To absolutely loathe the increase in smear campaigns against businesses because of the halal meat debate?

OK, you are free to make your own choices. But presumably that means you would be fine eating the majority of halal meat which is stunned?

I suppose we could all go back to the good old days of keeping a pig, killing it ourselves, which is still a legally viable option as long as you don't give anyone outside the immediate household any of the meat/brains ?

My issue is the faux outrage about animal welfare in relation to halal meat, most of which is stunned in any case, from people who don't otherwise appear to give a toss about the welfare of animals in our meat or dairy industries.

I think we all draw a line somewhere when it comes to ethics and morals about meat or anything else. My particular line is that I won't eat unstunned meat as I think it's cruel. Views may differ.

The whole welfare in slaughterhouses is a much bigger question and I don't want to derail the thread.

Why would I be concerned for you? I think it’s strange someone would take a wafer blessed as the body of Christ for the reasons you say. But go for it if that’s your thing.

You were the one rather patronisingly telling me ‘If you go to mass and people stand up for communion just stay sitting. It’s fine.’

I didn’t ask for your opinion on what’s fine so maybe you were concerned about me becoming Christian against my will.

It’s not ‘my thing’, what a strange attitude. I’ve also had langar at a Sikh temple, are you concerned about me becoming accidentally Sikh too?

It still doesn’t change the fact most people don’t do that. And opting out is fine. No one gets called bigot or intolerant as they do when opting out of halal.

MrsB has repeatedly explained why people get called intolerant for bleating on about halal whilst ignoring the low standard of care of animals in abattoirs , and it’s got nothing to do with opting out of halal. No one has issues with that. Opting out is fine.

Opposing extreme animal abuse can hardly constitute smearing. It's plain unethical. They cut their throats with a knife and make them suffer for a long time, bleeding to death. That's the only way it's accepted to be halal. No different than those ISIS videos of human hostages where they did exactly the same. And you think opposing the sale of this kind of product is 'smear campaigning'?

Besides, halal meat has to follow specific protocols. It's only acceptable halal when they cut their throats and then 'embed' the meat with prayers, and these prayers are not exactly loving or nice... they call for the killing of other people. And you eat that energy. The entire practice is gross and barbaric.

Yes, and others can call them out on the fact that they're obviously being disingenuous.

No they can say both reasons as much as they like.

Why would I be concerned for you? I think it’s strange someone would take a wafer blessed as the body of Christ for the reasons you say. But go for it if that’s your thing.

It still doesn’t change the fact most people don’t do that. And opting out is fine. No one gets called bigot or intolerant as they do when opting out of halal.

We also don’t ask school age dc to take communion and there’d be an issue if it was the only option, as some school dinners are with halal.

They don't. They just need to stop bleating about animal welfare on the Internet when it's obvious that they don't give a toss about it.

As an atheist, I wouldn't have been remotely bothered if someone had given my dd a special wafer that had been prayed over. As far as I'm concerned, it is just a wafer?

If they had made my dd participate in a wider religious ritual around the giving of the wafer, then I would not have been happy with that, unless it was a one-off educational experience, in which case it would have been fine.

Are children eating halal meat in schools being asked to take part in wider Islamic rituals around the consumption of that meat? Or are they simply eating their lunch, blissfully oblivious?

Fortunately that sounds like a one off set up. If you go to mass and people stand up for communion just stay sitting. It’s fine.

This is quite patronising. Where have you got the impression that I wasn’t fine with being asked to get up and participate? I wasn’t forced.

Not sure if you’re concerned for me
or concerned with gate-keeping Christianity. Neither is necessary.

Why do they need to let you know?

Fortunately that sounds like a one off set up. If you go to mass and people stand up for communion just stay sitting. It’s fine.

As is labelling any halal product and consumers opting out due to welfare or because it’s a religious ritual that is not for them.

How can it be both? Anyone who genuinely has strong beliefs about animal welfare would avoid eating mass produced meat in any case, so this simply wouldn't be an issue for them.

As for people choosing to opt out for other reasons, that's their prerogative, I just want them to be honest about why.

Yes, it should be the halal and kosher debate.

The reason why people focus on halal is because the kosher industry is small while the halal industry is much bigger and growing and there's concern about whether it crosses into general meat consumption without people knowing. This is happening in a secondary school near me, so I can imagine it happens in other places too.

In my case we were.

Ok you’re not being asked to participate if you don’t have faith.

It’s both. Not always together. Some want to avoid it not because they are religious though, it’s more opting out of religious ritual through informed choice which is fine.

Or their dc are not religious so they’d prefer to not have it in schools.

This is not true. They won't sell meat labeled as halal if it is not, but have to such qualms about selling halal meat not labelled as such so that if meat eaters of other faiths or none are unwittingly eating meat that has specifically been slaughtered under strict Islamic law ie 'sharia law'

It was definitely the wafer for the body of Christ.

I don’t think anyone has an issue with people opting out.

But going back to the OP’s first post, restaurants are allowed to serve whatever they want including halal. People who don’t want to eat the food can simply opt out.

The same as Muslims and Jews and Hindus have to opt out of eating meat at the vast majority of restaurants in the UK. E.g. eating a BigMac at McDonalds isn’t possible for
Muslims, Jews or Hindus.

Does anyone actually have an issue with someone choosing not to eat halal meat for religious reasons? I'm not aware of this.

My issue is the faux outrage about animal welfare in relation to halal meat, most of which is stunned in any case, from people who don't otherwise appear to give a toss about the welfare of animals in our meat or dairy industries.

Thanks MrsB. That’s so funny about your DH.

I’ve always been open to learning about different religions and have no issue with going to a place of worship and doing what I’m asked.

Nobody is being penalised. What's happening is that Muslims and Jews are being given preferential treatment in that they have been given exemptions from UK law.

Given that it impacts negatively on animal welfare, according to the RSPCA and FAWC, maybe that wasn't such a good idea. And now that the halal industry in particular has expanded so much, the practice was bound to come under greater scrutiny.

Sure do it or don’t. No one will say it’s intolerant or bigoted to opt out if someone realises what lining up for a blessed communion means.

Side stepping mistakenly religious adults, would you be ok with holy communion for all school children?