The current extremist Islamist killings are just one contemporary example of religion in war and killing. Participants pray solemnly every day and then go out to kill in the name of their god, just like Catholics and Protestants once did.
But one of the worst forms of slaughter related to religion is that of animals.
The biggest slaughter in the world is the month-long Gadhimai Hindu festival held every five years in NEPAL
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It involves the world's largest sacrifice of animals - about 500,000 including buffaloes,pigs, goats, chickens and pigeons - even mice.
All this to please Gadhimai, the goddess of power to bring prosperity and end evil.
End evil?
Some five million people from Indian states attend because animal sacrifice is banned in their states.
But not in Nepal - the birthplace of the Buddha.
This disgusting and shameful mass murder of animals is done by crazed men with swords who behead buffaloes while the animals are fully conscious, first cutting the tendons in their legs.
But not in Nepal - the birthplace of the Buddha.
Many thousands of animals are kept in pens and watch in fear as each is hacked to death. It is a nightmare of fear, stress, the stench of blood and screams of terror and pain.
This is religious? This is holy? This is right? This will get rid of evil? What nonsense people believe.
For killing fellow beings they are creating terribly bad karma for themselves. It is also a disgrace to humanity and the world we live in.
The next of these mass animal massacres is being held in November this year. The Nepal government is actually financing the event.
Personally I do not want to be part of a world that tolerates such animal cruelty. I will do what I can to protest and believe that even those people who eat meat would not want such cruelty.
Let all decent and compassionate people make a protest against this horror.
