminiz kutlu olsun! (happy sacrifice holiday!)

[Like Whoa!]

Kurban Bayram (in arabic i think Eid Al-Adha) is the festival of the sacrifice. to most americans/ non muslims, it seems brutal and sick, slashing the throats of innocent sheep and cows for Allah. but i dont think it is.

do you think it is wrong to kill animals for Allah/God? (keep in mind theyre the same thing) even though (in my country at least) they give the meat to the poor?

thoughts?

[WindOwls]

Well i'm wiccan and we believe that no harm of any creature is justifiable. But i undertsand islam quite well and know that it isn't evil intentioned or anything like that, it's to praise almighty Allah. I dont see it as barbaric because i'm a Native American (First Nations people(indian)) and we do Sundancing, which is a ritual where a peice of flesh is taken from a man to show that he's a man. White people who came here called it barbaric, but it was a cultural practice. It's illegal, but we still do it anyway because it's apart of who we are, so i definatly understand where you're comming from. I say go for it as long as you have pure intent to please almighty Allah. heart

[maenad nuri]

Sounds perfectly alright to me (Hellenic Recon) as long as the sacrifice is done in a way to minimize pain. Honestly, your practice is very much like the historical practices of the Hellenic religions. the sacrifice was done publicly, and then there was a giant feast where everyone got fed.

[Deep Vermillion]

If (all or most of) the meat is given to the poor and the slaughter is quick and painless, it sounds like a great idea to me. In that case, it's not really different from giving the needy meat in any other way.

[Yisp]

I find it morbid. You express your love by killing a living being. Great.
It's like sacrificing your only son to show how much you love your creation. Imo disgusting.

[Like Whoa!]

just for therecord im not muslim. im christian. but i celebrate kurban bayram and stuff, islam and christianity arent different much at all.

[Silvermoonkasumii]

Though I think sacrifice is pretty Ironic as described in ancient texts, I guess it's fitting to show appreciation and love for a deity.

As my friend says, God sends a perfect lamb to earth to grace with with it's innocent presence and remind everyone how beautiful and pure life can be. (Lamb in this sense is not Jesus, it is simply a beautiful lamb) Reminders of how good life can be are looked upon as some of the best gifts.

Then Boom! It gets sacrificed.

A bit like giving someone a gift, then having them be happy about it, only to get it two days later shredded in a box on your front porch.

[maenad nuri]

You could also look at it like this. That lamb is a signifigant finicial investment, what better way to show you care than to give up something that could bring you lots of money in the future, in order to feed many and give a gift back to the Gods.

[Silvermoonkasumii]

Nuri

You could also look at it like this. That lamb is a signifigant finicial investment, what better way to show you care than to give up something that could bring you lots of money in the future, in order to feed many and give a gift back to the Gods.

I understand that, I didn't say that a lamb so beautiful shouldn't be given to the Lord, only that it would be a destruction of something beautiful that he gave to you. It would honor the Lord with good intent, no question.

But is the Lord gifting us with beautiful things for us to enjoy, or does he make the most beautiful things to be sacrificed back to himself?

[WindOwls]

Nuri

You could also look at it like this. That lamb is a signifigant finicial investment, what better way to show you care than to give up something that could bring you lots of money in the future, in order to feed many and give a gift back to the Gods.

You said you're hellenic? That's amazing, i've never actually met one before. There arn't many i know about in my area. Do you find that you face more contriversy for it from people who don't know what it is? I mean, do you face allot of hostility for it?

[maenad nuri]

Guildowl

You said you're hellenic? That's amazing, i've never actually met one before. There arn't many i know about in my area. Do you find that you face more contriversy for it from people who don't know what it is? I mean, do you face allot of hostility for it?

Not really. The most hostillity I've gotten was from the local pagan group, actually. We disagree on a great deal of things, since they are generally generic eclectics and I'm a Reconstructionalist. We don't see eye to eye and we fought early on. I don't really go to the meetings very often. too magic-orientated and I'm avoiding the fight.

[Yisp]

Nuri

You could also look at it like this. That lamb is a signifigant finicial investment, what better way to show you care than to give up something that could bring you lots of money in the future, in order to feed many and give a gift back to the Gods.

How more materialistic can you get?
So much for the sanctity of life I guess.....

[maenad nuri]

SilverMoonKasumii

But is the Lord gifting us with beautiful things for us to enjoy, or does he make the most beautiful things to be sacrificed back to himself?

Actually, I find the idea that we are the focus of the Gods kind of pompus.
Does it really matter which way it is?

[maenad nuri]

Calcy

Nuri

You could also look at it like this. That lamb is a signifigant finicial investment, what better way to show you care than to give up something that could bring you lots of money in the future, in order to feed many and give a gift back to the Gods.

How more materialistic can you get?
So much for the sanctity of life I guess.....

How is giving the people food materialistic? How is giving up that money materialistic?

[Silvermoonkasumii]

Nuri

SilverMoonKasumii

But is the Lord gifting us with beautiful things for us to enjoy, or does he make the most beautiful things to be sacrificed back to himself?

Actually, I find the idea that we are the focus of the Gods kind of pompus.
Does it really matter which way it is?

If God gave us wonderful things as the texts say he did, then why not grace us with a beautiful lamb? (It is a hypothetical situation afterall, as no one can speak for the God(s).)
I also find the idea of humanity being the God's main concern rather arrogant.

I suppose it doesn't truely matter, but with the situation presented, the question is more of, "Is it a gift, or is he only giving us beautiful things to give him because our sacrifices weren't enough."

I'm working with the Christian God here, but this question can be thought about in broader terms. It was simply the way it was presented to me.