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    #1

    Sacrifices out of style?

    In all the pagan traditions I can think of, blood sacrifices are seen as the most powerful and most pleasing to the gods. For the Jews, they stopped sacrificing animals when their temple (the only permissible place to make offerings) was destroyed by the Romans. With Jesus' self-sacrifice, it made all subsequent sacrifices to God redundant and taboo. But as far as I know, pagan sacrifice stopped when when they were forced to and were converted to Christianity. So if modern pagans try to adopt and adapt pre-Christian traditions and beliefs, are sacrifices, blood or otherwise, common among today's practitioners?
    If not, what actions are taken to gain the favor of the gods?
    Do you think it is possible for modern pagans to regain their stomach for blood sacrifices?
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    #2
    Re: Sacrifices out of style?

    The immediate issue I see is that most blood sacrifices aren't a real sacrifice to modern Pagans. People sacrificed livestock. I don't think in most cases it was about the taking of life, so much as the fact that the animal being sacrificed would have otherwise been used as food or sold for money. Indeed, it was commonplace in parts of the United Kingdom until fairly recently, to burn the first bale of hay at harvest.. a tradition that may well be as old as farming itself, and it echoes this idea that it is the loss of something with value, that makes a sacrifice. It had a genuine value to the owner. It required hard work to rear maybe even cost money to buy. These days, just obtaining say, a chicken, to which you have no attachment and that, unless it cost you a month's salary, it would just be for the sake of meaninglessly taking an animal's life. Ethics aside, that's just.. missing the point.

    Now, if you were to sacrifice something meaningful to you. Say, donate most of your salary to a charity, and then live on nothing but bread and water until payday. Or give away your most expensive games console, your bike, your car.. to a needy family. Then maybe, just maybe, you're starting to get the point of killing your family's most prized bull.

    I'm more of the school of thought that my gods gave me the gift of life so that I could make the best I can of it, and that means enjoying life's pleasures, be they sex, alcohol or videogames.. so I personally wouldn't be sacrificing, or abstaining from anything, although I do make offerings (I don't consider this the same, as they're not to my detriment in any way). To me, denying the flesh is unholy, because my flesh is sacred. ^^ I can see how such things might fit into the theology of others though, especially those attempting to recreate an old religion in modern times.
    夕方に急なにわか雨は｢夕立」と呼ばれるなら、なぜ朝ににわか雨は｢朝立ち」と呼ばれないの？ ＾＾If a sudden rain shower in the evening is referred to as an 'evening stand', then why isn't a shower in the morning called 'morning stand'?

    Comment

      #3
      Re: Sacrifices out of style?

      Lots of paths that some might label "pagan" still practice animal sacrifice regularly. Haitian Vodou, Candomble, Santeria, etc.

      Comment

        #4
        Re: Sacrifices out of style?

        Ohh let's do this again!

        *gets out popcorn. You know it's coming.
        Satan is my spirit animal

        Comment

          #5
          Re: Sacrifices out of style?

          *drags my comfy cushy recliner closer*

          Pass the popcorn, please, I'll order delivery. Chinese or pizza?
          I often wish that I had done drugs in the '70s. At least there'd be a reason for the flashbacks. - Rick the Runesinger

          Blood and Country
          Tribe of my Tribe
          Clan of my Clan
          Kin of my Kin
          Blood of my Blood


          For the Yule was upon them, the Yule; and they quaffed from the skulls of the slain,
          And shouted loud oaths in hoarse wit, and long quaffing swore laughing again.

          Comment

            #6
            Re: Sacrifices out of style?

            Chinese please. I am ready
            "If you want to know what a man is like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals." -- Sirius Black

            "Time is an illusion, lunch time doubly so."-- Ford Prefect

            Comment

              #7
              Re: Sacrifices out of style?

              So...I'm going to direct this inquiry to these other threads on the topic:

              Sacrifices - Pagan Forum
              http://www.paganforum.com/showthread.php?9697-Sacrifices
              So, another post in this forum gave me the question of how others may think of the ideologies of sacrificial offerings. During blots, and other celebrations, what does the common heathen use to please the gods? I know many take to alcoholic beverages in offerings and I know of some who prefer to offer blood. I was wondering

              Animal sacrifices - Pagan Forum
              http://www.paganforum.com/showthread.php?5300-Animal-sacrifices
              While myself a practitioner of Wicca, I have taken a strong interest in Greek and Roman gods and Hellenistic religion of the ancient world. Consequently, Hellenic and Roman reconstructionists are among the more interesting polytheistic revival religions in modern day. I have a question for those of you who know more about

              Human Sacrifice - Pagan Forum
              http://www.paganforum.com/showthread.php?9704-Human-Sacrifice
              So if per chance someone was sacrificing a human, you might think it's sketchy, right? Right? riiiiiiiiiight. We all have our lines and we all call the judgement on those lines. Who are we to judge some dude killing a child in the name of their god? Yeah, I went there sister. Only because you and I can have these


              Because I really don't think many of us have much left to say on this topic if we were here for these previous conversations.
              Wonderful Life: The Burgess Shale and the Nature of HistoryPagan Devotionals, because the wind and the rain is our Bible
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              Comment

                #8
                Re: Sacrifices out of style?

                I want extra kung pao sauce please.
                Satan is my spirit animal

                Comment

                  #9
                  Re: Sacrifices out of style?

                  Originally posted by Medusa View Post
                  I want extra kung pao sauce please.
                  I'm allergic to peanuts.

                  Not really, I just don't like them, but if I say "allergic," I get special treatment.
                  Every moment of a life is a horrible tragedy, a slapstick comedy, dark nihilism, golden illumination, or nothing at all; depending on how we write the story we tell ourselves.

                  Comment

                    #10
                    Re: Sacrifices out of style?

                    Hmmmmmmm,chinks huh(Archie Bunker if you wonder)...some sweet and sour shrimp,and some hot and sour soup...Oh,and egg rolls,or Lumpia(Philippine egg rolls) Yummmmms
                    MAGIC is MAGIC,black OR white or even blood RED

                    all i ever wanted was a normal life and love.
                    NO TERF EVER WE belong Too.
                    don't stop the tears.let them flood your soul.




                    sigpic

                    my new page here,let me know what you think.


                    nothing but the shadow of what was

                    witchvox
                    http://www.witchvox.com/vu/vxposts.html

                    Comment

                      #11
                      Re: Sacrifices out of style?

                      Originally posted by Medusa View Post
                      I want extra kung pao sauce please.
                      So you can sacrifice a dram?

                      Comment

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