Why do some Catholic countries still practice barbaric bull-fighting?

[blackbird]

Spain still practices bull fighting.  Bull fighting is a barbaric cruel practice.  That should be obvious.

Columbia is finally trying to ban it but is up against a lot of resistance.

Colombian bullfighters decry new ban on the centuries-old tradition and vow to keep it alive (msn.com)

"Bull fighting in Spain has been at the heart of culture for centuries. From the prehistoric bull worship and sacrifice to the modern bullfights, this is probably one of the best-known popular customs around the world.

If you’re interested in the current season, check the official dates of Madrid, Seville and Pamplona.

Are you planning to attend one? Make sure to get your tickets well in advance!

Bullfights are considered one of the symbols of the Hispanic culture. They are not only organized in Spain but also in Portugal, France and part of Latin America, where some customs may vary. However, Spain has the longest season and it is the country in which most of the bullfights take place.

Prehistoric bull worship and sacrifice took place in Mesopotamia and the Mediterranean region. As a matter of fact, bulls started to play an important role in religious ceremonies.

Bull fighting in Spain started when Iberian tribes organized events where humans confronted bulls.

Then, Greeks introduced fights against bulls as a spectacle.

Proof of this is a fresco dating from about 2000 BC that was discovered at a location called Knossos, in Crete (Greece). Knossos is the largest Bronze Age archaeological site on Crete and has been called Europe’s oldest city. The fresco shows male and female acrobats confronting a bull, grabbing its horns as it charges and vaulting over its back.

Later on public fights between animals and men were common-place in Ancient Rome. And as you can imagine, they spread to the Iberian Peninsula through the expansion of the Roman Empire.

A history of bull fighting in Spain

The powerful Almohad caliphs who ruled Andalucía in the 12th century apparently enjoyed the spectacle.

And so did Alfonso VII de León y Castilla (1105-1157), who is said to have put on bullfights to celebrate his wedding to Berengaria de Barcelona in 1128.

In the Middle Age the bull simply was released into a town or village square, in which the aristocrat (acting as the matador) would then fight the animal from horseback with a long lance.

In these medieval bullfights there were often individuals who were in charge of finishing off the animal and who were called matatoros (killers of bulls). In the north of Spain, this profession became very well paid and esteemed, and some monarchs even hired them for their festivities.   unquote

A brief history of bull fighting in Spain (spain-traveller.com)

Why is this barbaric practice such a big thing in Catholic countries?  Does it have something to do with religious beliefs?  Or do the beliefs simply not discourage or condemn it?  We know the Spanish Inquisition in the middle ages was a particularly cruel part of history that was ordered by the RCC clergy and the leaders of Spain.  A search engine will lead to articles describing the Holy Roman Inquisition.

Edited July 23, 2024 by blackbird

[eyeball]

On 7/23/2024 at 8:13 AM, blackbird said:

Does it have something to do with religious beliefs? 

Didn't God tell people to have dominion over animals, especially cattle?

Was that a command or just a suggestion?

[Nationalist]

The wife and I once spent a vacation in South Spain. She got a terrible sunburn the first week. So one day, while she hid in our room, I went to a bar that was joined to the inn we were at. Bull fights were on TV and the owner asked to join me to practice English.

I explained I'd never seen the spectacle before, so he explained the proceedings. Once I realized what was going on I exclaimed, "That's not a sport! That's common butchery!"

The bar owner said, "Dis our national sport."

I replied, "You wanna see a sport with bulls, go visit where I come from. There they tie a rope around the bull's balls and jump on its back."

The guy looked aghast and asked, "Where are you from?"

"Calgary, Alberta, Canada."

He treated me to Payeya and we watched the butchery continue...

[August1991]

In the Philippines, they raise male chickens (roosters) specifically for public fights.

Edited August 17, 2024 by August1991