What Everyone Needs to Know About Hinduism: the Sacred Cow

There are many misconceptions and questions that people tend to have about religions other than their own, Hinduism included. Whether it be the fact that Hinduism is more of a way of life than just a religion, to the curiosity surrounding the forehead art, the one of particular interest to me, is the sacredness of cows. I guess the whole concept was really strange to me, but an article I read related the concept to the “Lamb of God” for Christianity, and I was able to relate much better. Additionally, 30% of the world’s cows are all in India, and according to scripture, Lord Krishna was a cow herder - cattle are a huge part of both life and religion.   For Hindus, the cow has long been an essential element of worship because they make sacrifices possible; without ghee - which is derived from the milk of cows - no sacrifice can be performed at all. Cows are also deemed the symbol of the earth, or sometimes ‘mother of the world,’ to the Hindus, whereas to Americans they are simply the symbol for a juicy hamburger. The cow can give so much and asks for nothing in return, which is perhaps why it is still considered to be one of the most gracious gifts anyone can give or receive.  
As far as the consumption of beef goes, it is a very debated topic. Some sources say that certain events (weddings or banquets of kings) require the eating of beef, while others condemn it as murder, but all Hindus agree that the cow is a highly sacred and immensely useful gift to mankind; effectively, most, especially Hindus native to India, consider it sacrilegious to consume beef. The discrepancy arises when considering other ‘sacred’ or ‘blessed’ things that are consumed. In ancient times, many people consumed beef for various reasons, but Hindus modern social culture has banned beef for centuries.   Once again I think that it would help to try and equate the situation to Americans: cattle roam the streets all over India and are often treated as part of a Hindu family, like a pet; now let...