The Pigs of God festival : (1 tonne Mega pig)

Hi Folks.

I am placing this thread in the Fragile Earth forum as to be quite honest I have not got a clue where else I could put it?

Beforehand I would like to warn certain members that there are Images (although not graphic) which may be of a shocking nature.

I don't know if many of you know about this event so if not, here I go :

Cultural differences aside, I have to admit that I was more than shocked when I discovered this so called "tradition" :

Pigs of God is a controversial Taiwanese festival and contest where pigs that have been force-fed for years are publicly slaughtered, then put on floats and paraded through the city streets.

The origins of this gruesome event aren’t very clear, but while some say it’s part of the religious beliefs of the Hakkas, an ethnic group with a population of over four million in Taiwan, animal rights activists claim that in the last few decades it has become a simple meaningless contest used by families to show off their wealth and power. They are currently fighting for the banning of a clear form of animal cruelty, and the substitution of real pigs with ones made of dough, rice or flowers.



More info here : www.odditycentral.com...-23705

And the video :



Extra info from a Westerner who lives in Taiwan concerning the bloated form of the pig and the "tradition" can be found here :

lifeasaforeignerintaiwan.wordpress.com...

Seriously, I for one absolutely love my bacon sandwiches... but to see an animal suffer like this? (cultural differences aside once again)

Your thoughts?

Kindest respects

Rodinus

Jeebus ive seen people who look like that...only its self inflicted......

It really isn't that far back in history when we were sacrificing young virgins.....not that this is progress.
Ritualistic killing seems to release an almost super-natural energy. I've been trying to figure out what that 'power' is for a long time now.
When did these rituals start? And why? Who figured out that they hold such significance?

You could flavor up a lot of beans with that much lard.
My family used to raise pigs. The biggest one I've seen, and she was a beast, was about 800 pounds.

a reply to: nugget1

You might read some work by Rene Girard. Some others that expand on his work are James Allison and Michael Hardin (preaching peace.org).

The whole thing is on the point behind sacrifice.

I'm actually kinda speechless. Had to look at the images a few times to be sure they were real. That's just awful. However,the flip side of this is that we have large scale operations feeding every kind of farm animal that can be slaughtered and served up for us. To snub my nose at the rituals of another culture is hypocritical. I will say though,that I feel very sorry for the pigs. I imagine the conditions they are raised in are not just as terrible as any mass raised pork in the western world,but they endure it for much longer to get that massive size. I doubt they can move,breathe properly,and likely defecate and urinate all over themselves,unable to move away from it. Whether cultural or religious that makes us think it is ok to do this to animals....we suck.

I can't believe that these are real pigs.
I am living in a small village with a few pig farms, but I have never seen something even remotely close to this, this looks just so absurd.
How can the skin not tear appart?