Court Allows Priest to Sacrifice Goats in Texas Home

[Purveyor]

DALLAS — A federal appeals court on Friday ruled in favor of allowing a Santeria priest to sacrifice goats in his Texas home, saying a city's decision to prohibit the ritual violated the man's religious rights.

Jose Merced, 46, accuses the city of Euless, Texas, of trampling on his constitutional right to religious exercise. The city claims the sacrifices jeopardize public health and violate its slaughterhouse and animal cruelty ordinances.

Last year, U.S. District Judge John McBryde sided with the Fort Worth suburb and dismissed the Puerto Rico native's claims. Merced appealed.

In its ruling, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans said the Euless ordinance placed a substantial burden on Merced's "free exercise of religion without advancing a compelling governmental interest using the least restrictive means."

"It's a great day for religious freedom in Texas," said Eric Rassbach, Merced's lawyer, in response to the three-judge panel's ruling.

Merced said by practicing his faith in the privacy of his own home, he didn't harm anyone.

"Now Santeros can practice their religion at home without being afraid of being fined, arrested or taken to court," Merced said.

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AP: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,535961,00.html

[dysfunctional press]

1. sounds like what keanau reeves did in devil's advocate...

in his first case for satan's law firm.

[NYC_SKP]

2. Are Freepers considered a higher life form than goats? I'm just thinkin' outside the box here...

I got nothing in particular in mind, you understand.

:evilgrin:

[3waygeek]

7. Freepers are definitely a lower life form...

after all, they believe some things that even goats won't swallow.

[NYC_SKP]

11. Well said, and quite true.

And, they're less useful and more destructive than goats.

:donut:

[Ilsa]

3. And we should allow him to lead the prayers in our children's schools, also.

Because if the fundies want prayer in school, should we expose their kids to all kinds of prayer i school? n

[anonymous171]

4. School Prayer is only good when it is Chrstian prayer.

Otherwise it is evil anti-christian repression.

[Subdivisions]

5. Poor goats but at least someone's freedoms are being preserved. n/t

:sarcasm:

[anonymous171]

6. Why the sarcasm? nt

[NecklyTyler]

8. What's next? Handling snakes

[panzerfaust]

9. Animal Sacrifice

... it is good to see religion returning to its roots.

I wonder how soon we can look forward to the resumption of human sacrifice ... this too having a long religious tradition.

Praise the lord, and slit a goat's throat for Him!

[katandmoon]

10. What a vile, ignorant, violent, sickening "religion."

How can people BELIEVE this stupid shit and willingly follow such repugnant practices? It must take somebody with a whole buncha screws loose. I have zero use for religion in general but Santeria in particular is loathsome for its animal torture. And yet this crap STILL passes for "religion."

[Fumesucker]

12. Eh...

"The easy confidence with which I know another man's religion is folly teaches me to suspect that my own is also." -Mark Twain

[FirstLight]

13. Brilliant!

Mark Twain nails it once again! (if I could rec a reply... *sigh*)

[katandmoon]

15. I wonder what he would make of the cruel slaughter of animals to make one feel more religious.

[katandmoon]

14. Cruel goat slaughter is more than folly. It shows just how dangerous religion is.

I'm happily and totally religion-free.