Thread: Court hears Texas case over Santeria animal sacrifices

Court hears Texas case over Santeria animal sacrifices

By Michael Kunzelman, Associated Press Writer

NEW ORLEANS — A Santeria priest who sued a Texas city for denying him permission to sacrifice a goat as part of a religious ceremony asked a federal appeals court Wednesday to let him resume the ritual in his home.
Jose Merced, 46, accused the city of Euless, Texas, of trampling on his constitutional right to religious exercise, but U.S. District Judge John McBryde sided with the Fort Worth suburb last year and dismissed the Puerto Rico native's claims.

Merced asked the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to overturn McBryde's ruling. A three-judge panel that heard arguments Wednesday did not immediately rule.

The city says animal sacrifices jeopardize public health and violate its slaughterhouse and animal cruelty ordinances.

"It's repulsive, and it has no business in an urban environment," William McKamie, an attorney for the city, said after the hearing.

Judge Rhesa Barksdale asked city attorney Bradford Bullock how Merced's animal sacrifices differ from a hunter bringing home a deer and butchering it.

"What's different is that this man wants to keep live animals in his home, a large number of live animals," Bullock said.

Merced's lawyer, Eric Rassbach, said Merced sacrificed animals at his Euless home for 16 years without incident and is willing to "quadruple bag" the remains and dispose of them in a way that doesn't jeopardize the public's health.

Rassbach, a staff member of The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, described Santeria in court papers as an Afro-Cuban religion with a complex ritual for ordaining priests, including the sacrifice of up to nine four-legged animals, such as lambs or goats, up to 20 chickens or other fowl and a turtle.

McKamie said Merced dumped chicken remains in a stream at least once. He said Merced isn't equipped to handle many animals on his property or dispose of them in a sanitary way.

Merced said two police officers interrupted a ceremony at his home in September 2004 and told him to stop slaughtering animals. Police warned him again in May 2006, after a neighbor complained about a gathering at the house.

Merced asked the city for a permit to slaughter animals at the home, but was told the practice is prohibited. Merced said he hasn't been able to initiate any new priests in the past three years, but hasn't considered leaving Euless.

"Why should I?" he asked outside the New Orleans courtroom. "This is the land of religious freedom."

Bullock said the ordinances outlawing animal sacrifices were passed before Merced's arrival in 1990 and don't discriminate against any individual or group.

"Mr. Merced testified that he was able to practice virtually every other aspect of his religion in his home," Bullock said.

Merced said the city hasn't cracked down on at least 10 other Santeria priests living in town.

"I guess their neighbors are not that nosy," he said.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/religion/2 ... ices_N.htm

This isn't as bad as the human sacrifices that the Mexicans used to do in Mexico.

If he wants to practice that rite, go back to puerto rico.

Where do these so-called "humble working people" get the money and expertise to file these sophisticated law suits and then take them on to the highest courts in the country? I don't believe most of the rest of us could afford to spend so much of our income on extended legal actions!

My company was leasing a small commercial strip mall, which needed to be inspected occasionally. In one unit an entire Santaria church had been set up and our inspector walked in and found blood all over the carpet. This poor guy couldn't sleep for nights with that find.
These people are sick, but we have to walk on eggs since they claim animal sacrifice is part of their religion. Go home and do what you want, but we have laws here. Just wonder if these Santaria priests also have tax-exempt status.

In my neck of the woods, we call that a cult, not a religion. How far back in time are these people going to take this nation??? They need to get the hell out!

They had a lawsuit like this is Hialeah Florida. The city lost the case as it was considered their religion. Miami Dade Police used to also get lots of calls about this in the Kendal area due to animal carcasses being left on railroad tracks. That was done as the tracks and train symolized that the bad spirits would leave. According to their religion the god tells you where to discard the carcass and if you don't follow that order the spell will become a curse on you. Actually the Miami Dade Police Department have investigators with a background in that religion. I myself took a religion course which taught about both Santaria and VooDoo due to its prevalence in South Florida. A Florida Marlin and some former team member practiced it and took religous items on away games with them. I think there are also other baseball players who do the same. There was also an episode on the A&E series the First 48 where a Cuban guy was murdered and the victim was into that. It shows how weird it is.

I'm all for freedom of religion but this is sick! I'm with PatrioticMe, this is more of a cult. They can practice all they want, but as soon as you break the law or harm animals/humans you have to go!