Anything is acceptable in the name of religion

[HAB911]

Killing 50,000+ chickens, goats, and Jesus in the name of forgiveness

What do chickens, goats, and Jesus all have in common? If they are killed in the right way, your sins can be forgiven.

Kapparot, the ritual slaughter of chickens, coincides with Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, October 11-12 this year. Participants and PETA estimate that 50,000 chickens will be slaughtered in Brooklyn alone. The bird carcasses are supposedly donated to the poor, though they are often thrown in the trash. [WARNING: There is video evidence of the birds being thrown away, but it is disturbing. It shows bloody, dying birds on the ground, and trash bags full of dead chickens being thrown in a dumpster. It also shows the actual killing of the birds.]

For the ritual, Hasidic Jews grab a chicken by the wings and swing it around their heads three times to transfer their sins to the bird. According to the Jewish Encyclopedia, while swinging the birds, the soon-to-be-redeemed supplicants chant, “This be my substitute, my vicarious offering, my atonement. This cock [or hen] shall meet death, but I shall find a long and pleasant life of peace!” If you know religion, you should know what comes next. The bird is ritually slaughtered. The slaughterer is vicariously redeemed—cleansed of all sins.

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/freethoughtnow/killing-50000-chickens-goats-and-jesus-in-the-name-of-forgiveness/

[Warpy]

1. Sounds hard on the poor chook

One thing I always appreciated about many INDN religions is the notion that the only thing you can sacrifice is yourself, hence things like the Sun Dance.

I guess that desert god made things convenient for the "nuh-uh, I aint doin' that" crowd.

[AlbertCat]

2. And I suppose....

..... there are several thick layers of theology, laboriously applied to this to make it seem like it's anything but Stone Age voodoo and cruel make-believe magic.



Religion is ridiculous.

[Nitram]

3. It is interesting when religion and magic intersect.

Every religion has sects that delve into magic, even buddhism.

[SusanCalvin]

4. I loathe anything that uses a scapegoat.

Take responsibility, you jerks.

[Freelancer]

5. So... they can't eat the bird after this?

I'm wondering why they donate or throw them away. Are they not Kosher after the sin transfer thing?

[sakabatou]

6. The vast majority of Jews don't do this

[HAB911]

7. Oh, I'm sure they don't

which leads to the question.........do only 'real' jews do it and who gets to say who is and isn't?

[sakabatou]

8. It has nothing to do with the "No True Scotsman" fallacy

There are different movements within the religion and one of the movements doe practice it.