www.byzcath.org Forums General Discussions Town Hall We May Want To Hold Off On Flying This Airline!

http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSEIC47086020070905

Airline sacrifices goats to appease sky god
Wed Sep 5, 2007 2:22AM EDT

KATHMANDU (Reuters) - Officials at Nepal's state-run airline have sacrificed two goats to appease Akash Bhairab, the Hindu sky god, following technical problems with one of its Boeing 757 aircraft, the carrier said Tuesday.

Nepal Airlines, which has two Boeing aircraft, has had to suspend some services in recent weeks due the problem.

The goats were sacrificed in front of the troublesome aircraft Sunday at Nepal's only international airport in Kathmandu in accordance with Hindu traditions, an official said.

"The snag in the plane has now been fixed and the aircraft has resumed its flights," said Raju K.C., a senior airline official, without explaining what the problem had been.

Local media last week blamed the company's woes on an electrical fault. The carrier runs international flights to five cities in Asia.

It is common in Nepal to sacrifice animals like goats and buffaloes to appease different Hindu deities.

Were these goats at least offered to the the passengers as a compensation? If not - truly, we have to stop using this company.

But, if the passengers were given the goats as compensation, we may be getting into the area of eating of animals sacrificed to idols.

I was going to say:

I've had bad airline food, but...!

Gordo

Goat is lean and very tasty - its the sacrificing part I don't like. Lamb is definitely better...

ACTUALLY, I should have said, I've heard of BAAAAD airline food, but...!

I'm sure it tastes like chicken. But I'll have lamb any day!

One dish I refuse to try is dog. Fortunately, the Japanese do not seem to have developed a taste for dog. But my brother has eaten it at a Korean wedding he attended.

Gordo

Dear Gordo,

On behalf of Murf, I must register a severe protest against your brother eating dog! RARF! RARF!

For myself, I shall firmly boycott Nepal Airlines - and Nepal itself, for good measure. I have known a couple of people who visited Katmandu (on separate occasions - one was teaching and the other was trekking).

Fr. Serge

I have had the thought cross my mind before that some societies and cultures may be backward because they deserve it. Is it true that God keeps some peoples and nations in ignorance as a punishment? I have heard and read that before.

Tempting though the thought is, I would seriously hesitate before attributing such motives to Almighty God. But it has certainly been said before.

Fr. Serge