Pagans in the News - San Antonio, Texas

According to sources, a household in San Antonio have been placed under arrest for animal sacrifice. A neighbor had called the police claiming that there were 12 animals in the home, chickens, goats, and others, that were doing to be sacrificed for a ritual. They were charged with animal cruelty, but most likely due to the ignorance of those outside of the faith.

In Texas and many southern States, practices such as Palo and Santo are prevalent and they involve animal ritualistic sacrifice. Texas law protects this practice using laws that state animal sacrifice is within the legal confines of animal ownership and killing them is no different than the other practices you see within Judaism and Islam.

Various other Supreme Court rulings have been in favor of the practice so long as it's proven to be a humane process and offering to the orishas. In Florida, you'll read about how they ruled a ban on such is actually AGAINST the religious freedoms of Afro-Cuban followers. In other cases, [such as this one in Virginia, they have managed to successfully deter sentencing. Texas is certainly not new to police and nonpractioners constant demonization of this practice. Even Santaria in Dallas has seen it's right be tested and even the drumming and singing have been complained about constantly.

With any luck to those in San Antonio, they will also win their case and the right to practice as set by their ancestors. The first case to fight for their right was in Florida against an entire house. Thankfully, the courts file in favor of the Constitution, even against their own personal beliefs. We are no longer in the dark ages and this no longer a witch hunt! Will you stand beside your pagan brothers and sisters? The only way forward with these new laws established by a trump era is hand in hand.



References
https://www.animallaw.info/article/legal-aspects-animal-sacrifice-within-context-afro-caribbean-religions

Florida Case: https://www.nytimes.com/1993/06/12/us/supreme-court-animal-sacrifice-court-citing-religious-freedom-voids-ban-animal.html

Virginia Case:
http://www.animals24-7.org/2016/08/23/first-conviction-of-animal-sacrifice-practitioner-in-11-years

Dallas Case:
http://www.dallasobserver.com/news/a-court-case-forced-a-santeria-priest-to-reveal-some-of-his-religions-secrets-its-ritual-of-animal-sacrifice-he-revealed-on-his-own-6406316

Church of the Lukumi Babalu Aye v. City of Hialeah

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_the_Lukumi_Babalu_Aye_v._City_of_Hialeah

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