Christianity is based upon human sacrifice. If Christians condemn human sacrifice on moral grounds, it is condemning not only itself as an immoral religion, but it is also condemning God of immorality. Not only did the Father offer up his Son has a sacrifice for the sins of the world, but he also commanded Abraham to sacrifice his son, Isaac. It is rather strange to praise Jesus as the sacrificial lamb of God, and then condemn another religion for practicing human sacrifices.
For either Muslims, Jews, or Christians to condemn religious sacrifices is hypocritical. I know little or nothing about Sikhs.
It is easy to believe that someone is not in his correct state of mind whenever he does something with which we disagree or do not understand. It is too easy to assume that conventionally accepted behavior is the only norm by which we determine what is acceptable religious practices. I could very easily see society condemning infant circumcision as child abuse. Just as I could see some counties in the deep South forbidding the use of wine for communion. If Christianity had practiced infant sacrifice throughout her history until today, it would be considered an acceptable religious practice and protected by law. The primary reason that certain religious practices are permitted and others condemned is a matter of cultural or conventional taste.
You obviously understand nothing about Christianity.
Awful analysis. Christianity is in no wise based upon ‘human sacrifice.’ One perfect God-man gave His life one time, for all sins of His own. That is not the repetitive act your comments connote.
“Christianity is based upon human sacrifice.”
Interesting argument. So you approve of Suttee? You approve of child sacrifice? You believe that people ought to be able to kill their children because they believe their religion tells them too?
That is the consequence of your philosophy that freedom of religion is absolute. It is not. None of our freedoms are absolute, not liberty, not even life. We do not have the right to kill others and expect for our right to life to remain. We are not permitted to exercise our liberty such that to constrain others. One person’s rights end where another persons’ right begins. This is an essential principle.
Actions contrary to the Natural Law do not support our rights, they work against them. Approving child sacrifice teaches us that human life is not valuable. It is not sacred in anyway shape or form.
Sacrificing children to Molech is explicitly condemned throughout the OT. It was a practice very common among Pagans. Christians too, condemned child sacrifice and we have freed people from the grips of religions that thought no better than to kill their own people.
As for Abraham, did he not say, “God himself will provide for us a lamb?” And did not God do that very thing? Did that passage in Genesis show that God blessed Abraham for actually willing to sacrifice his son, or did it show that God will provide?
As for Christ, and his atonement, are Christians to emulate Christ by sacrificing their children? Or do we believe that Christ was the perfect sacrifice, the passover lamb without blemish?
Christ offered himself, and he rose from the dead so that we do not have to offer ourselves for anything. Christ is the perfect sacrifice. Human sacrifice denies the atonement, and denies that Christ was God and Man. We cannot match his sacrifice because our children are not both God and Man, therefore we must not sacrifice our children, but instead, accept Christ.
“It is easy to believe that someone is not in his correct state of mind whenever he does something with which we disagree or do not understand.”
So when you see someone trying to kill themselves, your impulse is to ignore them and let them die? Or do you believe that they are not in their right mind and try to help them?
“If Christianity had practiced infant sacrifice throughout her history until today, it would be considered an acceptable religious practice and protected by law.”
So you do not believe that Christianity is founded on fundamental truths which are applicable to everyone. Why didn’t Christianity approve of child sacrifice? Why did they attempt to get rid of it wherever they have seen it?
This is because Christians saw child sacrifice as contrary to the Natural Law. This is the distinction that we must draw between religious practices which do permit freedoms, and those that do not. In another example, offering yourself as a martyr to save the lives of others is lawful, whereas killing yourself to kill other people is not.
Once you step outside the natural law, you have lost what freedoms you ever had.