Local livestock ordinance ruled constitutional
Jose Merced, a Santeria priest (called a Santero) in Euless, Texas, has lost part of his federal discrimination lawsuit against the city for refusing to allow him to sacrifice goats and other animals in his home.
As he and ten followers prepared to sacrifice animals as part of an initiation ceremony for a new member, someone called the police. The cops informed Merced, who is originally from Puerto Rico, that slaughtering animals is subject to local health codes and is illegal within the city limits. Merced argues that the restriction violates his First Amendment freedom to practice his religion. The city ordinance says that slaughter is banned on thhe grounds of “the health, safety, morals and general welfare of the city,” “to protect property values” and “to enhance the quality of life of persons, pets and other animals.”
Santeria is a syncretic faith popular among Hispanics, mixing Roman Catholicism with http://www.wvwnews.net/story.php?id=1262 of incidents have occurred, such as complaints from residents in the Miami area about the screams of livestock and crowds of worshippers, which have threatened home values.
In Miami’s Little Havana, it is not uncommon to see white Cubans wearing Santeria charms, and many Hispanics see no conflict in attending both Catholic services and Santeria ceremonies. Initiation into Santeria (and its cousin, voodoo) has even become popular with a subset of white New Age followers, who feel that Third World practices are more “authentic.”
Police have also found the religion to be popular with Hispanic gangs. Offering charms as protection against arrest and death, many gang members http://www.wvwnews.net/story.php?id=1328 itself, in the form of an idol believed to be descended from Mayan and Aztec human sacrifice beliefs.
As America darkens, a vast number of conflicts like the one between Jose Merced and Euless will arise.