NEPAL - Mass Animal Sacrifice
Animal rights activists have urged the Nepali government to stop what they’ve called “an appalling bloodbath” after they claimed thousands of animals were killed as part of a festival held every five years that traditionally ends with a mass sacrifice.
Participants believe that sacrificing animals in the Gadhimai temple pleases the Goddess Gadhimai, who will then grant them wishes or good fortune. Animals are also sacrificed to celebrate the birth of sons.
“Animals are sacrificed in various religious rituals in Nepal year-round, so they feel why are they being singled out, why is all this attention, and international attention, on them.”
In 2009, before the activists started their campaign, they said some half a million animals were killed, but that had dropped by half during subsequent festivals. This year, they predicted the numbers could soar again, but the figures suggest that hasn’t happened—and their efforts may be paying off.
“About 80% of animals come from India so we have been working with the SSB (the Indian central armed police force responsible for patrolling to India-Nepal border) to rescue the animals,” Sneha Shrestha, president of the Federation of Animal Welfare of Nepal said.
“We can only talk to people and convince them, we have no authority to take the animals from them,” Shrestha said. “No animal should die in the name of religion or tradition. Temples are not slaughterhouses, and we must not turn them into one.”
-www.cnn.com, 10 December 2024
Arno's Commentary
Nepal, a nation with a population of over 31 million, is deeply religious but only 1.8% claim to practice the Christian religion. Life expectancy stands at 73 years.
Animal sacrifice goes back to ancient times and has been practiced by various religions.
Worse yet is human sacrifice, such as what the Roman Church practiced by burning heretics at the stake.
Here, 1 Corinthians 10:20-21 must be taken note of: “But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils. Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord’s table, and of the table of devils.”
Based on prophetic Scripture, animal sacrifice will be instituted in the yet-to-be-built temple in Jerusalem.
Daniel 9:27 reads: “And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.”
It may well be that, under pressure from animal rights groups, there will be prohibition of the sacrifice; thus, the president of the Federation of Animal Welfare’s statement sounds rather prophetic: “No animal should die in the name of religion or tradition.”
Prayer is needed for Nepal and for Nepal’s Church, so they may proclaim: “For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins” (Hebrews 10:4).
Arno Froese is the executive director of Midnight Call Ministries and editor-in-chief of the acclaimed prophetic magazines Midnight Call and News From Israel. He has authored a number of well-received books, and has sponsored many prophecy conferences in the U.S., Canada, and Israel. His extensive travels have contributed to his keen insight into Bible prophecy, as he sees it from an international perspective.
