From: mvishnu@morse.uwaterloo.ca (m vishnu)
Subject: Re: EVR - Part II (Atheism)
Organization: University of Waterloo
Date: Mon, 17 Aug 1992 19:38:13 GMT

In article <l8tgohINN10s@bathtub.cs.utexas.edu> raman@cs.utexas.edu (Raman Rajagopalan) writes:
>In article <Bt37rv.6zp@watserv1.uwaterloo.ca> mvishnu@morse.uwaterloo.ca (m vishnu) writes:
>>In article <16AUG199209302886@ctrvx2.vanderbilt.edu> shivakl@ctrvx2.vanderbilt.edu (LAKSHMANAN SHIVAKUMAR) writes:
>
>Discussion about EVR omitted.
>
>Meenan Vishnu Writes:
>
>>
>>No he does not.  He wants to eliminate two virii (casteism and fatalism)
>>in the psyche of the Indian people that is implanted by the
>>varna-ashrama dharma. 
>>
>>The history has witnessed the immense damage these virii has caused to Indians
>>in general.  These viri are only beneficial to a small proportion of India's
>>population, the descendends of Vedic ritual performers commonly called the
>>Bramins. These Vedic rituals involves the slaughter of cows, horses and
>>even human beings (purusha-medha yagas) in the thousands.
>>
>>>
>
>>Meenan Vishnu
>
>Mr. Vishnu,
>
>This style of writing seems to suggest that animal and human sacrifices
>are a bad idea, and that even in the present day, vedic rituals involve
>such sacrifices.  Please take note that in the present day, vedic homas
>involve sacrificing only such things as ghee.  Perhaps wasteful in terms
>of resources spent, but no blood is involved.

When I was in India (back in 1983), I had a chance to see one (major)
Vedic ritual.  In it, instead of slaughtering cows, the Bramin priest
used cow skin and pretended that he was slaughtering the animal.  Yes
it is true, thanks to the work of Buddha, that no blood is actually spilt
in most of the Vedic rites.

Aside:  Frontline magazine reported that a bunch of Bramins advertised
in the newspapers that they are qualified to do a yaga that would bestow
one with a noble male issue.  The ad. further said that the results
(ie begetting a son) is guarenteed and the fee in Rs2000.00.  It is 
said that King Dasarata used this yaga to obtain Rama the ad. further
said.  This yaga caught the attention of many people and there was a 
lot of protest against it.  Some organization set out to collect 
statistics on the sucess rate.  As soon as this is done, the organizers
of the yaga changed their initial guarentee statement and are saying
that the results depends on one's faith (a unmeasureable quantity!)
End of Aside.

>Now, would you care to enlighten the net about which groups are actively
>involved in animal sacrifice in this day and age?  Such as the groups
>which believe in sacrificing chickens at the samayapuram mariyamman
>temple, or the groups which celebrate holidays during the year where 
>the highlight is the butchering of hundreds of thousands of animals?

The Vedic tradition spearheaded the tradition of blood spilling as 
a religios act in India in order to achieve heaven/success/victory/fame/etc.
Some poor souls are continueing it even today.
>
>I believe that once you examine the facts, you will find that it is not
>the brahmin community which is guilty of cruelty to animals, but perhaps
>the very groups you tend to support in your articles.

Anyone who is not a vegetarian and who spills blood in the name of religion
is guilty of cruelty towards animal. Be it non-Bramin or otherwise.

>- raman rajagopalan


Meenan Vishnu

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