{"id":1635,"date":"2026-06-27T18:58:59","date_gmt":"2026-06-27T18:58:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ivanigreppi.com\/?p=1635"},"modified":"2026-06-27T19:04:07","modified_gmt":"2026-06-27T19:04:07","slug":"santeria-animal-sacrifice-and-the-constitution-part-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ivanigreppi.com\/index.php\/2026\/06\/27\/santeria-animal-sacrifice-and-the-constitution-part-1\/","title":{"rendered":"Santeria, Animal Sacrifice, and the Constitution \u2013 Part 1"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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by Ivani Greppi<\/a> | Jan 23, 2025 | #Blacklivesmatter<\/a>, #BLM<\/a>, mysticism<\/a>, Occult<\/a>, Occultism<\/a>, Paganism<\/a>, Roman Catholicism<\/a>, Sacrifice<\/a>, Santeria<\/a>, Spiritism<\/a>, Voodoo<\/a>, Yoruba<\/a> <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

https:\/\/midwestoutreach.org\/2025\/01\/23\/santeria-animal-sacrifice-and-the-constitution-part-1\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was common in Brazil, where I lived as a child, to see animal sacrifices in our neighborhood crossroads. As much as we tried not to look, we inadvertently found ourselves staring in fear and disgust at the splattered blood, melted candles, libation, and cigar offerings set before us. Practitioners of the Afro-Brazilian Yoruba religions mostly sacrificed chickens to appeal to or appease the spirits, but occasionally, other animals, such as cats and dogs, were used. Other places for sacrificial ceremonies were at cemeteries, the beach, in the woods, or near waterfalls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although many African diaspora religions are practiced here in the United States, Santer\u00eda is growing rapidly in urban America, according to an article in the Christian Research Institute<\/em><\/a>.<\/em> It\u2019s commonly believed that between 75 to 100 million people practice Santer\u00eda around the world per the website About Santeria<\/em><\/a>. Throughout the years, both Santer\u00eda and Palo Mayombe<\/a> have made headline news in connection to legal and criminal cases in this country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Santeros [Santer\u00eda practitioners] now number about 100,000 in South Florida and 1 million nationwide, says anthropologist Rafael Martinez, who has worked with the Dade County (Miami) Medical Examiner\u2019s Office investigating crime scenes linked to Afro-Caribbean religions.1<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is Santeria?2<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Santer\u00eda, also known as La Regla Lukum\u00ed or Regla de Ocha, an Afro-Caribbean spiritual practice from Cuba and practiced all over the world, arrived in the US via Cuban immigrants. Similar to Haitian Voodoo, Brazilian Candombl\u00e9, Umbanda, and Quimbanda, Santer\u00eda is a syncretic belief system between West African Yoruba religion, Roman Catholicism, and Spiritism. Spirit deities known in Spanish as Orichas (Orishas in Yoruban), which are associated with Roman Catholic Saints, are worshiped. Olodumare is the supreme creator god of Santer\u00eda. The energy power from this god is known as Ash\u00e9 or as\u00e9, pronounced \u201cashay.\u201d Santer\u00eda translates to \u201cway of the saints,\u201d but Regla de Ocha, meaning \u201cthe rule of the orishas,\u201d is considered Santer\u00eda\u2019s official name. La Regla Lukum\u00ed translates to \u201cthe order of Lukum\u00ed. Lukim\u00ed is a Yoruba greeting meaning \u201cmy friend.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Worship in Santeria<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The syncretic beliefs of Santer\u00eda with Roman Catholic saint worship stem from the African diaspora throughout the Americas and Caribbean.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Born of a marriage of Roman Catholicism and religions practiced by West African slaves brought to the Caribbean, Santeria has evolved into a distinct faith. Slaves prayed to their gods from the Yoruba culture in what is now Nigeria but adopted Roman Catholic saints as equivalents to appease their masters bent on converting them\u2026 The saint worship that developed in Santeria centers on\u2026deities with responsibility for various forces in nature.3<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n

 In summary, followers of Santer\u00eda believe in one creator god, worship orisha deities syncretized with Roman Catholic Saints, and put great emphasis on ancestor worship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reverence for one\u2019s ancestors is fundamental to the Santer\u00eda religion and before every ceremony, libation and prayers to the ancestors are carried out. It is important to know and mention by name the members of one\u2019s family that have passed to the realm of the ancestors.4<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rituals of Santeria<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dancing, playing drums, and spirit possession known as \u201cmounting\u201d are rituals that usually take place in a hall or private home. Statues of saints or orix\u00e1s are displayed in altars with candles, flowers, and other offerings. Divination is also performed by a trained priest called Babalawo who interprets palm nuts that reveal orishas\u2019 messages. Animal sacrifice is an important ritual in Santer\u00eda. Sacrifices are used during priest initiations, marriages, births, deaths, and for healing ceremonies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The animals are killed by cutting the carotid arteries with a single knife stroke in a similar way to other religious methods of slaughter. Animals are cooked and eaten following all Santeria rituals (except healing and death rites, where the sickness is believed to pass into the dead animal). Eating the sacrificed animal is considered a sharing with the Orisha, who only consumes the animal\u2019s blood, while the worshippers eat the meat. Sacrificial animals include chickens (the most common), pigeons, doves, ducks, guinea pigs, goats, sheep, and turtles.5<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Legal Matters in Santeria<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 1987, after announcing plans to open The Church of the Lukumi Babalu Aye in Hialeah, Florida, the city council passed ordinances banning animal sacrifices. Citing concerns for animal cruelty, including health risks, housing, slaughtering, and disposal of animals at the church\u2019s location that was not zoned for these practices. The city estimated that approximately 10,000 animals were sacrificed in these ceremonies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The church filed suit, and the federal district court ruled for the city. However, in 1993, the Supreme Court unanimously reversed this ruling, stating that the city of Hialeah targeted, and sought to suppress a religious practice: Church of the Lukumi Babalu Aye v. City of Hialeah, <\/em>508 U.S. 520 (1993)<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Tampa Bay Times <\/em>reported in 2019 that a woman was shocked to find three headless chickens outside a cemetery gate. The chicken heads lay beside the carcasses with the legs wrapped in ribbons. The article titled \u201cSanter\u00eda or Voodoo, They\u2019re Used to Headless Chickens at Tampa Cemetery<\/a>,\u201d included the following subtitle: \u201cAnimal sacrifice for religious purposes is a protected right, but leaving carcasses behind is not.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tori Lockler, professor of religious studies at the University of South Florida stated in the article:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When people think of the dark side, they are thinking of the pop culture version of these traditions. In reality, they are asking for help.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lockler explained that by offering blood or energy from the animal, it is believed that the animal is taking on the illness of that individual.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

John Ra\u00f1on also stated in this article that sacrifices were seen at the cemetery intermittently every few months. He added that the chickens were usually left at the gate but sometimes were found on graves. The article explains that when Santer\u00eda practitioners bring sacrifices to the cemetery, they deliver them to a grave to ask for the ancestor\u2019s help.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to Florida statute, \u201cIt is unlawful to dispose of the carcass of any domestic animal by dumping such carcass on any public road or right-of-way, or in any place where such carcass can be devoured by beast or bird.\u201d The state considers all poultry to be domestic animals. The infraction is a second-degree misdemeanor, punishable by up to 60 days in jail, six months\u2019 probation, and\/or a $500 fine.6<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The New York Post<\/em> article, \u201cAnimal sacrifices on the rise in Queens with chickens, pigs being tortured in \u2018twisted\u2019 rituals<\/a>,\u201d reported in September of 2024 that in a little over a month, at least nine wounded animals or carcasses were recovered from Howard Beach and the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge. Even though the article suggests that the animals tortured or killed were linked to Hindu devotees who worship the goddess Kali, Santer\u00eda and Voodoo were also mentioned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Followers of other religions whose rituals involve animal sacrifice, such as Santeria and Voodoo, also have been known to use beaches and parks surrounding Jamaica Bay to carry out bloody rites. The US Supreme Court upheld the right to animal sacrifice on religious grounds in a 1993 ruling. Under New York State law, however, aggravated cruelty to animals, meanwhile is a felony punishable by up to two years in prison.7<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Santeria in Culture<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beyonce, Jay Z, Chaka Khan, and Jennifer Lopez are just a few names on the ever-growing list of celebrities who practice African diaspora religions. The BLM movement is a social justice movement, but first and foremost, it is a spiritual movement according to Melina Abdullah, co-founder of BLM-LA.  Patrice Cullors, co-founder of BLM, and other BLM activists openly practice If\u00e1, the Yoruba faith system that is the root of all African diaspora religions. The orix\u00e1 gods of If\u00e1 are worshiped in all Afro-American and Afro-Caribbean religions. When they chant, \u201cSay their name,\u201d during protests, they are performing a ritual by calling on the name of the dead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGeorge Floyd. As\u00e9<\/em>. Philandro Castille. As\u00e9<\/em>. Andrew Joseph. As\u00e9<\/em>. Michael Brown. As\u00e9<\/em>\u2026As each name was recited, Dr. Abdullah poured libations on the ground as the group of over 100 chanted \u201cAs\u00e9<\/em>,\u201d a Yoruba term often used by practitioners of Ifa, a faith and divination system that originated in West Africa, in return. This ritual, Dr. Abdullah explained, is a form of worship.8<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many Christian leaders have no idea how spiritually dangerous these occult beliefs are. Without understanding how these religions operate, how will Christians be prepared to fight against the dark forces behind these practices? Most importantly, how can we reach African diaspora believers for Christ if we don\u2019t know what they worship and what they put their faith in? The Bible teaches us that only God and Satan have spiritual powers. What powers are Santer\u00eda believers putting their trust in?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When someone tells you to consult mediums and spiritists, who whisper and mutter, should not a people inquire of their God? Why consult the dead on behalf of the living?<\/em> (Isaiah 8:19)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Palo Mayombe, another African diaspora religion that originated in Cuba and is commonly practiced in America, will be discussed in Part II of this article.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ivani Greppi was introduced to the Umbanda (Yoruba-based) religion in Brazil at the age of fourteen. She was considered a medium from birth due to her psychic \u201cgifts\u201d of seeing the spirit world from early childhood. In 1997, she found deliverance and salvation in Jesus Christ. Her testimony, From Spirit Guides to the Holy Spirit<\/em> is available in English and Portuguese on her website: Ivani Greppi<\/a>. Drawing from her personal experiences, she wrote Cast Out: Chronicles of a Familiar Spirit<\/em>, a Fiction\/Christian\/Historical novel that delves into Ivani\u2019s and her ancestors\u2019 spiritual journeys, spanning one hundred years across three continents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00a9 2025, Midwest Christian Outreach, Inc.<\/a> All rights reserved. Excerpts and links may be used if full and clear credit is given with specific direction to the original content.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

by Ivani Greppi | Jan 23, 2025 | #Blacklivesmatter, #BLM, mysticism, Occult, Occultism, Paganism, Roman Catholicism, Sacrifice, Santeria, Spiritism, Voodoo, Yoruba https:\/\/midwestoutreach.org\/2025\/01\/23\/santeria-animal-sacrifice-and-the-constitution-part-1\/ It was common in Brazil, where I lived as a child, to see animal sacrifices in our neighborhood crossroads. As much as we tried not to look, we inadvertently found ourselves staring in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[294,255,211,271,270,36,166,191,291,293,260,292,285],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ivanigreppi.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1635"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ivanigreppi.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ivanigreppi.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ivanigreppi.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ivanigreppi.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1635"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.ivanigreppi.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1635\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1639,"href":"https:\/\/www.ivanigreppi.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1635\/revisions\/1639"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ivanigreppi.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1635"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ivanigreppi.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1635"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ivanigreppi.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1635"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}