So about this sacred bull then....

[Kathyis6incheshigh]

Story here

It just seems a bit pathetic if the agricultural officials can't find a way to save it.

It matters a lot to some people, they are prepared to put measures in place so the risk of the TB spreading is minimal....

As an atheist I feel I should be asking why these people should get special treatment just because of what is basically a superstition (as I'm sure DC and others would say).

But I would really like them not to kill it....
Does anyone else agree with me or am I just being sentimental & a woolly liberal?

They said the herd it came from wasn't TB positive, so where did the bull catch it from? Is it possible for us to give to cows in the same way we can get it from them?

Risk of being yelled at here, but I understood TB to be more common in ethnic minorities?

That's just it, NutterlyUts - although of course we want to minimise risks, surely one person with undiagnosed tb in the community is hundreds of times more risky than a bull kept in isolation?

It is far more likely the bull got TB from badgers, which are carriers, than from an 'ethnic minority' person.

TB is more common among people who have just come from SE Asia, I think - including people who live here but have travelled there. So not just immigrants.

Callisto I'm not suggesting thats where it came from at all. What I was thinking was whererver the bull caught TB from (and according to the story wasn't his herd) could have affected the congreation too, so although yes, the bull could stay, by staying, and them not knowing where it came from, could be infecting PEOPLE who are unaware.
My ethnic minority question was just to make sure TB was what I thought it was

Didn't mean to jump on you Nutterly. I need to be less abrupt when I'm posting.

No worries

OOOH I've been to this place, some of the reporting very amusing!

Its not a Hindu commune btw- its a multi faith centre, I think its being portaryed that way as a sort of them and us thing, in fact they ahve Hindu, Christian, buddhist deities and adherents there!

As it happen they have been crticiesed for their animal ccare before- there was a campiagn to remove the very lonely (though loved) elephant they also have. I know they do it from love- the animal keeper was a lovely chap- but I feel they are somewhat misguided in their concepts of 'care'. I cant see how its OK to jep[ardise some of the many visitors to the palce through TB (many kids when I went last year), or indeed how fair it is to keep an elephant alone at the top ogf a hill in carmarthen, either.

The place is wonderful, spiritual, caringa nd I would recommend to anyone who needs some time out. but I don't think many of the members are sufficiently within society (iykwim? They are all there because of a desire to leave society) to fully understand this situation. They seem (as are many faiths) hung up on the idea that their love can achieve all- but it cant. the temples as well- thats no palce to keep a bull. None of them are that big, or ahve access to daylight / grazing- thats no life.

Oh from what I saw the alrgest ethcin minority there seemed to be those from Scandinavian countries- indeed was commented upon at the time!

From waht we were told this community cannot survive without visitors / people on retreat, how will they isolate the Bull?

Ooh Peachy I was hoping you would be along.

The fact that it's not a good place to keep a bull is interesting - I'd sort of imagined it living in a field alongside the temple, not in the temple itself.

Do sacred bulls taste nicer I wonder?

Sacred McBurger anyone?

LOL Rhubarb, not sure what the flowers would taste of.

Are they an optional extra?

Or is that the vegetarian choice whilst we all tuck into the sacred bull?

The nerews said it was being isolated in the temple

(Kathy did you know Id been there? LOL)

Tis a good bet for Welsh religious hideaways though. fab, love em all.

news

ooops

didnt the BUll eat the flowers iirc? The animals dont seem to appreciate it- the elephant wont ket them facepaint it either

Actually if you'd tasted their veggie offering (and I am not a veggie) you owuldnt want a MaccyD's- delicious

Peachy - I didn't know; it was your unique combination of religious knowledge and sweet reasonableness I was after.

Rhubarb - I imagine the flowers would be in the burger like you get a slice of tomato and some iceberg lettuce in a Big Mac.

LOL Kathy (I suspect I'd be more 'in' in MN territory were ai slightly less reasonable LOL)

Do you think the bull is looking a bit embarrassed about the flowers in the photo, then?

I suppose it must be a serious issue about elephants liking to live in groups because when I went to Colchester Zoo at Easter they had about 8 of them (used to be 2) - must be hugely expensive to keep.

yep i think that was part of the elephant issue (plus quite asmall pen from what I saw- and a tendency to facepaint it I guess!)

They're lovely poeple at Skanda Vale, they take in lots of animals that need it and are a genuine accepting religious community in the truest sense of the word (the reason that is is 'branded' as Hindu is because Hindu's can accept many forms of faith and God and often have eg Christ or Buddha as aprt of their worship- its as inclusive as they can get). But I don't know, we came away feeling the people who lived there were largely (certainly not all) a bit fragile, not societies most- whats the term- streetwise- if you know what I mean? I understand they want to save all animals and I applaud them for it, but sometimes you really do have to be cruel to be kind.

I had TB as a toddler in the late 60s. I was in hospital for about 11 months - much of it in isolation.

If there is any risk, however minimal, the bull should be destroyed.

There's some person in America isnt there (on the news) has been isolated at home for months and then found not to have TB after all- so it must be necessary still