Easy to get down about religious dogmatists, especially the 7th century lot. (How exactly perverse to use fertiliser to make bombs.) So it’s consoling to come across an item like this in The Huffington Report.
“The central government should understand the need for green turtles as part of traditional ceremonies because it relates to our faith,” Sudiana said. “Prohibiting it will hurt Balinese people.”
Up to five turtles are needed for sacrifice at each of the 100 to 150 large ceremonies a year in Hindu temples around Bali, he said.
Turtles were traditionally decapitated. But since they became protected in 1999, ceremonies in many temples have changed with turtles being symbolically sacrificed through their release to the sea alive.
Go turtles.