Animal Sacrifice

World religions such as Christianity, Islam and Judaism all embody a traditional and sometimes bizarre set of animal sacrifice rituals in their holy texts. These practices, despite being borderline barbaric, not in keeping with animal welfare, and downright strange; are still in use today by religious leaders all over the world, in all countries including the most modern. Although it might seem reasonable in the West to allow butchers to sell halal food, for example, at the core of this familiar label is weird ritualistic behaviour that belongs in the ignorant dark ages, not in today's age. The ideals of pluralism have blinded us to the stark reality that some religious practices are simply unacceptable. Animal rights campaigners have joined forces with moral activists to try and curb religious ritual slaughter of animals. The general public associate blood rituals involving animals with Satanism, not realizing that they were all invented and are still practiced by mainstream religions - and that Satanism does not involve animal sacrifice. We will compare scriptures below and look at some of the gory and shocking rituals that God directly asks people to do in the Jewish Scriptures / Old Testament. As modern governments continue to legislate against cruelty to animals, we will find that it is the world's mainstream religions' adherents who retreat to shady basements and hidden locations to perform secret rituals to kill animals, not Satanists or modern Pagans.

Contents:

1. Animal Sacrifice in World Religions (Judaism, Christianity, Mithraism, Paganism and Animism)
2. Halal Ritual Slaughter Controversies
3. Satanism
4. Appendix A: Animal Sacrifice in the Jewish Scriptures & Christian Old Testament

1. Animal Sacrifice in World Religions

Judaism
The Jewish law details the methods that are to be used during the ritual slaughtering of animals, known as shechitah. The person who performs the killing in called a shochet. (Shechitah and shochet are both from the Hebrew root, transliterated; shin-chet-tav, which means to kill or eliminate.)

In the Jewish community birds and mammals that are to be eaten are slaughtered according to Jewish law (Deut. 12:21). Jews may not eat animals that died of natural causes (Deut. 14:21) or eat animals killed by other animals. No flaws or diseases must be present in the animals. These restrictions do not apply to fish; only to the flocks and herds (Num. 11:22).

During shechitah the animal is killed with a quick, deep stroke across the throat with a perfectly sharp blade with no nicks or unevenness.

1. Causes unconsciousness within two seconds.
2. Most painless method known.
3. Causes minimal pain.
4. Ensures rapid draining of the animals blood.

The draining of all the blood is part of the shechitah ritual which is considered necessary by Jewish law. Shechitah is recognized as a humane method of killing an animal, more so than a bullet, which is often an inaccurate method, and safer than poison or chemical methods that can leave traces of dangerous chemicals in the meat. Other ritualistic components are that the shochet who performs the shechitah must not simply be a butcher, he must be well trained in Jewish law, particularly as it relates to kashrut. The Jewish rabbi and the shochet were often the same person in older times, or in smaller communities.

In the old testament of the Bible, there are many instances of ritual animal slaughter for non-material gain, i.e., for spiritual purposes. It was common practice to slaughter a non-blemished, non-diseased "perfect" animal by slicing exactly down its center, from head to tail, and then separating the two halves of the animal by two feet. A pact was then sealed by walking in between the two animals. Other rituals frequently involve sprinkling the animals blood around the altar and on the human recipients, sometimes on parts of their bodies (such as right thumbs, right ears and right toes), and manipulating, removing fat from certain parts of the animal, and washing parts of the insides. The bits and pieces are often burnt 'as an offering to the LORD. Such gory specifics are detailed nonchalantly by God in it's instructions. For examples, see Appendix A.

There are many occurrences of animals being killed, slaughtered and ritualistically abused for the god portrayed in the Bible, particularly the old testament. However, these are not generally carried out in modern times, they are generally disregarded.

Christianity
The Old Testament is rife with animal sacrifice, sanctioned and willed by the old testament God. God actively participated in these. They also occur in the New Testament. For example Joseph and Mary (the natural mother and father in law of Jesus) sacrifice "a pair of doves or 2 young pigeons" [Luke 2:21-24]

Paganism / Mithraism
Historical pagan practices have also included ritual animal sacrifice and utilized animal parts within ritual and magic. Neo-paganism no longer accepts this. Modern Pagans are very animal-rights orientated and a higher than average number of Pagans are vegetarians and vegans. Traditional religions such as Christianity inherited their attitude towards blood and animal sacrifice from pagan origins.

Closely related to Zoroastrianism, Mithraism was the religion which brought richer ideals of blood sacrifice to Judaism as it mutated, via Paul, into Christianity [Crabtree 2002]. See the page on Paul of Tarsus to see how Mithraism affected and formed early Christianity.

In the Persian holy texts, the Avesta, a Messiah will appear at the end of time and bring the triumph of good over evil and make a potion of immortality for mankind from the fat of a great bull mixed with Hamoa juice. The bull is seen as a symbol of Spring, of rebirth, and a very common carving is of Mithras cleansing himself in the blood of a bull. Ritual killing of bulls and washing in its blood was believed to be necessary for cleansing, eternal life and salvation. This was followed by a meal of the bulls flesh. Life anew could be created from the flesh and blood of the sacrificed bull. The events were...

“... bloody rites in which an animal was the sacrificial victim.[...] In the rites of the Taurobolium, or bull-sacrifice, a bull was slaughtered on a perforated platform, through which the blood poured down to bathe the initiate standing in a pit beneath. Afterwards the initiate was considered 'born again'. Poorer people made do with Criobolium, in which a sheep was sacrificed, and were literally 'washed in the blood of the lamb'!

The Mysteries of Mithras, like Christianity, celebrated these sacrificial rites symbolically rather than literally. An icon of Mithras slaying a bull was used as an altar-piece, rather than enacting the actual sacrifice. [...] 'Thou hast saved us by shedding the eternal blood' reads an inscription - not to Jesus, but to Mithras, although centuries later Christians would express gratitude to their saviour god-man in exactly the same language. An anonymous Egyptian poet also adores his sacrificed and resurrecting saviour Osiris with words that could equally well be addressed to Jesus:

'Have they sacrificed thee? do they say that thou hast died for them? He is not dead! He lives for ever! He is alive more than they, for he is the mystic one of sacrifice. He is their Lord, living and young for ever!'

”

"Jesus Mysteries" by Freke & Gandy [Book Review], p65-66

Historically
Animal sacrifice has gone hand in hand with traditional and old religions₁. The cradle of religion, animism, is rife with it. It is only the post-Roman Empire secular world that has fully rejected animal sacrifice. It remains in the holy books of the world's major traditional religions and is still practiced by many. In order for Satanism to be out of the ordinary, it would have to actually reject animal worship. Satanism does see man "as just another animal, sometimes better, more often worse than those that walk on all-fours"₅, so it can be expected that Satanism has an untraditional attitude towards animal sacrifice.

2. Islam and Halal Ritual Slaughter Controversies

Some debates over how to reduce animal suffering have centered around Halal food preparations. Muslim religionists have refused to use any modern scientific techniques for killing animals whilst causing the least amount of pain. Modern techniques are safe, quick and painless, but they are resisted by religious authorities who prefer traditional, primitive techniques for superstitious reasons.

In the UK, the battle has been mostly won. It is a legal requirement for animals killed in abattoirs to be stunned first, and over 90% of animals ritually killed for Halal preparations are stunned₂. There is widespread acceptance of stunning in both Muslim and Jewish circles. But nonetheless the government was pressured into making an exception: Animals killed by Jewish and Muslim religionists are exempt from the law, and about 10 million animals per year suffer as a result₂.

“In Britain today, millions of farmed animals face having their throats cut while fully conscious – and it’s perfectly legal. [...] Scientific evidence shows that these animals face severe pain and distress. The Government’s own advisory body, the Farm Animal Welfare Council, has recently called for the banning of religious slaughter. Viva! has opposed religious slaughter for many years.”

Vegetarians International Voice for Animals₂

Much of the religious superstition surrounding animal slaughter centres around blood and the fact that their holy texts tell them the best way to slaughter animals. Perhaps it was the case in the first millennium but it is not so in the third.

“Most Muslim slaughterers believe that drainage will only be complete if the throat of the animal is slit without stunning it first, but now Haluk Anil of the University of Bristol, UK, and colleagues have shown that the amount of blood drained from the animal, and the rate of blood loss, is the same regardless of whether or not it is stunned first.”

New Scientist (2006)₃

As health and safety inspections have suppressed the more traditional methods of animal abuse/slaughter, some practices have gone underground. In today's age, the secret religion-based blood-rituals involving the killing of animals are those perpetrated by Jews, but mostly Muslims, who find their traditional religious practices threatened by the decency of the law.

3. Satanism

Why would a Satanist want to slaughter an animal? The Satanist's god is his own person, himself. So, a Satanist would want an animal killed for himself, be it by his own hands or by proxy. Satanists respect life as being much more useful, worthwhile and therefore Satanic whilst it is alive and kicking, and able to benefit us, than when it is dead.

Benefits of an alive animal:

1. It is able to be taught to do our bidding
2. It can give us satisfaction, attention and affection on a more simple level than human beings, with less problems.
3. It is an asset, financially, and can be sold.
4. If you do not own it, then taking care of it if it is unwell will earn you gratitude from its owners.
5. A well trained animals can make people respect its trainer and keeper.

Disadvantages of killing an animal:

1. Its owners, if any, will disrespect you.
2. You may have to dispose of the carcass.
3. You may suffer the legal consequences of killing it.
4. The animal now has none of the advantages of a living object, it has become deanimated.
5. People, in Western society, shun people who are known to "kill animals" for illegitimate reasons. It can cause you social problems.

Reasons for killing an animal:

1. For food, if you have the skills to cook it safely.
2. For clothes, if you have the equipment to prepare its skin.
3. For other materials as are required for your own existence, i.e., bones for tools.
4. For self defence, if the animal is a risk.
5. Psychology: If the animal is in permanent pain, has an incurable disease or unrecoverable injury then it psychologically benefits you to kill it (and you are likely to be free of legal punishment).

Killing by proxy, as efficiently as possible (i.e., economics of scale), are seen as the best ways of killing animals for food or material, as they will likely be guaranteed safe to a higher standard than you could personally accomplish.

However, as far as killing animals in the name of Satan goes, the Church of Satan does not require it, and indeed we frown upon it as an act of stupidity. There is no gain in killing an animal for anything other than the reasons listed above. Even if Satan existed as a real person, why on Earth would he want _animals_ sacrificed to him? LaVey in The Satanic Bible chapter "On the choice of a Human sacrifice" points out clearly that animal sacrifice is an insult, pathetic, in comparison to other types of sacrifice, and as such Satanists do not sacrifice animals.

Criticism of religious intolerants
Satanists are not expected to, do not see the point, and frown upon animal sacrifice. But, say some, "Even if Satanists do not do that, then they are supporting it by supporting Satanism!"

This is called stupidity. Are Christians promoting animal sacrifice because the Bible contains animals sacrifice? No, they generally, are not. So how can this claim be made of Satanists when animal slaughter is not only missing, but is scorned in our Satanic Bible?

Throughout history there have been no discoveries of small or large scale killing of animals by Satanists. Some immature youths will cry, "Satan wanted me to!", but this is nothing to do with Satanism. Just because Adolf Hitler was a confirmed member of the Catholic Church does not mean he was a Catholic, and just because someone says "Satan made me do it" doesn't mean they are a Satanist. And in fact, if they are performing animal sacrifices, they are likely not a Satanist. On the other hand, history provides us with untold examples and practices of other religions conducting detailed, or barbaric, animal sacrifices.

Dualistic religions do more to promote animal killing, by having it in their holy books, than do Satanists. In fact, a plentiful place to find details of how to sacrifice animals is in the Jewish Scriptures (Torah) of the Judeo-Christian bible! And the Koran.

“The double thinking of people who throw up their hands in horror at such 'barbarous' religious practices, and who then with a good conscience sit down to eat veal from a crate or a battery chicken, never ceases to amaze me.”

Frederick Lamond₄, p108

It is apparent that the suffering farm animals go through as a result of commercialism is a much greater source of concern than religious animal sacrifice (which are normally done using methods to reduce pain). So not only are people misguided when they criticise Satanism for animal sacrifice, they are very likely ignorant-hypocrites too!

Satanic Rule Of The Earth Number 10₅

“10. Do not kill non-human animals unless you are attacked or for your food
[...] this serves to act as a prompt to those who think that Satanism involves animal sacrifice. Harming animals is stupid and pointless. Once this statement is understood, along with others, to be a kind of disclaimer as to what Satanism is not about, you can also understand the exceptions to this rule. For example farmyard animal are frequently killed for food even if not for your own food. Sometimes killing animals that are suffering and in pain is good. These exceptions distract from the literal interpretation of this rule, but not from the intended function of this rule which is to point out that Satanists are not (and should not be) immature animal torturers.

People are messed up and some of these messed up people find their way to Satanism. If they take it seriously, such advise will aid their development past rebellious and misguided behavior that involves animal abuse.”

"Satanic Ethics" by Vexen Crabtree (2002)

Appendix A: Animal Sacrifice in the Jewish Scriptures & Christian Old Testament

Book of Genesis:

And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering. [Genesis 4:4]

And Noah builded an altar unto the LORD; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the Altar. And the LORD smelled a sweet saviour. [Genesis 8:20-21]

And He said unto [Abraham], Take me an heifer of three years old, and a she goat of three years old, and a ram of three years old, and a turtledove, and a young pigeon. And he took unto him all these, and divided them in the midst, and laid each piece against another. [Genesis 15:9-10]

And He said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of. [Genesis 22:2]

Book of Exodus:

And Moses said, Thou must give us also sacrifices and burnt offerings, that we may sacrifice unto the LORD our God [Exodus 10:25]

An altar of earth thou shalt make unto me, and shalt sacrifice thereon thy burnt offerings, and thy peace offerings, thy sheep, and thine oxen [Exodus 20:24]

And thou shalt slay the ram, and thou shalt take his blood, and sprinkle it round about upon the altar. And thou shalt cut the ram into pieces, and wash the inwards of him, and his legs, and put them unto his pieces, and unto his head. And thou shalt burn the whole ram upon the altar: it is a burnt offering unto the LORD: it is a sweet savour, an offering made by fire unto the LORD. And thou shalt take the other ram; and Aaron and his sons shall put their hands upon the head of the ram. Then shalt thou kill the ram, and take of his blood, and put it upon the tip of the right ear of Aaron, and upon the tip of the right ear of his sons, and upon the thumb of their right hand, and upon the great toe of their right foot, and sprinkle the blood upon the altar round about. And thou shalt take of the blood that is upon the altar, and of the anointing oil, and sprinkle it upon Aaron, and upon his garments, and upon his sons, and upon the garments of his sons with him: and he shall be hallowed, and his garments, and his sons, and his sons' garments with him. Also thou shalt take of the ram the fat and the rump, and the fat that coveth the inwards, and the caul above the liver, and the two kidneys, and the fat that is upon them, and the right shoulder; for it is a ram of consecration. [Exodus 29:16-22]

Book of Leviticus:

And he shall kill the bullock before the LORD: and the priests, Aaron's sons, shall bring the blood, and sprinkle the blood round about upon the altar that is by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. And he shall flay the burnt offering, and cut it into his pieces. And the sons of Aaron the priest shall put fire upon the altar, and lay the wood in order upon the fire: And the priests, Aaron's sons, shall lay the parts, the head, and the fat, in order upon the wood that is on the fire which is upon the altar: But his inwards and his legs shall he wash in water: and the priest shall burn all on the altar, to be a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD. [Leviticus 1:5-9]

And he shall lay his hand upon the head of the goat, and kill it in the place where they kill the burnt offering before the LORD: it is a sin offering. And the priest shall take of the blood of the sin offering with his finger, and put it upon the horns of the altar of burnt offering, and shall pour out his blood at the bottom of the altar of burnt offering. And he shall burn all his fat upon the altar, as the fat of the sacrifice of peace offerings: and the priest shall make an atonement for him as concerning his sin, and it shall be forgiven him. [Leviticus 4:24-26]

And if he be not able to bring a lamb, then he shall bring for his trespass, which he hath committed, two turtledoves, or two young pigeons, unto the LORD; one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering. And he shall bring them unto the priest, who shall offer that which is for the sin offering first, and wring off his head from the neck, but shall not divide it asunder. [Leviticus 5:7-8]

And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Command Aaron and his sons, saying, This is the law of the burnt offering: It is the burnt offering, because of the burning upon the altar all night unto the morning, and the fire of the altar shall be burning in it. And the priest shall put on his linen garment, and his linen breeches shall he put upon his flesh, and take up the ashes which the fire hath consumed with the burnt offering on the altar, and he shall put them beside the altar. And he shall put off his garments, and put on other garments, and carry forth the ashes without the camp unto a clean place. And the fire upon the altar shall be burning in it; it shall not be put out: and the priest shall burn wood on it every morning, and lay the burnt offering in order upon it; and he shall burn thereon the fat of the peace offerings. The fire shall ever be burning upon the altar; it shall never go out. And this is the law of the meat offering: the sons of Aaron shall offer it before the LORD, before the altar. [Leviticus 6:8-14]

And ye shall offer that day when ye wave the sheaf a he lamb without blemish of the first year for a burnt offering unto the LORD. And the meat offering thereof shall be two tenth deals of fine flour mingled with oil, an offering made by fire unto the LORD for a sweet savour: and the drink offering thereof shall be of wine, the fourth part of a hin. [Leviticus 23:12-13]

Book of Numbers:

And if any soul sin through ignorance, then he shall bring a she goat of the first year for a sin offering. [Numbers 15:27]

But the firstling of a cow, or the firstling of a sheep, or the firstling of a goat, thou shalt not redeem; they are holy: thou shalt sprinkle their blood upon the altar, and shalt burn their fat for an offering made by fire, for a sweet savour unto the LORD. [Numbers 18:17]

And in the beginnings of your months ye shall offer a burnt offering unto the LORD; two young bullocks, and one ram, seven lambs of the first year without spot; And three tenth deals of flour for a meat offering, mingled with oil, for one bullock; and two tenth deals of flour for a meat offering, mingled with oil, for one ram; And a several tenth deal of flour mingled with oil for a meat offering unto one lamb; for a burnt offering of a sweet savour, a sacrifice made by fire unto the LORD. [Numbers 28:11-13]

And one kid of the goats for a sin offering, to make an atonement for you: Beside the burnt offering of the month, and his meat offering, and the daily burnt offering, and his meat offering, and their drink offerings, according unto their manner, for a sweet savour, a sacrifice made by fire unto the LORD. [Numbers 29:5-6]

Book of Deuteronomy:

And thou shalt offer thy burnt offerings, the flesh and the blood, upon the altar of the LORD thy God: and the blood of thy sacrifices shall be poured out upon the altar of the LORD thy God, and thou shalt eat the flesh. [Deuteronomy 12:27]

Psalms:
A verse less concerned with the correct sacrifice, blood and fire rituals but concerned instead with diet, appears in the Psalms, hinting that Angels too eat meat:

...He commanded the clouds from above, and opened the doors of heaven. And had rained down manna [food from heaven] upon them to eat, and had given them of the corn of heaven. Man did eat angels' food: he sent them meat to the full. [Psalms 78:23-25]