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Asanchez357 05/03/2012 8:00:00 AM
Ache ache and congratulations on fighting on what we believe, to you and your followers. Ty Olofi for being there for us in the time of need Ache.
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EFUNLOLA 03/31/2010 7:59:00 PM
I want to congratulate My Brother in religion, as I fold my arms over my chest to greet him." I may not know him but this a huge Victory I cant thank him enough... I am aware of my rights to practice religion... I also had a problem where I lived at in Irving and I moved but not because of I got Kicked Out or had problems but because the Orishas didn't want me living in that Home... I couldn't ask for a bigger Blessing From Olofi Himself. I wish I had known about this last year during his trialing time I would have offered my assistance and just so you know His struggle is also my struggle... For we are Family whether we know each other or not. I am new to the religion but am Very outspoken.. I thank God every day with Blessing me into this religion... Gracias Bendicion SR> MERCED
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Sandramaria 03/02/2010 11:42:00 PM
Freedom is tolerating different people, different religions. It is the bases that our country stand strong because we accept diverse culturals and diverse religions, and we call it freedom. This behavior towards small livestock animals is no different than a slaughter house concept in killing zillions of animals for food to feed those billions of meat eaters in America. Moreover, the Old Testament sacrificed animals and supported the ritual as a norm. America we have more important matters to embrace and solve. Moreover, If given the opportunity personally it would please me to an invitation to the ceremonies to have an propective without listening to others voices and opinions without the knowledge of all the facts.
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Saundramaria 03/02/2010 11:18:00 PM
Freedom is tolerating differents and unusal, freedom of speech, freedom of religion
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Jamie Foxer 02/24/2010 9:46:00 PM
Too much ignorance here to combat all at once. A few points
The sacrifice of animals is found in Islam, Christianity and Judaism....will those that are condeming Santeria step up to condemn the majority of humanity that worships these religions as well? Just looking for some consistency here, that's all. Read here about the concept of animal sacrifice in virtually all of the world's major religions (and there's a snippet there about Santeria animal sacrifice). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animal_sacrifice
Historically speaking, IFA (which is the Yoruba name for Santeria) is an much older religion than Islam, Judaism, or Christianity...with some historians arguing that the Ancient Egyptians worshiped the IFA gods under different names (if you follow history, you'll know that the Greeks and then the Romans took the religious ideas of the Ancient Egyptians and renamed the Gods...though their nature and qualities remained the same). It takes a special kind of arrogance to assert some sort of "supremacy" of one religion over another...particularly when the religion that is supposedly superior can be historically traced to be a descendant of the "inferior" one.
Santeros have their own belief system and are undertaking practices that other religions partake in as well. Nothing wrong and completely guaranteed by the United States constitution and by international treaties on freedom of religion. If you don't like it, move to a country where other religions are banned (like Saudi Arabia, for example).
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Kimono Kijiwa 11/21/2009 4:52:00 AM
Isabel from Dallas: Children are allowed to pray in school. School officials cannot lead prayer. School officials cannot allow prayer to be broadcast during football games. It's simple.
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Celebrate Divershitty 11/10/2009 9:33:00 PM
Celebrate Divershitty!
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Michael Voisinet 11/10/2009 7:12:00 PM
Merced has absolutely positively NO RIGHT AT ALL to compromise the life of innocent animals. Merced claims that the animal sacrifice will cure any kind of human ailment. Baloney!! That definately remains to be seen. What Merced is merely doing is practicing a form of idiolatry and that's it. Merced must give glory to God and not give allegience to animal or devote himself to worshiping any other antimate objects at all period. Merced must worship The True and he should not share his worship with anyone else. And The Lord God simply will not shall his glory with anyone or anything else that is not of His Fathers House. Merced must pay true devotion to God Himself and totally refrain from his animal sacrifices entirely. Man was derived from The Lord not from any kind of animal sacrifices at all period. If you sacrifice the lives of innocent animals you are merely destroying what God has already created. Those are my sentiments exactly. We must learn to both preserve and respect all forms of animal life as a whole. It is up to God to determine if that animal lives or dies,not us. It is not up to us to make that distinction or determination. We are stewards of Gods creatures and we must learn to preserve and cherish them at all times. Merced better just be careful because Animal Control Officers can merely confiscate his animals and thus fine him for animal cruelty. God has solely provided his provendial care to both animals an humans alike. And it must be totally respected at all times. God has sustained all human and animal life and it shall not be violated in any way,shape,or form. We are stewards not owners of what God has already created. Animals should be totally respected and not abused. We must have total regard both for human and animal life. And we must place great precidence over God's Law and not adhere merely to man made traditions. God's Laws are much more important than man made traditions. We should worship God and not man. We must worship God and God alone. And we should not pay allegience to mere idols nor use them as a substitute for The True God. There is only one God,Father,Son,and Holy Spirit. And we as people should offer up our petitions to God and not to any animal sacrifices period. We must not slaughter innocent people and animals under any circumstances. We must show profound respect for them at all times. The Catechism Of The Catholic Church#2418:It is contrary to human dignity to cause animals to suffer or die needlessly. It is likewise unworthy to spend money on them that should as a priority go to the relief of human misery. One can love animals,one should not direct to them the affection due only to persons. What Merced needs to start doing is to start attending Mass tomorrow morning and to start reflecting upon what he has done. Don't attend any Protestant Churches because there simply isn't any salvation for you in any of those churches.
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Barbara 10/27/2009 5:51:00 PM
I'm all for freedom of speech and religion - but dead set against the useless slaughter of animals. This is sick. Totally sick. And this practice should be stopped. I hope that PETA finds out where this man lives and shows up at his doorstep.
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Lolotehe 10/25/2009 7:19:00 PM
Yay! You fixed the headline!
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Emma 10/25/2009 5:26:00 AM
Exterminated is an awfully strong word JB...I think that there was some guy back in the 30s and 40s who used that word a lot. He had soldiers, too. Someplace in Europe, I think. JB, do you think you can help me remember?
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john carter 10/25/2009 4:45:00 AM
Jesus died once for my sins. Once and for all, not repeatedly. This is a gross mis-statement of Christianity. It is not necessary for Christ to die repeatedly for my sins, only once for myself and all who put their faith in him.
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thinker 10/25/2009 1:48:00 AM
This makes me sick. Religion is nothing more than grown ups playing make believe in the real world, but society in general, doesn't laugh. Religion is a very dangerous thing...
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Jim R. 10/24/2009 12:34:00 AM
The true test of religious tolerance is the ability to except someone else�s religious practices even if they make no sense to you. Early Christians were prosecuted for their beliefs and religious practices because they were different from the excepted norm.
In a country were religious freedom is one or our foundational principals; one would hope that we can do better and not carry out our own persecution.
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Isabel 10/23/2009 5:21:00 PM
The Court allows this and our children are forbidden from saying a prayer in school and other activities? God cannot be mentioned in so many places and this nut is allowed to even slaughter animals as a sacrifice to "his god?" A cross is not allowed to stand as a monument for WWI because it depicts "religion?"
Something is very wrong and very unfair, not to mention the secrecy and the tasteless actions that take place here. Freedom of Religion? That's a laugh!
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philip neri 10/23/2009 5:10:00 PM
Kimberly, Santeria and "Christian grace" are not similar. Christ did not die to forgive our sins He is able to do that without the cross. He took up the Cross to be obedient to the Father. As he said, 'no one takes my life from me I lay it down and have the power to take it up again.'
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Snow Bunny 10/23/2009 10:43:00 AM
I agree with #5....LMFAO at #7!!!
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anon 10/22/2009 10:17:00 PM
#5 you don't need to be bringing Islam into this
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Thal 10/22/2009 8:34:00 PM
40 animals were sacrificed for this one ceremony. It never mentions if all of them were at least eaten.
I respect Mr. Merced's religious choices, but it's a shame so many animals have to die needlessly.
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akleos 10/22/2009 8:22:00 PM
Yes, I agree. This religion with its animal sacrifices is strange. I would feel better about it if they would have an inquisition and put actual people to death. Also, they should have tons of needless persecution of anything different from them. You know, to bring them more in line with the other religions. Then, I don't think it would be so bad.
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mikey 10/22/2009 4:04:00 PM
Apparently there is an unalienable right to be batshit crazy in the USA. Where is PETA?
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JB 10/22/2009 2:24:00 PM
People like this need to be exterminated!!! Where are the Christian soldiers? They aren't doing their job.
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Cris 10/22/2009 12:51:00 PM
Fix your headline! How illiterate is that? You guys should be embarrassed. Interesting article, though.
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Lolotehe 10/22/2009 6:58:00 AM
"It is ritual of animal sacrifice, he revealed on his own."
I don't get it.
