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Los Angeles County Coroner’s officials on Sunday were examining a human skull and bones found at a burned makeshift backyard altar at the home of a woman who police said practices Santería.
The discovery was made Sunday before 1 p.m. when the Pasadena Police Department responded to a report of a possible trespasser in the 800 block of North Oakland Avenue, police said.
"Having human bones is a little disconcerting," said Pasadena Lt. Ed Calatayud. "We respect everyone's religious right to practice. Our focus is on the bones."
Calatayud said it is not always illegal to have human bones. He said those who study bones for science, for example, can have them legally.
The case was uncovered when police found what appeared to be a makeshift altar, adorned with burned artifacts, animal bones, incense and candles, police said.
Read more from NBCLosAngeles.com
Investigators and the personnel from the coroner's office responded to the home to collect the items for further analysis, police said.
Santería is a syncretic religion of West African and Caribbean origin influenced by Roman Catholic Christianity.
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Regardless of where they came from, it's sad and gross. Somewhere, that was someone's family member.
The bones might have been from an ancestor.
Lots of people keep the ashes of families in their homes.
Slow down, don't jump to conclusions.
Weird looking alter. Bet it was a big hit on Holloween. They were looking for a trespasser. A live one or a dead one.
You're right, maninjapan, they could be the bones of an ancestor, but even if not, still legally obtained, as the article states. Human bones can be purchased online from some sources. Some might find it morbid to have a skull in plain sight, but in some cultures and religions, death-related symbols and imagery are used as tools for conquering the fear of death, whether that "death" is a physical one or a spiritual one. Tibetan paintings for example often show deities dancing while wearing crowns made of skulls and drinking from a cup made from a skull. Real skull cups called kapalas are used in some Tibetan Buddhist rituals, as are horns made from thigh bones called kanglings. None of these are bones that were stolen from graves. People assume that the existence of a skull on an altar = "murder" or grave desecration, but that need not be the case.
I wonder if that alter raised her property taxes. Like home improvement.
I would bet that in her neighborhood, property taxes are probably about three bucks, due to the deterioration of the neighborhood caused by people like idiots like her. Just another stupid religion for stupid people.
The toe bone connected to the heel bone,
The heel bone connected to the foot bone,
The foot bone connected to the leg bone,
The leg bone connected to the knee bone,
The knee bone connected to the thigh bone,
The thigh bone connected to the back bone,
The back bone connected to the neck bone,
The neck bone connected to the head bone,
Oh, hear the word of the Lord!
Dem bones, dem bones gonna walk aroun'
Dem bones, dem bones, gonna walk aroun'
Dem bones, dem bones, gonna walk aroun'
Oh, hear the word of the Lord.
Imagine no religion ......
John Lennon
very well said
There will never be a world without religion. Not because there is [or is not] a God, but because a great many people would find it to frightening to imagine a world without some cosmic protector, to whom they can pray and from whom they can hope for protection.
That said, this is one weird story.
If she legally owns the bones, I hope she gets them back and can continue her religious beliefs. Bones are bones. The person who they resided in is long dead. While keeping human skeletal remains for an altar is not part of my culture, I will respect her culture and accept it assuming it is done legally. Whatever happens, I hope it happens quickly so a resolution can be made for all involved.
How about freedom of religion?
Personally i beleive religion goes along with human nature. Our need to feel supererior than others just like christianity those that are bad get the worst thing possible eternal pain. But the good ones get eternal bliss so to speak and in the end we are better than the ones in hell.
Primitive, like eating the body of a dead man and drinking his blood? Like worshiping a body hanging from a cross?
first impression,
You beat me to it!
Does she have ties to the Skull and Bones secret society at Yale (the one that the Bush family belongs to)?
My college theater had a real human skull in the prop department. For the plays "Hamlet," "You Can't Take It With You" (where it's used as a candy dish), and a few others. Lots of college theater departments have such, donated from alumni who wanted to be on stage forever, while other donate their bodies to science. I found three skeletons in a closet in the biology lab; they were just hanging around.
Imagine a world without hope, without real purpose, where nothing you do matters, where you don't matter. Sounds like a wonderfully dreary place full of selfish, depressed, psychotic and violent people who don't care and don't need to care about anything. Why should they? There are no consequences for actions - no right or wrong. No need for morality.
Your life is not an accident. It has meaning and purpose. Bypass the controlled, corporate religious apparatus and go directly to God. There is hope and meaning for you.
God is in no way required to live a purposeful or meaningful life. I am not selfish, depressed, psychotic, or violent. I am a productive member of society that doesn't believe in the invisible man. If a god is required for you to not be any of those things you listed, that says far more about you than any atheist.
Police had stated; " Practicing your religious freedom is ok, but possessing "large capacity" sculls of any type in California is highly illegal."
Exactly, Rigsonn.
Chuck W,
My husband and I donate to food pantries, given homeless food at their camps, rescue animals, and on more than one occasion, have taken elderly strangers home, when they have been waiting in cold and snow for buses. If you have to have a god to do those things, does that make you more moral than me? No, absolutely not. I do not need the fear of hell, or the promise of heaven to do the right thing. If you need those things to help people, what does that say about your character? It says that you want compensation in return. Nothing "godly" about that.
I wonder if she popped a cap in Sancho.
Religion, the scourge of the human race.
.
Creeepy and spooky
Yes, but what would the crazy people do if it weren't for religion?
They'd go to Newsvine and post comments about crazy people and religion?
TOUCHE Hans!!!!
Wow... what a relief. When I saw the headline I thought they found the body of Dr. McCoy from Star Trek.
Crusaders made sure there were plenty of human bones left in the desert - that was really creepy...
Religion should be banned, its brain washing. I realize we cant make people disbelieve, but we should prevent zealots from spreading it to other people. They target kids for that purpose. And its often passed parent to child. That should be stopped.
We don't need fairy tales to teach morals. And the negatives far out weight any positives.
Religious people feel the same about atheists. I personally feel the same way about sports.
We've tried the "ban religion" thing and the political/ideological entities that did the banning ALSO did bad things to people, including brainwashing. Religion can do much that is good. The problem is religious nut cases AND atheist nut cases who try to shove their beliefs into people's faces. Look for the good in all people. It's there.
So you've delved deeply into every religion there is and are an expert on all of them. You've personally spoken to all people with varying relgious leanings from all races, cultures etc.. and have degrees in psychology etc.. that allow you to be an authroity on these peoples beliefs???? I think NOT and I think your a hypocrite!!!! Who are you to judge anyones p ersonal beliefs??? What's more, why in the hell do you feel the need to???? Personal insecurity??? Have to hate on others to feel good about yourself??? You should have multiple sit downs with a good shrink to find out just what your problem really is!!!!!
I like your answer Zheng He
You're a special kind of stupid aren't you.
Oh, so because you think religion is a fairy tale, that makes it so, MoreJustice???
Let's bane Religion? Ok let's bane your freedom of speach too! Stupid lib's Want to bane everything and be safe in there own imagineary world where king Obama tell's you what you can and can't do, what you can and can't have! Dumba#$!
'More Justice' sounds exactly like the Taliban, except for having different goals. Mind control is mind control whatever its motive.
In the US we have the freedom to believe or not believe. Let's keep it that way.
Del...123, it's Liberals who bring liberties. The Founding Fathers were the biggest Libertarians on the planet. They were raging revolutionaries. Look it up. The 'Dumb#$', as you so delicately put it, is in your mirror. Take a peek, you'll find it there looking back at you.
Banning religion as a means of dealing with zealots is a bit extreme, don't you think? LKet people choose if they want to believe in a religion and which religion that will be. Banning religion, no, zealots will just go underground.
if it was a Democrats skull who cares.
I guess she practiced Santeria and had a crystal ball. I doubt she had a million dollars but I'm sure she would have spent it all.
lol good one dollyLlama82!!! that made me lol
This is terrible! It's gross and disgusting!
Now please let me chew on Jesus' flesh and wash it down with a gulp of his blood. Sigh....that's better.
lol
Those wacky Catholics!
People making fun of others religious beliefs, probably drool and slobber and do weird arm waving and chanting during sports events and watching professional athletes, and think they are the only ones normal.
Nope, we just ridicule religious beliefs. If you can't stand the ridicule, get yourself a deity who's man enough to stand up to it. Stupid religious crybabies.
What do you watch on Sunday, the Lucy Ball marathon.
altar...those are gang implements , take another look at them, not Christianity, they are icons supposed to protect drug dealers.The lady probably forgot to move the bones after a ritual and is claiming someone else left them.
We try and be calm and helpful about religion in general, but the facts are it is and has been the no. 1 reason for deaths on this world. From the Crusades, up to the religious wars we have today, millions have died in the name of religion, and its clear that the velots are many times the religious leaders themselves. If you believe in a religion that preaches peace and harmony with others, then thats great, but if it talks of spreading your religion 'one the edge of the sword' or something similar, then your just as barbaric as people who believe in human sacrifice, and the sacrifice of virgins, only more organized.Religion can be a good thing, but in many sad cases today, its not, defrock those velots and then when they have nothing to hide behind, maybe they get thrown in prison after doing some unspeakable act, without their religion to hide behind, the world will be a better place for it.
Number 1 reason for deaths? I'm an atheist and this is a little too much hyperbole for me.
IMHO, I think he means deaths in the name of religion.
Stalin, Mao, Pol Pot. All three atheists. All imposed their values on others, including torturing and killing people of faith, including Christians, Jews, Muslims, and Buddhists.
Why is it atheist trolls think they can convert the religious people? Every time there's the least hint of religion in an article they come out blazing against religion. Whom do they believe they will convert? No one will fall to their logical denials and bitter anger. Religion is faith-based. They haven't a chance of changing anyone's mind with their rants, no more than the religious trolls will convert anyone to their religions with their religious rants. It's a sad and futile struggle on both sides.
And so the 'war' continues 'sad and futile' . . .
True, but I still see a difference between the Inquisition and the War of Roses. One is driven by the desire for conquest, and the other is driven by sheer religious zealotism. They were both conflicts by christians, but only one was a religious conflict.
Nobody has waged a war or tortured people in the name of athiesm. Just like I don't consider every death in WWI to be a casualty of religion, despite all the leaders being christian.
Santeria is not inspired by Roman Catholic beliefs or practices.It is a religion from Africa that is a practiced by those who refuse the Christian faith.Their idols were to be made of certain wood from sacred forests.Since this was impossiable they subsitute symbols found in Christian art and invoke their gods by their names.The statues shown in the picture of this report are of the Mexican god of death;
that's exactly what I thought. I thought Santeria had statues of the Virgin Mary and was rooted in Christianity? This is the Mexican "up and coming" religion that worships the saint of the dead Santa Muerte, or Skeleton Saint
And the Catholic apologist's try to spin away another issue.
They sure get lots of practice, don' t they?
On the plus side, she's not out blowing up people in the name of Allah.
Yeah, but she wouldn't think twice to stick that barrel straight down Sancho's throat. Believe me when I say she's got something for his punk ass.
Religion and mental illness seem to go hand in hand.
Oh, based on what???? What is up with the current overzealous hate for religon and an the misinformed belief that all people with faith who practice and morally and ethically decent lives and do their level best to be good and responsible people, parents, children, siblings, relatives of all sorts and good friends to all around them??? No, good morals and values do NOT have to be all about religion but the fact is that is exactly what they are based on.
How about you just live and let live, mind your own business and keep your act up appropriately before casting stones at others????
skrewd:
Great suggestion, but lots of luck with it! It's so much fun to dictate to others that they should/MUST do and think exactly as you do - no fun at all to live and let live. It seems to be one of the twists that make the difference between animals and humans - the need to organizie (good) which obviously extends into organize people to do what WE want done (not good!)
Religious person: "What's up with all the people telling other people what they should or shouldn't do? That's just darn right unfair!"
Why do you care, Screwd? Oh, yeah, you're just another religious whiner. You're not even following your own whiny advice of live and let live. Problem is, the religious won't ever live and let live. They always have an agenda energized by the insanity of religion, ranging from knocking on my door and proselytizing to homicide bombing sixty people in a market. If your deity isn't big and powerful enough (you know, like the Wizard of Oz) get one that is. If you're threatened by Beverly's comment, well, you just have weak faith. See? Just like in religion, it's always all your fault.
I'm not "threatened" by anybodys' comment nor am I a "religious whiner". Seems to me your the one doing the "whining" over my opinions due to the fact that they differ from yours!!!! I pity you bud. You sound like an insecure, sad, lonely person with nothing better to do then get on the internet and attack other people who disagree with you. Good luck to you in life pray hard. You'll likely need it.
It's der furer!
fairy tales can come true, it can happen to you...if you go the church;-)
Dem bones dem bones dem ... dry bones
To say that this "syncretic religion" is influenced by Catholic Christainity I believe is absurd. Now I'd believe that their practice is ancient cult that has been practiced in west African and Cuban folklore, but that's a culture and definately not in Catholicism.
Sorry, Colorado, no matter how much you want it to not be influenced by Catholicism, it is. All indigenous religions were influenced by the Catholic missionaries when they came to convert or burn and spread disease.
Who gave you the right to desecrate a sacred grave of this family? Again, the American way - we tolerate all other religions, beliefs, cultural heritage, sexual preference, political affiliation - as long as they are in line with exactly what we believe. How sad for the family, my apologies.
Wow, dude, go to therapy. You've taken your victim identification and political correctness just a bit too far.
I'm an atheist, but an atheist talking bad about religion is like showing how much you are over your ex-girlfriend and how you've moved on by telling everyone what a **** she is.
I'm a atheist, and it's more like avoiding the crazy girl friend in the first place.
So, what's your point? Telling us that you're an atheist? Sounds like you're not really over your religion. Or, are you just one of those angst-ridden, politically correct "atheists" who likes to go around respecting religion to show everyone how sanctimonious you are? You know, just askin'?
Pray Hard, my point is that atheists should shut the f*** up about religion just like religious nuts should shut the f*** up about atheism. Your religious views are not a free opportunity for the exception that someone will care what your dumb *** has to say. And considering respect for others as sanctimonious; that sound like the result of some good parenting there.
IMHO,
That's nice, but I'm hoping you didn't write that in the context of being any kind of relevant rebuttal to what I said, considering that I was referring to atheists talking about religion, not atheism itself.
Oh sheesh, pray hard. Where did you get your degree??? What exactly qualifies you to analyze anyone elses motivations like you know your opinion to be correct and complete fact??? Do you have any opinions to express or ideas/beliefs to share WITHOUT personally attempting to attack others with differing opinions??? On second thought don't bother responding to the questions as I get the feeling all you got is snarky smart ass responses rather than any enlightening remarks. Or, prove me wrong???
Weak people need religion.
Couldn't have said it better myself.
As someone else mentioned, this is probably Santa Muerte.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lady_Sebastienne
Contrast to
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santer%C3%ADa
Who cares? Superstition is superstition. However, when it involves the blood sacrifice of living beings in today's world, it needs to be found out and exterminated. And, it isn't always just chickens.
Who said she sacrificed a person? What because she has bones? Like she could not have gotten them from a previously dead person?
Arizona and Pray hard- so in your opinion people that need religion or have faith in a higher power are weak?? You believe in nothing at all and that makes you strong??? Do either of you have family or friends that have some type of religious beliefs or faith??? IF so do you just keep your mouth shut and not attack them when they are around or do you just cut those people out of your life??? Do you find your worlds getting smaller and smaller all the time as you exit people from your lives that disagree with you??? Do you believe in the 1st amendment??? Does it only apply to your rights to speak or express your opinions or beliefs??? Every single person that disagrees with you in this world have to be a zealot, a nut job, crazy etc..??? Having faith in nothing is still a form of faith. So doesn't that make you basically the same as everyone your slamming to a degree????
I bet she's popular with the neighborhood kids on Halloween.
...
Are we surprised??
Catholics believe that communion is the body qnd blood of christ.
One more reason that religion should be illegal in this country.
.
Biden in 2016.
...
Biden believes Karl Marx and Fidel Castro had it right and Thomas jefferson and Adam Smith had it, wrong so I wouldn't blow my bugle on how smart I think I am.
Oh noes, nothing new here, some whiny religious person might mark your comment as "inflammatory" 'cause you hurt their poor little feelings. Can we have a big f*ck*ng boo hoo for the religious whiners? Aaaaaaaauuuuhmeeeeeiiiiihn!
Come now, you honestly believe that catholics literally believe that the bread and wine is the body and blood of christ????? That is completely ridiculous!!!!
"In Roman Catholic theology, transubstantiation (in Latin, transsubstantiatio, in Greek μετουσίωσις metousiosis) is the doctrine that, in the Eucharist, the substance of the bread and the wine used in the sacrament is changed into the substance of the Body and the Blood of Jesus,[1] while all that is accessible to the senses (the appearances - species in Latin) remains as before.[2][3][4]"
Actual human skeletons are cheaper than artificial human skeletons.
http://www.azcentral.com/offbeat/articles/2010/10/11/20101011florida-family-buys-real-human-boys.html
Now, that's relevant.
Note the relationship to Roman Catholicism... Maybe this is what the pope got in trouble for.
yeah.. better to pray to the liberal gawd Obama right? Liberals bash people of faith and then put their faith in the most ridiculous things. Let me guess .. Scientology right?
I see navyvet98's here again with more irrelevant political comments. Believe it or not, there are a fair number of Christian "liberals" out there.
Nah, I guess his position is that if you're a "liberal" it's impossible to be a Christian. Real Christians are required to be RWNJ's.
naveyvet98............dumb arse! So does that make Romney or Bush the conservative god? what a maroon.....
First things first, they aren't Santeros. The religion is one of many indigenous religions practiced in Mexico. Second, the altar in question is that La Santa Muerta who has nothing to do with the Caribbean or Santeria. The renter of the house is Mexican which should be obvious to anyone from Los Angeles. Which makes it even more likely that he isn't practicing Santeria. If you are going to report something please take the time to get the facts straight before sending a reporter to cover something. I find it insulting that you would send a Japanese reporter to cover something in a Mexican neighborhood. Surely you have a reporter on staff who speaks Spanish, and has some understanding of the culture of the people you are reporting on.