Michael Sofio

Epstein, R. A. (1992, Dec 23). Rule of law: Testing the boundary between church and state. Wall Street Journal

I found this article on CATQuest while using the keywords “animal sacrifice” and “supreme court.” The article highlights the 1987 supreme court ruling in favor of the Santeria practitioners.

The Author compares the case to two other supreme court rulings that are related to a religious body’s legal rights. The first of those cases was that in California and was about a deaf student receiving tax dollars and that spending them on a religious institution was illegal and that decision was eventually overturned. The second case was about a school in New York showing a religious movie after school being shown and the school being a government entity establishing a religion by showing the movie. The case was also overturned. These cases that are of similar type to the case regarding animal cruelty shows the logic behind the law and why case decisions were made.

Cruz, R. Ted Winter 1994 article 17.1 Harvard Journal of Law and Public Policy Animal Sacrifice and Equal Protection Free Exercise: Church of the Lukumi Babaluaye

I found this article on Academic Search Premier while searching with the keywords “animal sacrifice” and “supreme court ruling.” The article drew my attention because it was in English, on the topic of animal sacrifice, and the author had a familiar name. the article was about the 1987 Supreme Court ruling. The artlicle breaks down the arguments on both sides and shows the evidence both posses. the article also possesses transcripts from the actual courtroom.

The Author doesn’t speak about his opinion on the ruling. However, Ted Cruz does generally take the side of any religious group especially if they are facing legal scrutiny. However, Senator Ted Cruz is a very conservative individual who is very Christian which generally would make me think he my not have a lot of knowledge of the Diasporic religions. However, Ted Cruz has Cuba heritage which makes me think he may know more about the religions that the class is studying than most people or is at least familiar with the concepts at hand in the court case.

Otero, Solimar, and Toyin Falola. Yemoja: Gender, Sexuality, and Creativity in the Latina/o and Afro-Atlantic Diasporas. Boston: New West Indian Guide, 2014.

Doctor Brennan suggested this book to me. The book is a catalog of information about the goddess Yemoja. The book first started in 2002 by the two authors to produce a volume that reflects an interest in exploring the international Yoruba deity Yemoja. The book highlights Yemoja in the many different nations and the differences between them. The book also speaks about understanding the aspects of race, gender, and sexuality that come with the goddess and how it is relevant to understanding not just the religion but also the culture. The book also explains the practices of worship of Yemoja and how they are important.

The Authors of the book wrote this book as a part of a series on the other deities that are very important in Yoruba culture including Shango, Ogun, and Osun. This book differs in that it is about Yemaya.