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Do you think that this sort of behavior is destined to continue? What will it take to stop it? Should it be stopped?
9 comments:
Anonymous
said...
I'm not sure how much longer these brutal acts of "magic" can go on. I feel like it is a no brainer that the murders should be stopped. It needs to be done with tact. Its not right to eradicate someones beliefs but we can educate people about the health risks, the environmental risks, and the harm they bring to their communities by performing certain rituals.
I think those who performed these acts are flat out sick in the mind. Its one thing to use rats and little birds for potions and rituals but do not use humans. Tracking down humans and murdering them for their own personal use is sick, and could get many individuals locked up in a certain place for a long, long time. But on the positive note, I agree about the owl thing. Owls are known for being wise and I believe they shouldn't be hunted. - Tia Kraus
A simple solutions for the owl problem is for the magicians to start breeding their own owls. Thus, taking care of the magical ingredients issues, having pets around to hunt mice out of rice fields, and allowing the native bird population to grow back. It might take convincing, unfortunately this will be their only option if disaster does strike and these magicians want to keep their way of life. On the moral side, I try not to judge other peoples cultures with no basis of understanding where these people are coming from. On the other hand I don't believe in grinding up dead bodies to put into potions; which doesn't sound very healing at all. Realistically, this will keep happening. Education might help, but the world has a lot of sickness, always has I beleive.
I dont believe it will continue forever. Science is pushing its way into every part of the world and progress will make it go away. Majic is like Science in a way and needs to be guided by morality, so human sacrifice is not good.
The murder and dismemberment of humans is super creepy, obviously. The only way to stop this kind of thing is education. I don't wish to destroy anyone's beliefs, but there is a limit. People being tortured/slaughtered isn't good for society.
The owl thing is interesting. Maybe if the shamans, etc. could be made aware of potential rice/disease problems, they could kill fewer owls. Also as someone mentioned, maybe breed their own owls? But the article does say that live owls are considered bad, so maybe that wouldn't work.
It depends on the people, how long will they hang on to the magic practices we may never know. It may outgrow the culture or maybe it will end when all the owls are dead. This has obviously increased the rodent population and it will eventually become a health hazard and even an ecological hazard of the rodents move to a different jungle area.
Interesting (and disturbing, in cases like this) to note how magic can be predicated upon the transformative destruction of objects in order to effect the desired outcome. Does this somehow touch upon J.G. Frazer's notions of sympathetic magic? Is there some sort of cosmic 'exchange' (and net balance) that is required??
I think that these acts will eventually stop because of the development of society and cross culture relations. It is hard to tell them to stop these practices because it is part of their culture, but people should all abide by the laws of protecting endangered species. The black market needs to be taken care of as much as possible. But either way something needs to change.
This reminds me a lot of the reading with the 4 witches in Greco-Roman mythology that were willing to sacrifice a young boy to make a powerful love potion.
It is a shock reminder that things like this still happen in the world and that it may seem like ancient history for us, it is still part of the lives of some people.
All that can really be done would be enforcing the regulations and specially the law when it comes to human sacrifice. Hope that after time, people will understand that even owl hunting, while might be involved with their beliefs, is dangerous for the environment and can effect the whole community.
9 comments:
I'm not sure how much longer these brutal acts of "magic" can go on. I feel like it is a no brainer that the murders should be stopped. It needs to be done with tact. Its not right to eradicate someones beliefs but we can educate people about the health risks, the environmental risks, and the harm they bring to their communities by performing certain rituals.
Good article, shocking but informative.
Deirdre Adams
I think those who performed these acts are flat out sick in the mind. Its one thing to use rats and little birds for potions and rituals but do not use humans. Tracking down humans and murdering them for their own personal use is sick, and could get many individuals locked up in a certain place for a long, long time. But on the positive note, I agree about the owl thing. Owls are known for being wise and I believe they shouldn't be hunted.
- Tia Kraus
A simple solutions for the owl problem is for the magicians to start breeding their own owls. Thus, taking care of the magical ingredients issues, having pets around to hunt mice out of rice fields, and allowing the native bird population to grow back. It might take convincing, unfortunately this will be their only option if disaster does strike and these magicians want to keep their way of life. On the moral side, I try not to judge other peoples cultures with no basis of understanding where these people are coming from. On the other hand I don't believe in grinding up dead bodies to put into potions; which doesn't sound very healing at all. Realistically, this will keep happening. Education might help, but the world has a lot of sickness, always has I beleive.
I dont believe it will continue forever. Science is pushing its way into every part of the world and progress will make it go away. Majic is like Science in a way and needs to be guided by morality, so human sacrifice is not good.
-Casey Somerville
The murder and dismemberment of humans is super creepy, obviously. The only way to stop this kind of thing is education. I don't wish to destroy anyone's beliefs, but there is a limit. People being tortured/slaughtered isn't good for society.
The owl thing is interesting. Maybe if the shamans, etc. could be made aware of potential rice/disease problems, they could kill fewer owls. Also as someone mentioned, maybe breed their own owls? But the article does say that live owls are considered bad, so maybe that wouldn't work.
Margaret Ransdell-Green
It depends on the people, how long will they hang on to the magic practices we may never know. It may outgrow the culture or maybe it will end when all the owls are dead. This has obviously increased the rodent population and it will eventually become a health hazard and even an ecological hazard of the rodents move to a different jungle area.
-Taylor E.
Interesting (and disturbing, in cases like this) to note how magic can be predicated upon the transformative destruction of objects in order to effect the desired outcome. Does this somehow touch upon J.G. Frazer's notions of sympathetic magic? Is there some sort of cosmic 'exchange' (and net balance) that is required??
pdk
I think that these acts will eventually stop because of the development of society and cross culture relations. It is hard to tell them to stop these practices because it is part of their culture, but people should all abide by the laws of protecting endangered species. The black market needs to be taken care of as much as possible. But either way something needs to change.
Emily Peterson-Wood
This reminds me a lot of the reading with the 4 witches in Greco-Roman mythology that were willing to sacrifice a young boy to make a powerful love potion.
It is a shock reminder that things like this still happen in the world and that it may seem like ancient history for us, it is still part of the lives of some people.
All that can really be done would be enforcing the regulations and specially the law when it comes to human sacrifice. Hope that after time, people will understand that even owl hunting, while might be involved with their beliefs, is dangerous for the environment and can effect the whole community.
- Scott
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