Sacrifice?

Question

A sacrifice to any diety seems illogical in the sense that wouldnt a god be angry if you did that, yet many relgions and cultures used to do this. Comments.

I understand the concept of holding the person or animal or whatever in high regard and yes there are martyrs who would be happy to do it based on a belief but why do that as opposed to another method of satisfying a god. We have choice.

Answer 1

I suspect it's an ancient version of "you get what you pay for." A way of saying that what people are asking of their particular god, they aren't taking lightly. I do agree that by our logic--especially modern logic--no god worth his/her tithes would demand such a thing of his/her followers (especially when we're talking sacrificing BEINGS... pigs or cows or children or virgins). But then again, in ancient times, gods were allowed to be "petty and cruel" (tm. Hercules the Legendary Journeys), because by having a whole pantheon of gods, different gods could reflect all facets of humanity, just on a... grand scale. I know some people are petty enough to say, "I'll only give up THIS if you give up THAT." So maybe that's why people thought it was a good idea.

Great question.

Answer 2

Most religions based in sacrifice of material objects, like lives...letters...or burnt food, in essence felt the gods were intangible in certain regards and unable to consume the earthly or corrupted items. What is a god? Is that someone that sits at the table and eats the same food you eat? By no means is that a resounding yes. A godto many older cultures,meant a being of some sort who deserved and desired something more than what the offerer was able to give. The best bull, not just any one would do. The best crop, not that other crap with the mold on it.

It completely makes sense to me,but then I am bizarre like that. If you sacrifice the best white bull to zeus....it meant one, you were not keeping it for yourself....and two, you were transforning the creature in its perfection to something zeus can appreciate, not that creature that jumps about on the dirt....but now a creature that flies in the stars.

Answer 3

You really can't use modern values or mores to judge the actions of ancient cultures. At the time, the sacrifice of a child or lamb or whatever wouldn't have been considered murder. Some of the sacrificees would even have considered an honour.

Answer 4

a lot of people look at sacrifices as a crime and a sinful waste of life. sacrifices were not murder, much as we look at them that way now. sacrifices didn't imply that life was not valued. on the contrary, sacrifices were proof that it was valued more highly than gold or any material possessions. you don't sacrifice something of little value. you sacrifice something great, dear, loved. christians look at jesus and say look - god loved us so much he sacrificed his only beloved son for us. they don't feel like jesus' life was degraded by it, nor that it was criminal for god to sacrifice this child. never the thought crosses their mind that god saw jesus as expendable flesh.
yet they look at the aztecs or the incas and they say look at those murdering brutes, killing warriors. how primitive and disgusting. god will punish them and make them burn in hell.
just like this christian god that so many worship, the incas, the aztecs and all the other cultures that used sacrifices did so because human life was the most precious thing they had to offer. the gods, had there been any there to receive the message, would have appreciated the sacrifice for what it was.

Answer 5

I do agree with you. I think the only sacrifice that is acceptable is to sacrifice one's self for some one else. In other words I would sacrifice myself for my children, I would sacrifice myself to help a fellow human being. If you believe in God there are only two things He expects from us "Faith and Self Sacrifice" If you don't believe in God or are not sure God is even real. We can all make small and large sacrifices. Me, I'm an agnostic, I want to believe, but I don't believe in a God that wants you to bow and scrape constantly. But that's just me.

Answer 6

There is no point in offering up some material item to please a god. A true deity does not NEED anything from humans, at least not physical things. Self-sacrifice, giving up something that is important to you and is only yours to give, is the only real sacrifice you can make to the gods. That shows true devotion and earns their respect and favor.

Answer 7

Wow, wat a deep thought, i fully agree... today we have realised the value for humans and animals...we dont do 'sacrifices';(apart from sacrificing net during exams) in todays civilised world... but prior to it things were different.. 200 years back... there were deaths due to : starvation, famines, floods, child mortality, etc,etc, hence a suggestion from the so called "enlightened" person from the community/ village head... regarding 'sacrificing' children, or animals to please the god.. wud be accepted readily by the community ...as they believed there there 's no harm in trying it out!!.. this became a tradition and unfortunately took along many lives over the years... but the education is a strong weapon to fight such sick inhuman practices and many countries are working successfully towards it...lets hope for an advanced human society in the coming years ... thanx for giving me the oppurtunity to share my thoughts ....

Answer 8

I know, I find it particularly ironic that christians try to make other religions look bad by falsely accusing them of performing modern animal and human sacrifice, when their whole religion is based on the sacrifice of a (so called) human being.