Question about the idea of human sacrifice.

[Kori]

To me a human sacrifice is killing a person or people because a God or Goddess told you to or you think it will make them happy. Like Christians or so called Christians and abortion clinics, as for Muslims or so called Muslims well they get hammered enough as it is, but I guess you can add them too since they do technically fall into this. As well as many others. Thoughts? BTW I am trying to be civilized in this but I hope it's understandable if I have failed.

 

[EtuMalku]

Some human sacrifices were in order to appease a certain deity, the deity never ordered the sacrifice, the religious adherents took it upon themselves that blood sacrifice would be highest form of appeasement

 

[Kori]

Some human sacrifices were in order to appease a certain deity, the deity never ordered the sacrifice, the religious adherents took it upon themselves that blood sacrifice would be highest form of appeasement

Yes but it's more complex than that. How can someone act so high and mighty but at the same time find it ok to murder humans because of a thought?

 

[EtuMalku]

Yes but it's more complex than that. How can someone act so high and mighty but at the same time find it ok to murder humans because of a thought?

Morality? In a culture that condoned human sacrifice it would have been considered immoral NOT to

 

[Kori]

Morality? In a culture that condoned human sacrifice it would have been considered immoral NOT to

Sounds like the evils and weakness of conformity.

 

[EtuMalku]

Sounds like the evils and weakness of conformity.

Evil is subjective, there is no intrinsic Evil it must be agreed upon by a community

 

[Kori]

Evil is subjective, there is no intrinsic Evil it must be agreed upon by a community

Well what about the weakness part?

 

[EtuMalku]

Well what about the weakness part?

If the culture condones human sacrifice, obviously it is not considered a weakness but rather a strength

 

[psychoslice]

I don't believe in a god so I have nothing to do with sacrifices, or anything to sacrifice.

 

[EtuMalku]

I believe in a Higher Self as a personal deity and believe in the sacrifice of lower self to Higher Self

 

[LittlePinky82]

Yes but it's more complex than that. How can someone act so high and mighty but at the same time find it ok to murder humans because of a thought?

They're sociopaths?

 

[Riverwolf]

Human sacrifice used to be practiced among Northern European tribes... but it wasn't necessarily how we think always think of it.

One of Woden's names is "Hanged God, which is a reference both to his ordeal on the World Tree, and that he was the God who oversaw executions via hanging. That is to say, hanged criminals and POWs were offered to Woden.

Additionally, one way warriors would try to gain Woden's favor before a battle would be to throw a spear over the opposing army with the cry "Woden owns ye all!", which would be a way of telling the God, "give me victory in this battle, and my enemies are yours".

So, near as I can tell, it seemed really more of a way to ritualize something that they were doing anyway, rather than starting up something new because a God said so. Heck, in this sense, it could be argued that the whole "may God have mercy on your soul" thing that we do today for executions is a form of human sacrifice.

 

[Unveiled Artist]

Some human sacrifices were in order to appease a certain deity, the deity never ordered the sacrifice, the religious adherents took it upon themselves that blood sacrifice would be highest form of appeasement

Tha maks more sense as it is akin to paganism (in general)

 

[Sunstone]

To me a human sacrifice is killing a person or people because a God or Goddess told you to or you think it will make them happy.

I'd prefer to call that murder or genocide.

 

[Aupmanyav]

Human sacrifices happen in India but only the superstitious do that. Hinduism and its Gods and Goddesses strongly oppose it. It even opposes killing an mosquito (unless it is unavoidable). That does not include Killing which is in line with duty (dharma).

 

[Aiviu]

There are lots of it. And this is one of it. Superstition at its finest.

 

[Maponos]

Some human sacrifices were in order to appease a certain deity, the deity never ordered the sacrifice, the religious adherents took it upon themselves that blood sacrifice would be highest form of appeasement

Pretty much this.

Ancient Celtic tribes in Gaul (France) practiced a form of human sacrifice where they filled a giant wicker man with criminals and burned them alive.

 

[Aupmanyav]

There are lots of it. And this is one of it. Superstition at its finest.

There are things worse than that, when Gods command people to kill whole tribes.

 

[Quintessence]

One interesting thing about the phrase "human sacrifice" is that although those two words themselves in no way directly refer to anything violent or death-inducing, we use that phrase specifically to indicate killing as a form of sacrifice. Why is that? Particularly considering the etymology of the word "sacrifice" traces it to something along the lines of "to make holy?"

 

[Unveiled Artist]

One interesting thing about the phrase "human sacrifice" is that although those two words themselves in no way directly refer to anything violent or death-inducing, we use that phrase specifically to indicate killing as a form of sacrifice. Why is that? Particularly considering the etymology of the word "sacrifice" traces it to something along the lines of "to make holy?"

REVISE

Why is human sacrifice related to killing?

I usually see "offerings" as a way to give your deepest possesion to another.

Charity giving what you have in generosity and for the need of another.

Sacrifice giving up something or someone as an offering out of obligation (or so have you)

I sometimes offer myself to the spirits. It means I let myself be with the spirits as a spiritualist or acting as a medium for direct conversation. (Or is that shamanism. Cant remember the term)

I dont sacrifice myself. I dont purposely devalue myself or humble myself for the spirits. I find that unnecessary. Im not a human sacrifice. Im a human offering.

Abrahamics have an influence of relating sacrifice with killing. Its said to be the highest form of humility to their god.

We dont need to devalue ourselves/be in humility/sacrifice ourselves for our gods. We can just be an offering.

Why not be an offering to god. We we are not giving ourselves out of obligation nor are we devaluing ourselves when we are become offerings.

Good example: "I sacrifice my time for my family". I give up out of obligation my time to my family. "I offer my time (by choice) so I can be with my family."

Many say the highest sacrifice is life. It makes sense. Thats what we vamue the most (I assume) is our lives. But when we "offer" our lives THAT doesnt need to be our bodies. It could be our charity or anything else.

I see no negativity in offerings. I do so in sacrifice because its taking out that persons choice to sacrifice but making it an obligation to. A source of worship.

Sorry. I went on a tangent. Hope this adds some perspective.