Maybe in a DIR I'd talk about it a bit more. But when folks figure people are engaging in certain practices because of "mental instabilities" - some things are just so taboo in our culture that the respect isn't going to be there to discuss it well. Use of any kind of bodily fluids for just about any purpose falls into that category. Westerners have these really big hang-ups about bodily fluids, a taboo that isn't present in all cultures. National Geographic did a really good series once about various cultural taboos, including this one, that is worth a gander if you can get ahold of it. Watching a lot of these really helped me combat Western, Eurocentric biases.
I've never been one to generalize "westerners" in a bad or negative light since everyone is different. On RF, yes. I can see it. But in a DIR, those who wish to converse can only be those who follow that said religion. I talked with a couple people from African practices who do ritual blood sacrifice and pretty much said the same. They didn't mind talking to me since they said I was a minority and wasn't "white" type of thing. A lot of bad history with christians.
But you'll be surprised what westerners practice and/or can handle. A lot mostly from traveling or military or things of that nature. Then you meet people from outside the country who belittle westerners as if we don't have a "real" culture. It's really sad. I get pet peeved about it.
But with blood rituals, of course there are cultural feelings about things that are taboo to people. If one(s) have respect and acknowledge their taboo feelings over the issue, like respecting cultural artifacts and cultural appropriation, I wouldn't see it as a problem. But then as a born and raised westerner, it's hard to really say anything. Most people talk to me cause Im a minority and such. So they tell me directly. But outside of that, of course it's a personal decision though in general, the conversation would be worth while say in religious question and answer..
I hope one day we(and I do mean we-all countries) won't be discriminative with people of different cultures-westerners included.
