(I prefer a cross without a body on it.)
Vault Of The Ages, Chapter 14.
"...the tribe...had to appease heaven with the greatest sacrifice of all: human life taken according to law." (p. 137)
A barbaric belief. Could it return in the future? It still exists in the present. It might return to its earlier, more literal, form if civilization destroyed itself but humanity survived. Indeed, ideas of appeasement by blood sacrifice might then run rampant.
The Buddha said somewhere that the best sacrifice is an offering not of flesh to the gods but of fruit to the poor. This demonstrates what immense moral strides can be made within spiritual philosophical traditions. What the Buddha said addresses us now whereas only a Jewish minority seeks the building of a Third Temple with resumed animal sacrifices.
7 comments:
Human beings are very sensitive to intentionality. It was an essential evolutionary adaptation, because social context was the most important influence on successful reproduction.
The downside is that humans project intentionality on -everything-. Rocks, trees, invisible spirits...
I think that that is a very good explanation of animism and theism.
If there were really intelligent beings controlling the elements, then they would communicate with us. This is subject matter for fantasy and sf.
Note that most primitive peoples have little concept of 'chance'. They think everything must have some conscious mind behind it.
When our roof leaks, we ask not:
have I or my fathers sinned that this has happened to me?;
what did I do in a past life to deserve this?;
is the house cursed?
- but:
what caused the leak?
am I insured?
who can I sue?
"is the house cursed?"
Here is a short podcast about a murder that occurred because the murderer believed he had been cursed. This happened as recently as the early 20th century.
https://skeptoid.com/episodes/4996
Kaor, Jim!
I don't believe in curses, to do so is to lapse into superstition. That said, some writers of fantasies have used curses to very telling effect, as Tolkien did in THE CHILDREN OF HURIN.
Ad astra! Sean
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