Vol. 6, No. 11, 1989

Articles on the Occult

John Whaley

In a recent issue of the Expositor Florida Report, an unusual court case was reported between Santeria, a blend of Catholicism and an African religion, and the city of Hialeah concerning Santeria's right to sacrifice animals. The court was asked to decide whether Santeria's ritualistic slaughter of animals was protected by the U.S. Constitution, a practice banned by the city of Hialeah. On Thursday, October 5, a federal judge upheld the city of Hialeah's ban on animal sacrifices, "saying the Constitution protects only the Santeria religion's beliefs, not its practices," (Orlando Sentinel, 10/6/89, Sec. B, p. 3).

According to U.S. District Judge Eugene P. Spellman, "the ordinances are not targeted at the Church of the Lukumi Babalu Aye practitioners of Santeria but are meant to prohibit all animal sacrifice, whether it be practiced by an individual or a religion or a cult," (Sec. B, p. 3). Maurice Rosen, Santeria's legal representative said he "was disappointed and would appeal all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court if necessary." Robyn Blumner, head of the American Civil Liberties Union in Florida said "Santeria's beliefs and practices cannot be separated," (Ibid). The judge agreed with the city of Hialeah that its ordinances banning the practice of animal sacrifices fulfilled a public purpose and was not intended to regulate a controversial religion like Santeria.