Animal Sacrifices

: Image by moirabot via Flickr

Among the amazing claims that come up during discussions is the idea that if we didn't have the Bible around, we wouldn't have a clue how to operate in the world. I write a brief new essay that addresses animal sacrifice. It's astounding to me when Christians and other presentday monotheists look at the beliefs of animist or other religions that sacrifice animals to the gods as though they hold more primitive religious beliefs. The entire basis for Christianity and at least the earlier parts of Judaism is animal sacrifice. In Christianity, especially, Jesus is supposedly the animal sacrifice to end all animal sacrifices.

Anyway, I write how I would attempt to bring to life at least partially, what modern day Christians want us to think about the earlier priests of Judaism in the post: Animal Sacrifices.

All feedback is welcome.

Tagged as: Animal sacrifice, Christianity, Judaism

{ 1 comment }

Uruk March 23, 2009 at 6:54 am: I've heard a Rabbi refute Christianity by saying that animal sacrifices were only for sins of ignorance. When a law is broken out of ignorance or misunderstanding, the animal sacrifice helped cement the proper observance of the law. Therefore, to say that animal sacrifices foreshadowed Christ's sacrifice is an erroneous conclusion since other sins could only be atoned though non-animal sacrifices (like money or grain), ceremonial washing, or prayer.

But fast forward to modern times, I heard a different Rabbi speaking at a seminar admit that the closest he ever wanted to come to an animal sacrifice was a barbecue in his back yard!

A very humorous comment that shows how modernity changes people's feelings about primitive activities like killing animals for reasons other than food.

On the flip side, I saw a documentary where some followers of Haitian Vodou took a poor goat and . . .

Aw, I'll just skip the details. I'll just say that the goat was probably quite relieved after they finally slit his throat.

Yep. That scene was quite barbaric.

While this was Vodou, still, my mind went back to ancient Judaism and Christianity.

Killing animals appeased God's wrath?

I think you've got an interesting point with your post here. And your attempt to put a person in that actual situation makes the practice harder to blindly accept. Cool and thoughtful observation. Neat post.
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