Saturday, September 25, 2004
Hunting for crassness
For once I am almost lost for words. The sheer crassness of Tory Monmouth AM, David Davies, in comparing hunting with halal and kosher meat (during Yom Kippur as well) has left me struggling for an adequate response. Halal and kosher meat form part of long-standing religious practice, whereas hunting with dogs is a sport pursued for pleasure.
The idea that hunting could be considered part of a religion as this article suggests is absurd. The Free Church of Country Sports has as much relevance to religious faith as Karl Marx had to Conservatism. Organisers are apparently satisfied that 'those who take part in country sports are sufficiently culturally different to be considered a social group with an ethnic identity.' That is not the definition of a religion even with the ritual sacrifice. Most of them have no idea what an ethnic identity is.
The idea that hunting could be considered part of a religion as this article suggests is absurd. The Free Church of Country Sports has as much relevance to religious faith as Karl Marx had to Conservatism. Organisers are apparently satisfied that 'those who take part in country sports are sufficiently culturally different to be considered a social group with an ethnic identity.' That is not the definition of a religion even with the ritual sacrifice. Most of them have no idea what an ethnic identity is.
