Why Shambo has to die
Radford Mann Thu Jul 26, 2007 at 10:49:36 AM GMT 
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The controversy surrounding Shambo, the TB reactor bullock in the multi-faith Skanda Vale religious community raises a number of serious points including the public's willingness to get gooey over an individual (think Phoenix the calf during FMD for example), but to ignore collective suffering. However, an examination of the arguments must lead one to the conclusion that Shambo must die.
OK, so why must Shambo die? Briefly,
1. We operate under a system in which everyone lives under the law and the law applies, or should apply, equally to all. Whatever the inadequacies of the laws on TB, it does say that an animal that reacts to the TB test must be slaughtered. Therefore Shambo must be killed as he is a reactor animal.
2. To allow exemptions from the law on religious grounds is to conceed that religious doctrine trumps secular law. This may be permissable in a society with a single faith to which almost all citizens subscribe, but in a multi-faith or secular society this is dangerous. If an exemption to the law passed in persuit of the common good is permitted for one faith group, then surely it would be inconsistent to deny the exemption to another faith group in the case of another law. To argue that this law is 'minor' opens up the question of which other laws are minor, a highly subjective exercise. In short, where ought the line be drawn on the question of which laws is society prepared to permit a religious exemption. Note that this is completely different to denying people of faith the freedom to practice their religion in public and without persecution.
3. Cattle are herd animals. It is, therefore, unreasonable for one animal to be kept in isolation for the rest of its days. The animal is incapable of understanding that this isolation is in its own interests.
1. We operate under a system in which everyone lives under the law and the law applies, or should apply, equally to all. Whatever the inadequacies of the laws on TB, it does say that an animal that reacts to the TB test must be slaughtered. Therefore Shambo must be killed as he is a reactor animal.
2. To allow exemptions from the law on religious grounds is to conceed that religious doctrine trumps secular law. This may be permissable in a society with a single faith to which almost all citizens subscribe, but in a multi-faith or secular society this is dangerous. If an exemption to the law passed in persuit of the common good is permitted for one faith group, then surely it would be inconsistent to deny the exemption to another faith group in the case of another law. To argue that this law is 'minor' opens up the question of which other laws are minor, a highly subjective exercise. In short, where ought the line be drawn on the question of which laws is society prepared to permit a religious exemption. Note that this is completely different to denying people of faith the freedom to practice their religion in public and without persecution.
3. Cattle are herd animals. It is, therefore, unreasonable for one animal to be kept in isolation for the rest of its days. The animal is incapable of understanding that this isolation is in its own interests.
So, it seems to me that Shambo must die. However, if this case were to highlight the need to develop better tests for bTB and to encourage the development of a vaccine against the disease then this would be to the good and future cases of this sort might be prevented.
Why Shambo has to die | 6 comments (6 topical)
Why Shambo has to die | 6 comments (6 topical)
