it is very sad I sent this top people on my contact list and you can if you would like to that why it say's stuff like send to all and sing your name at the bottem (you dont have to ),.....to parent's I sujest you look at the pictuer's befor you let your child there very sad and i sujest you do not look at them while eating .... :( oh and if you want the rel inpact I sujest you look at the pictuer's (I will post my photobucket link as soon as there up loaded with my horse drawing's and other horses and one more thing some of the pictuer's mach what the word's were suposed to say )


What is the saddest thing you've ever seen or heard???
me its someone who told a speech at one of our 4-H competitions.. It was on horse slaughter !! yes the story she told was this.

It was a day like any other day,my one true love who took care of me and cared for me came to get me .Being me I ran gracefully to see her my black shining coat , my tail high to show how proud I was.When I got to her she snapped the lead rope on me and led me out of the pasture.There was some people looking at me, there was two of them. A big old man and a thin tall man who looked mad.They both wore blue overalls and had dark red stains on them. They had a big white horse trailer filled with horses.My one and only friend had tears in her eyes and she told me that she would miss me! Then she left me and ran into the house crying. The big old man took my lead rope and led me to the trailer. I had to put my head down to get in there, manuer was to my ankles and there were horses packed everywhere.the smell was of something dead. The horses nickered to me, then the old man slapped them to stop. I tried to lift my head but there was no room then they shut the door and I was stuck squished being bitten and kicked for three day's. We had no food or water, the trialer was small and the horse in front colapsed of tiredness and died. after three days we got to a big place where there were large barns. All I couldhear was screaming, screaming from horse comming form the barns. But I didn't see any horses when the truck came to a stop.They began to unload us, then a man came to get me , I walked slowly trying not to slip but the man slapped me to make me go faster. I then slipped and fell on to my back, as i turned to get I up he pulled me so hard it made me trip. I don't think he cared if he hurt me. He puled even harder as we got to the big barn there was small lettering that said horses. As he led me in he unhooked my lead i moved as far away from him. I could then see they had shut the gate.The horses started to move so I moved with them I could hear people yelling behind me, but before I new it I was stuck skin to skin to other horses.One of the horses in front of me fell from not having water or food, other horses began to step on him.I could hear him screaming, the humans just stood there watchin, they didn't care about him. As I passed him I tried to help him up but they pushed me away.
I followed the other horses down the hall, of course not of my own will. The path came to a split.Over one door it said Horse and the other Colts.I turned for the colts because I was only two but they didn't knwo that and they pushed me to the other door.
I keeped walking, you could hear the screams of the colts and Mares being pulled apart as they were separated.
We then came to a spot with 100 stalls, the stalls were rusted with stains on them so I
tip-toed into one of the stalls.
I decided to look around, when all of a sudden I looked up and BAM!!Something hit me in the head. I fell, all 600 pounds of me ,hit the floor hard.But I was not dead, I could hear and feel everything going on around me I couldn't move or open my eye's. then i heard them behind me "Im alive" I thought to myself, theyc ouldn't hear me.I tried to move my foot to show I was alive but I couldn't. They picked up my left foot and tied it, then i felt a pulling on my leg. I was lifted into the air, my leg joints were being pulled out of the sockets.They didnt know I was still alive so I tried to open my eye. When I did I saw a shinny peice of metal comming towards me. It was knife.With one quick slit to my stomach, there my life was eneded.

This happens every day in Canada and the US. this hapens when people can't aford there horse anymore.Couldn't they put it down, isn't there a more human way to do this?
If you think so send this to all of your contacts on your msn list and PLEASE copy and paste!! Now this just doesn't happen to horses but cows and pigs also.We dont realize how much this happned everyday and it can be stopped.
what if it was a family member or a friend..For some these animals are!!!
and now wild horses the most beautiful ones you will ever see are being slaghtered!!

Now the images you are about to see are sad but i want you to see them I understand if you dontwant to look at them but PLEASE send this on!and SIGN YOUR NAME AT THE BOTTOM!!
heare is a web site for to stop this ! Right an E-mail and know how you can help to stop this! http://www.cascwild.org/horses.html
and here is another www.kbrhorse.net/news/whbslaughter05.html http://www.equineadvocates.com/wildhorsesaction.html this is a pitcher of a cattle raiser who thinks that wild horses are In cattlemen terms, wild horses are “sons of bitches,” eyesores, habitat destroyers, and misfits; in BLM terms, they are “shitters.”
Reality click here to go to my photo buchet and see the pictuer's
here ismore pictuer's


(Horse - Meat - 01) This once majestic horse lies in the bottom of this bloody killing shoot in a slaughterhouse.







(Horse - Meat - 02) This horse has been strung up by one hind leg and is being "bled out." To many people, horses are just as much their companions as dogs or cats. To kill these beloved animals like this is an evil betrayal of trust.



(Horse - Meat - 03) Horses are being dismembered in this bloody slaughterhouse. The Bible teaches us that these animals are living souls, just are we are. We should be lovingly caring for them instead of sending them to such a torturous end.



(Horse - Meat - 04) A violent end for once proud horses is more common than most people realize. We hope and pray that images like this one will make people realize that killing any animal for food is wrong and unnecessary.







(Horse - Meat - 05) The carnage goes on and on because human beings refuse to extend their sphere of love and compassion to all animals. Rightly does the Bible teach us: "A righteous man has regard for the life of his animal, But even the compassion of the wicked is cruel." (Proverbs 12:10 NASU)



(Horse - Meat - 06) This horse died on the way to slaughter. When horses are of no further "use" to humans, they are betrayed and sent to their death.






(Horse - Meat - 07) Because of human hardness of heart, these horses died while being transported to a slaughterhouse.









(Horse - Meat - 08) This horse's body has been split in two and is being hosed out. A loving and feeling horse, whose desire was to enjoy God's creation, is no more. All that remains is a side of meat. Stop the carnage! Stop eating meat! Go vegan!







(Horse - Meat - 09) Side after side of horse meat hangs from racks in this slaughterhouse cold room, because people consider horses and other animals commodities rather than the companions that God created them to be.







(Horse - Meat - 10) Horse heads and other unwanted body parts are thrown into a large container for shipment to a rendering plant. There is no softness or warmth of heart in this business; there are only thoughts of cold hard cash.



(Horse - Meat - 11) These Welsh ponies are at a market on their way to slaughter. The RSPCA was investigating reports that they were being abused. Whether or not these particular allegations are true isn't as important as understanding that the vast majority of all farmed animals are abused. The only way to stop it is to stop supporting the industry by not buying or eating meat.



(Horse - Meat - 12) Unfortunately, horse meat is quite popular on the continent of Europe, where the remains of these once proud animals are sent. When will people wake up to the pain and suffering that is on their plates.






(Horse - Abuse - 01) Who would do such a thing? Only a very cowardly person. In recent years many horses - particularly in England, Germany and North America - have been mutilated or attacked for no apparent reason. This horse was found March 5, 1998, ten miles south of Alamosa, Colorado. Long winter hair was cut cleanly to an eighth of an inch.



(Horse - Pregnant Mares Urine (PMU) Farming - 01) The largest source of female hormone replacement therapy (HRT) medications comes from pregnant mares urine. The name Premarin is an acronym of its source PREgnant MARes urINe. These drugs are prescribed with no concern for the pain and suffering of many mares like these.



(Horse - Pregnant Mares Urine (PMU) Farming - 02) The pregnant, catheterized horses are kept chained in these narrow stalls day and night so that the hormones can be collected from their urine. They are even forced to sleep on their feet.



(Horse - Pregnant Mares Urine (PMU) Farming - 03) Note the rigging and catheter tubing attached to each mare. If you have ever needed to be catheterized, you know how unpleasant it is. There, horses suffer that way for long periods of time. If hormone replacement therapy is necessary, use synthetics.



(Horse - Pregnant Mares Urine (PMU) Farming - 04) This very pregnant and catheterized mare will soon give birth to her child. Not too long after that, her baby will be taken away from her, and she will be raped and artificially inseminated, and be forced to suffer these atrocities all over again until she is no longer productive and sent to slaughter.



(Horse - Pregnant Mares Urine (PMU) Farming - 05) Row after row of these pregnant horses are forced to stand in these torturously narrow stalls with catheter tubes forced into their bodies. They are deprived of their God given rights by evil, heartless humans whose only concern is with the amount of money they can make.



(Horse - Pregnant Mares Urine (PMU) Farming - 06) The hind legs of the pregnant mares are "secured" to prevent the catheter from pulling out. The urine is then siphoned away to be processed for human consumption.



(Horse - Rodeo - Horse Bucking - 10) This photo of a fallen horse during a horse bucking "contest" was taken by Shark at the Starbucks sponsored Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo. Contact Starbucks to complain about their cruel rodeo sponsorship! Email: info@starbucks.com or phone (800) 235-2883 Mon – Fri 5 AM – 6 PM (PST), Sat – Sun 6 AM – 3 PM (PST)



(Horse - Rodeo - Horse Bucking - 11) This photo of a fallen horse during a horse bucking "contest" was taken by Shark at the Starbucks sponsored Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo. To us it seems quite obvious that the horse is in pain and very frightened. Contact Starbucks to complain about their cruel rodeo sponsorship! Email: info@starbucks.com or phone (800) 235-2883 Mon – Fri 5 AM – 6 PM (PST), Sat – Sun 6 AM – 3 PM (PST)



(Horse - Wild - 01) As a means of "controlling" the population of wild horses that "compete" with cattle on government lands leased to ranchers, these horses were driven off a cliff to their death.





(Horse - Wild - 02) To "control" the population of wild horses on public grazing lands, these wild horses were shot and dumped into this slit trench. This is just another evil of the cattle industry, which only seems to consider killing as a way of making more money.







(Horse - Wild - 03) Often, wild horses are rounded up and shipped to slaughter for their meat. In "operations" such as this one, the horses are literally run into the ground until they collapse from exhaustion. The horses are then dragged onto the truck to be shipped to a slaughterhouse.




(Horse - Wild - 04) This wild horse was lassoed, and the other end of the rope was tied to a truck tire. In her panic to escape, this horse dragged the tire until she collapsed from exhaustion. Then she was dragged onto this truck and taken to a slaughterhouse. This is just another of the evils resulting from the love of money!
please et me know what you thinkof this ..
here are some web sight's that are for stoping this
www.savewildhorses.org
www.stophorseslaughter.com
1. ALisse Smith I think it should STOP!!
2. Justine SMith

I am helping you all the way *cries* my baby tawna was nealy sent to the slaughter house. :( because no one wonted her. :(

thank you random one :( my pony was almoste sent to but we sved her but we hade to put here down because of old age and now I have just found a pition to stop this in Amrica (in Canadina but we have to start some where's!!!!!! so please sing this!!!!!! click here to stop horse slaughter
~Shearkin

ON THE DOBEL :eep:

O.o
*cries*

Reading things likethat doesn't usually get to me, but that is a seriously good point, and its not just horse slughter that we worry about, its all animal slaughter, don't forget what they do to make fur coats!
Sickening, MAKE IT STOP

RACHEL C PLEASE HELP US :eep: :cookie:

:lol: OK!

WHERE DO I SIGN!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!!?!?!?!?!??

the one ware shearkin said that her horse had to go slaughter :(

Look, I'm not trying to be rude here, but you have to wake up and smell the reality. It might be a bad way to go, but would you ban killing horses in general, even euthanasia? Honestly, I'd feel more pain for an animal that is living in pain than the animal that is already dead. Once it's dead, there's not much you can do for the horse.

And to this I ask, have you ever had boiled crab or lobster? If so, then shame on you! The lobster's fate is much worse than the horse's.

You know, if anything, that's what has discouraged me the most from signing that petition. If you feel that this needs to be stopped so much that you are willing to curse at everyone on this board, then shame on you again.

You are aware that the animals sent to the slaughter are sent because of the choice of the owner. If you got slaughter houses banned, think about how many lives would be affected by it. People would lose their jobs, thousands of tax dollars would go into the law suits that would ensue, and we'd be overrun by horses. Are you that desperate to get rid of them that you would also uproot so many families for your cause. Just think if you had to move away from your family, friends, and home because your dad lost his job courtesy of the lawmakers! Hum, not nice is it?

You know, that doesn't just happen to horses; it happens to people as well. If you donate organs or give your body to science, you'll most likely have your insides ripped out and/or dissected.

I must ask, do you really think that these people enjoy watching animals die? Even if you've done it for much of your life, I highly doubt that anybody enjoys being the cause of death. And there are many more painful ways to die; at least it's over quickly for the horse.

*freaks out* Oh, gosh! Why do they do that for??? :eep: :eep: :eep:

shearkin and random-one, you will remove your banners immediately. People, especially little kids, do not come onto this forum to see stuff like that.

As for your 'article'. The meat industry from a horse's POV? Can any one else say "emotional blackmail"? Firstly, the people who work in the meat industy are not criminals. They do not hurt animals for making a noise, nor do they hurt them for pleasure. They do not treat them inhumanely, they make certain an animal is dead before they butcher it (very few horses would survive a bullet to the brain at close range, anyay) and there are laws to protect the animals. Meat workers are just doing their jobs. I say this, and I'm vegetarian. Are you? Or do you eat beef and lamb and pigs? How about eggs? There are people who feel just as strongly about cows or sheep or pigs or chickens as you do about horses. Just because you can't ride an animal doesn't make it any less special than a horse. However, what would you say is the number one reason cattle, sheep, pigs, and chooks are all bred commercially? Sure they produce milk, wool, and eggs. But apparently they also taste great. Do you imagine for even a second that the farming industry could survive without the meat industry? Not only the farmers who produce meat animals would be affected, but those who grow crops of animal feed, as well. How many people do you know that would spend thousands and thousands of dollars to support herds and herds of cattle that eat paddocks and bank accounts bare and turn no profit? How could you possibly expect people to?

Take me. I love goats. Possibly even more than you love horses, because almost every goat in our shed was bottle raised by yours truly. I've sat up all night with them when they're sick, helped them give birth despite my squirmishness, towelled after-birth off new-born kids, and watched them take their first steps. But do I kid myself that the goat industry would be half as strong or popular as it is without goats bred for meat? Of course not! Goats produce milk, cheeses, yoghurts, etc. There are also breeds meant specifically for meat.

What can horses do? Milk? No, they're hardly ideal for that. Wool? No. Eggs? No. People can ride them. Wonderful, I'm sure, if that takes your fancy. But apart from that they eat good grass and expensive feed and and don't turn it into anything productive. It is very expensive to keep such a large animal when it can't even contribute to its own upkeep.

Not even dogs are exempt for being butchered. They're considered a delicacy in some countries. And apparently they taste better the more terrified they are at their time of death. Imagine the kind of death they have.

Horse meat is an industry, same as any other. That stupid article helps no one. It casts meat workers in a harsh light for simply doing their jobs, and gets horse lovers worked up for absoloutely no good reason. It also reads like a poorly written teen thriller. "Thin and fat men in bloodstained clothes"? Please.

And if people can't afford to keep a horse, do you really think they can afford to hire a backhoe to dig a hole for it after they've put it down? What's the point, when the horse ends up dead either way? Whoever wrote the above wasn't using their brains even a little.

Oh yes. There's nothing more hilarious. Every time I see road kill, I just burst out laughing. [/scarcasm]

And Shearkin? Your typing is just as offensive to me as horse meat is to you. Fix it.

I completely agree with you, LightningFlash! Sometimes I'm glad I can't see that well because I don't think I want to see that banner!
My father has actually worked in the meat industry. People eat meat, it's a fact of life! Some people are vegetarians, but the majority eat meat. And there are laws to make sure the animals are treated humanely and not put in any unneccessary pain.

Well, I think I'll try to take the middle-ground here, as a city-boy who has no real knowledge of horses or the meat industry.

Judging the previous posts, I'd have to go with LF. There ARE laws to prevent them suffering (except when it comes to that bit about terrified dogs *waves around protest sign*), otherwise we'd all be lynching the butcher.

Have you ever spared a thought for the lamb you had the other night? Or the chicken at KFC? Because, simply, they're in the same position. You protest about animals that serve no purpose beyond rides being killed to provide us with food, and then you go off to have a kebab. Seriously, where did you think lamb came from?

Oh, protesting about horse slaughter is pointless (unless the slaughter itself is pointless, like hunting wild horses in areas where they aren't feral animals), because IT HAPPENS TO LOTS OF OTHER ANIMALS. A much more worthy subject would be battery farms, where animals are locked up in cages and never move more than a few centimetres in their life, all to give us meat and eggs. Much more cruel than painlessly sending a horse into the afterlife.

*waves protest sign: FREE THE CHICKENS*

So much for taking the middle ground. :P

I second the chickens thing. There's no good reason to keep them locked up like that.

Just because I've got a chicken I love very much doesn't mean I'm protesting for chooks to never be killed for meat. I'm not going to let that happen to my chook but I'm not going to stop anyone else doing it either. Usually the killing is done quickly and humanely. I'm sure that not many people enjoy watching animals suffer.

ok i'm sorry :(

I know this means a lot to you guys (Shearkin and random_one) But I have to agree with Silver Dragon. And I'm actually happy that you have decided to take those banners down. Its like me with Dolphins and whales.
They're thinking about lifting the whaling ban. Maybe you should try writing a persuasive article (that doesn't involve sides to the slaughter) and put it in a school or local magazine.
At least thats what I'm doing about the whaling.

I also agree with LF, of course no offence to horses (as I also like the animals.)
Don't take this too seriously ok guys? Its just my point of view on this.

who am I to say, no one cares about anyones fealings. I have nothing to say about this law!. A law is a law and we cant stop it, we just have turn are heads and get on with life! :(
I am sorry for what I have done, with my sig and avatar. I am trully sorry. :)






:( :(

Hey Hey Hey!
Don't feel bad about it!! Its good to have opinions. Its just that not everyone will agree with you.
*hugs* I'm sorry if I upset you or hurt your feelinigs.

:( ........! I love horses and always will!. no one or nothing can stop me.
Dont feel bad brightclaw I am just different........... alot different. :(

Yeah, but you really might want to stop with all the horse things, this may be a general forum area, but it looks more like, horse area, i am sorry to say i agree with Silver Dragon and such, if you want to do this, do it somewhere where not as many people withh disagree.

dont blame me! :eep: I didn't start the protest :eep:

Who says you were the only one i was talking to?

It just sounds like I am the one to bame :unsure: :eep: :eep:

Aww nooo, *hug* i was only thinking, that maybe Silver dragon is right, i'm not having a go!

:cookie: *Hug* to, thanks :cookie:

No problem

I think this thread needs to be deleted :unsure:

I'm verry sorry if I affended anyone :unsure: and i hope I didn't get anyone in trouble .....I really I wasn't able to take down the banner right a way the day I put it up I hade a bad feeling I should of tok it down but my sister kicked me off and then I went to my friend's and the nex't day I was not able to go on so when I did find out i was suspended i am verry sorry and I do agree with you guy's it's the same for all people I just got all worked up because I love horses and I cant stand it when I heara that this has happened .

well around my house the help out to pay ^_^ we have work horses that give rid's and we go to the fair's and that pay's for that to but still some of thease horses on our farm stand and eat weed's witch is ok to eat rthe weed's

trew as well

did I put that ?oop's sorry if I did I don't remember my sister did some stuff to it so I dont know what she added and for the story I did, it was the story i heard from another girl I did my best to remember what she hade said I 'm verry sorry if I afended someone espesshuyy with the banner I should have used my head I like my old one anyway and if you want LF you can deleat it ifyou want but I still would like people to have the site if they would like ot sing the pitichon I Know thats' not how you spell it I'm a relly bad speller!!!! but I have to say i have gotten better since i got MSN but i cant say how sorry I am for afending anyone.
~Shearkin

I hope I don't offened anyone, but, I'm with Shearkin ALL the way, I agree to putting a horse down if something is wrong and it can't be helped, but perfectly fine horses are sent to slaughter! that is wrong! Horses are the most beautiful animals The Lord made! the Bible says that horses are not meant to be eaten!

In the states many people are trying to stop this madness, the wild Mustangs of the US are being rounded up and sent to sloughter.
When I turn 18 I'm going to get a Grant and open up a horse rescue, I've done
my reseach and I have made up my mind, I WILL help put a stop to this one horse at a time! I pray everyday that more and more people will help our worlds horses.

God Bless,
Country Dragon

Hey, if we're not going to treat EVERY animal ethically, I don't think we should be playing favorites. What makes the horse so special? Has anyone seen how they kill pigs?

Why drag religion into the matter? I'm not a Christian but do love to study all religions and I don't remember the bible stating that eating Black Beauty was taboo. Don't get me wrong, I'm not for the slaughtering of any animal. When it comes right down to it, we're just sympathetic here because we view the horse as a pet. In other parts of the world they eat dogs and thing nothing of it. I have a friend who was absolutely disgusted by our treatment of cows, much less the fact that we ate them as often as we do.

"Whatsoever parteth the hoof, and is clovenfooted, and cheweth the cud, among the beasts, that shall ye eat." Leviticus 11:3.

Of course, that doesn't exactly fit in with Acts 10 and subsequent Pauline teachings, and I very much doubt that anyone who's posted on this thread is faithful to all the Levitical laws (eg. ritual uncleanness, eating shellfish, garments made of more than one fabric, etc). Blatant hypocrisy. Even assuming the Lord did in fact make horses, in which case He left a hell of a lot of contradictory evidence behind him to test our faith.

Yeah, so you think they're pretty. By all means spend your own money and time on rescuing the pwetty horsies, but I'm going to be over there on my leech farm, 'cause I think they're just the speshulest and those nasty horrible people shouldn't murder them with their own hands just because they like sucking blood. :( OUTRAGE!!!!!

Isn't that more of a keep Kosher, Jewish sort of thing? In that case, no pigs, seafood, or My Little Ponies for the strict Christians. What about birdies? I'll eat anything, provided it was killed humanely (i.e. I support hunting for food and animals that are raised free range). Alligator, for instance, is awesome.

From stereotype, I'd assume Shearkin and Country Dragon are big fans of Lev 20:13. (Delighted to be proved wrong, however.) It's mostly Jews who keep the inconvenient Old Testament laws; liberal Christians usually don't take any of them as gospel (so to speak), and fundies take the ones that give great excuses for bigotry. Lev 11:13-19 and Deuteronomy 14:12-18 give detailed instructions about the eating of birds; prey birds are right out of the question.

I'm an omnivore with a taste for nice meaty hamburgers; I think obviously animal cruelty's a bad thing, but it's not one of my pet causes.

Because she want's to :Dyes I'm a christian too :dance: ... ok serious ...you know I thought this topic would never be oppend again...

actully I never heard that one..I started to read the bible from cover to cover one year but I got board in Levticuss.....but I belive in the new testament some where's ( I could be wrong on this ) god tol some one( cant remembde who ) that they could eat any of theye's anmil's ,and there was a hole list ...sad to say I think horses were there :( but like I said I could be wrong on it ...youknow this should be turned into a discushin about all anamial abuse,slaughter ,what ever so every one could have a say to stoping animal slauter..I don't know what you think ....it's just so people don't get afended ......
but keeping on topic ...for any one who want's to sing to stop horse slaughter ...if this would become a all around stop slaughter topic I say find soem suport grope's and post a link here !!
well this is my pitiction If you havent and want to no pressur
http://www.petitionspot.com/petitions/stop...unitedstatesnow
~Shearkin
ps It's nice to know what others' think!!

For more information concerning Lev 20:13, see www.godhatesfags.com and witness a self-professed Christian gloating over murder. (Unfortunately not a parody.)

Religion has its place, but it's not something that should ever be enforced by laws or petitions or that sort of thing. Temporal authorities can only enforce the externals of religion, and that enforcement is more likely to turn people away from the internals. You're trying to make your religion the reason why other people shouldn't hurt the pwetty horsies, and (aside from that beingcompletely illogical and/or hypocritical by that religion's own standards) that's not going to convince people who don't share that.

I always found the Old Testament laws quite amusing. ^_^ Quite fascinating to learn that female slaves are worth less than male, that rape is only rape if someone hears her scream, and more than anyone ever wanted to know about how to properly deal with menstruation and seed.

And yes, in Acts 10 Peter did have a dream in which God apparently told him he didn't have to rely on the old Jewish laws for food. Horses aren't specifically mentioned in the version I looked at, but they're impliedly included. That's generally taken as an excuse to throw out all the ancient Hebrew customs that are difficult to keep, like the slavery, ritual sacrifices, hair trimming, etc. (See here for more information.)

And there's nothing wrong with being Christian. Most of the people I know are Christian. It's just that religion has nothing to do with the ethical treatment of animals. I'm eclectic Pagan. If anything, it's my crowd (my new age brethren especially) that are out there protesting. A lot of my friends are vegan...I'm not...but applaud people who have that sort of willpower, my best friend included.

As for the resurection of this thread...well...Country Dragon brought it back. I'd never seen it before and decided to add my two cents.

Not to be confused with www.godhatesfigs.com In all seriousness though, I'm familiar with that "organization". They might not be a parody, but they're certainly a joke. Christianity teaches some good ideals, but it's amazing how much it's been twisted over the ages.

Oh, the Bible is very sexist. The Latin translations are a little loose too. The translation of eon = eternity in hell left me a little amused. Anyway, not trying to drag this off the subject. Clubbing animals is bad and all that. :unsure:

I'm an ex-Christian. Absorbed enough propaganda to make me feel every other religion's a little bit silly, then went and absorbed sufficient science and logic to turn me into an atheist. (Not that I dispute anyone else's right to believe in the Invisible Pink Unicorn or Flying Sphaghetti Monster or whatever, and it is nicer to believe in someone immortal out there and all that sparkly optimistic stuff about not going to be gone forever when we die, I just don't agree.)

The old Hebrew society was about as patriarchal as any other back then (with nothing at all seen problematic with the concept that God actually wanted them to murder all the civilians and/or take the virgins as sex slaves during wartime). Jesus taught a couple of nice things in His time, but then St Paul (may he rot, or rather may the remaining atoms left of him form part of some foetid swamp) jumped in and preached that women should learn in silence with submission and dragged up the subject of temple orgies and male prostitutes (translated by King James as homosexuality, thereby enabling the bigots to keep that part of Leviticus while discarding all the tough-to-follow bits). And thence came the justifications for Christian-led bigotry down the centuries. It may not be as harsh a religion as others, and very many people who call themselves Christians have bothered to follow the Sermon on the Mount and Jesus' teachings about charity and benevolence (which seems to me to be interpreting the Bible through a secular humanist lens), but I don't think it deserves actual credit for not being worse.

Sorry, way off-topic. Christian beliefs about the proper stewardship of the world tend to range from dominionist this-is-for-our-own-good-not-anyone-else-and-the-Rapture's-coming-anyway to let's-be-good-stewards-mmmkay? There's certainly nothing substantiated about not killing horses.

Vegans are admirable for strength of will, and one thing I do need to resolve about my own beliefs is that I can't hold the thesis that humans are just innately better than animals because God said so anymore. But killing generally non-sentient animals in order to eat or for practicality is probably excusable. And excluding certain animals because they're 'cute' is sloppy, sentimental thinking at best. (Maybe I'm still jus jellus. I never had a pony. *weeps* :P)

I was raised strictly Baptist. I remember having A LOT of questions that went unanswered and getting in trouble because I said I didn't think parts of the bible were fair. I was turned loose in bookstores at a young age and got interested in Paganism. Being young and naive I was open about my religious discoveries and whoooo, immediately shot down like I'd come through the door speaking in tongues. I studied Paganism when I could but eventually was dragged back into a church. By this time I was old enough to realize that I didn't much like what I was being "taught" and I felt that the people around me were just going along with it because they were afraid of hell. When you've been taught, believe this or burn eternally, you're going to go to church. I'm not saying that this is how all Christians are. I just grew up in Alabama and that's definitely the way it seemed to me there.

Eventually, I got so sick of it all that I just became an atheist. This still left a lot of questions unanswered. I do believe in ghosts. I've seen a few things in my life that were a bit too strange to just ignore. After researching many religions, I finally drifted on back to Paganism and have sufficient personal proof to back my beliefs. I don't believe there is one definitive religion. I believe in reincarnation and feel that different lessons are required each lifetime, i.e. one life you might be Christian, in the next you might be Jewish, then Atheist, and so on and so on. I certainly don't think that my beliefs are anymore "out there" than a flaming talking bush or the notion that conditions were so perfect, the world just "banged" itself into existence.

Back to animals...I'm really not much for the organizations that protest. They try to guilt you into agreeing with them and that just isn't appropriate. Check out what PETA handed out to kids: (the images are cartoons, but there's a bit of blood. They were handed out to children but really aren't...erm...just don't click if you don't want to risk it.)
http://www.consumerfreedom.com/news/images...6_comicbook.gif

http://www.rightwingnews.com/graphics/yourdaddykills.jpg[

The tagline? Until your daddy learns it's not fun to kill, keep your doggies and kitties away from him. He's so hooked on killing defenseless animals, they could be next! :unsure:

I'm sorry but I think its part of the circle of life it happens and know one can stop it. We just have to face up to it. :( Yes I dealy love horses and animals, and that I think its wrong to kill but we need meat to survive. just emagen the number of animals and desieses romen the place. :eep:

In England farmers have to give away there precious hard working animals It's hard but it has to be done :( just emagen the cost to cremate or bury? its alot! A horse or pony can cost a wopen £1000 pounds just to burn on a fire, and for selling fate its a nightmare all the vaxination and getting it veted just so it can get pass :faint: its alot.
I feal for every animal but its life, it has to be done. :)

And there was the problem of PETA's sexist ads with the "I'd rather go naked than sell fur" tagline.

I got the "burn in eternity" line too. And I still wonder: what kind of sociopath wants that to be true? And aren't the non-annoying people who believe that deeply hypocritical in that they're not trying to save us all from that fate every instant? (Cf. this Chick tract, if you haven't already come across these delightful works of graphic literature.) Aquinas: "That the saints may enjoy their beatitude and the grace of God more abundantly they are permitted to see the punishment of the damned in hell." *headdesk*

The human experience and personal understanding are complex, but I'm too much of an empiricist to share your beliefs. I don't think there's more than one version of fact which can be justified, and I've seen a couple of events which could possibly be termed supernatural, but the various alternative scientific explanations for them strike me as a little more plausible. It'd be a pleasant surprise if I witnessed anything really *obviously* supernatural, but I'm not expecting it. Most religions are based on a combination of the purely personal and some kind of belief in irrationality, and while I think it's valuable to understand other human beings, I don't see it as valuable to go so far as converting to their illogicalities.