http://videosift.com/video/QI-Alan-Davies-Takes-Over-the-Show Yours has more so it's not a dupe, but just to let you know

But I thought cows were essentially "sacred" in Hinduism. I thought they were associated with prosperity and everyone basically leaves them the hell alone, resulting in all the cows wandering around various cities in India?

I think there's a distinction in semantics. The cows are not sacred because they are not worshipped as gods, but they are holy because they are protected by gods. Something like that.

>> ^Gallowflak:

But I thought cows were essentially "sacred" in Hinduism. I thought they were associated with prosperity and everyone basically leaves them the hell alone, resulting in all the cows wandering around various cities in India?

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/holycow/hinduism.html
>> ^TheJehosephat:

I think there's a distinction in semantics. The cows are not sacred because they are not worshipped as gods, but they are holy because they are protected by gods. Something like that.
>> ^Gallowflak:
But I thought cows were essentially "sacred" in Hinduism. I thought they were associated with prosperity and everyone basically leaves them the hell alone, resulting in all the cows wandering around various cities in India?