Is a religion based on human sacrifice moral and ethical?

[GreatestIam]

Is a religion based on human sacrifice moral and ethical?

Over the ages, a number of pagan religions have based their theology around the notion that God needs or wants sacrifices. This phenomena has been recorded on many continents from various tribes and peoples who had no knowledge of each other.

I find it strange that God, any God, would be pleased or able to be bribed by some sacrifice, be it human or not. Seems like it is just humans thinking they can somehow change God’s mind about anything from the weather, the forgiveness of sin or a better crop.

Can God be bribed by accepting burnt offerings such as virgins being thrown into volcanoes, meat or crops?

Can God be bought off so cheaply?

What of Jesus our brother?

Psalm 49:7
None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him:

If Christianity is based on human sacrifice, it seems to me that that would be immoral and unethical. It would mean that the innocent was murdered while the guilty were allowed to walk away. That is not good justice. Good justice says that the guilty pay and the innocent go free.

Is religious human sacrifice moral, ethical and good justice?

Regards
DL

 

[Dragon]

It's stretching things a bit IMO to call Christianity a religion based on human sacrifice due to the concept of the sacrifice of Christ. I'll grant you the reasoning in traditional Christian doctrine is barbaric, but that's an intellectual criticism rather than a moral one.

A religion based on human sacrifice would be one that calls for human sacrifice on at least an occasional basis, meaning actual killing of actual people to appease the divine. A few pagan religions did this but it had a tendency to be abandoned as a culture became more civilized; thus we find an example of human sacrifice in the story of Iphigenia, Agamemnon's daughter, but by the time of classical Athens it was not practiced. Nor was it done anywhere in the Mediterranean world in Roman times, although according to Roman accounts the Druids did it. (Can we trust Caesar's word on this? I'm not sure, and we have no other.)

 

[GreatestIam]

It's stretching things a bit IMO to call Christianity a religion based on human sacrifice due to the concept of the sacrifice of Christ. I'll grant you the reasoning in traditional Christian doctrine is barbaric, but that's an intellectual criticism rather than a moral one.

A religion based on human sacrifice would be one that calls for human sacrifice on at least an occasional basis, meaning actual killing of actual people to appease the divine. A few pagan religions did this but it had a tendency to be abandoned as a culture became more civilized; thus we find an example of human sacrifice in the story of Iphigenia, Agamemnon's daughter, but by the time of classical Athens it was not practiced. Nor was it done anywhere in the Mediterranean world in Roman times, although according to Roman accounts the Druids did it. (Can we trust Caesar's word on this? I'm not sure, and we have no other.)

So Jesus did not save us by his death then?

God did not demand a perfect sacrifice for the vicarious redemption of man?

All those churches that show that Jesus died for us are wrong?

Ok.

Regards
DL

 

[ABikerSailor]

God doesn't require human sacrifices. Matter of fact, He kinda disapproves as recorded in the OT in the story of Abraham.

 

[Foxfyre]

Christianity is not based on human sacrifice. In fact, shortly after the Church organized and got going, all forms of animal sacrifice pretty much ended at least for the followers of Jesus.

Jesus himself was not a human sacrifice as in others offering him up as a sacrifice. Jesus was God incarnate offering himself as atonement for the sins of the world. He could have done that by not choosing tio suffer and die, but in that culture it was the most effective and understandable way to get the point across that he was the ultimate and final 'sacrifice' and as he demonstrated, we all have eternal life.

 

[GreatestIam]

God doesn't require human sacrifices. Matter of fact, He kinda disapproves as recorded in the OT in the story of Abraham.

I agree.

Why have you forsaken me, would be answered by God saying------because substitutionary atonement is immoral.

Ezekiel 18:20
The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.

Psalm 49:7
None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him:

Regards
DL

 

[GreatestIam]

Christianity is not based on human sacrifice. In fact, shortly after the Church organized and got going, all forms of animal sacrifice pretty much ended at least for the followers of Jesus.

Jesus himself was not a human sacrifice as in others offering him up as a sacrifice. Jesus was God incarnate offering himself as atonement for the sins of the world. He could have done that by not choosing tio suffer and die, but in that culture it was the most effective and understandable way to get the point across that he was the ultimate and final 'sacrifice' and as he demonstrated, we all have eternal life.

Wow. Quite a play on words there friend.
You have baffled my brain with B S.

"Christianity is not based on human sacrifice." yet you say it was with "he was the ultimate and final 'sacrifice' ".

Regards
DL