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Sacrifice (from a , as an act of Propitiation or Worship . The term is also used Metaphor ically to describe selfless good deeds for others, or a short term loss in return for a greater gain (such as in a game of chess). The practice of sacrifice is found in the oldest human records. The Archaeological record contains human and animal corpses with sacrificial marks long before any written records of the practice. Sacrifices are a common theme in most religions, though the frequency of Animal , and especially Human , sacrifices are rare today. CONCEPTS OF SACRIFICE IN VARIOUS RELIGIONS Judaism See Also: Korban Shechita In Judaism , a sacrifice is known as a '' Korban '' from the Hebrew root ''karov'' meaning to " Close [to God ". The centrality of sacrifices in Judaism is clear, with much of the Bible , particularly the opening chapters of the book Leviticus , detailing the exact method of bringing sacrifices. Sacrifices were either bloody (animals) or unbloody (grain and wine). Bloody sacrifices were divided into holocausts (burnt offerings, in which the whole animal was burnt), guilt offerings (in which part was burnt and part left for the priest) and peace offerings (in which similarly only part of the animal was burnt). Yet the prophets point out that sacrifices are only a part of serving God, and need to be accompanied by inner morality and goodness. After the destruction of the , a medieval Jewish rationalist, argued that God always held sacrifice inferior to prayer and philosophical meditation. However, God understood that the Israelites were used to the animal sacrifices that the surrounding pagan tribes used as the primary way to commune with their gods. As such, in Maimonides' view, it was only natural that Israelites would believe that sacrifice was a necessary part of the relationship between God and man. Maimonides concludes that God's decision to allow sacrifices was a concession to human psychological limitations. It would have been too much to have expected the Israelites to leap from pagan worship to prayer and meditation in one step. In the '' Guide For The Perplexed '' he writes: :"But the custom which was in those days general among men, and the general mode of worship in which the Israelites were brought up consisted in sacrificing animals... It was in accordance with the wisdom and plan of God...that God did not command us to give up and to discontinue all these manners of service. For to obey such a commandment would have been contrary to the nature of man, who generally cleaves to that to which he is used; it would in those days have made the same impression as a prophet would make at present 12th Century if he called us to the service of God and told us in His name, that we should not pray to God nor fast, nor seek His help in time of trouble; that we should serve Him in thought, and not by any action." (Book III, Chapter 32. Translated by M. Friedlander, 1904, The Guide for the Perplexed, Dover Publications, 1956 edition.) In contrast, many others such as Nachmanides (in his Torah commentary on Leviticus 1:9) disagreed, contending that sacrifices are an ideal in Judaism, completely central. The teachings of the Torah and Tanakh reveal Judaism 's abhorrence of human sacrifices. Christendom In Catholic teaching, God became incarnate in Jesus Christ to accomplish the reconciliation of God and humanity, which had separated itself from God through sin (see the concept of Original Sin ). According to the view that has dominated Western theology since early in the 2nd millennium, God's justice required an atonement for sin from humanity if human beings were to be restored to their place in creation and saved from damnation. However, God knew limited human beings could not make sufficient atonement, for humanity's offence to God was infinite, so God became a man to become the sacrifice of the everlasting covenant. In Christian theology this sacrifice replaced the insufficient animal sacrifice of the Old Covenant; Christ the " Lamb Of God " replaced the lambs sacrifice of the ancient Korban Todah (the Rite of Thanksgiving), chief of which is the Passover in the Mosaic law. Geza Vermes writes that the title ''Lamb of God'' does not necessarily refer to the metaphor of a sacrificial animal. He points out that in Galilean Aramaic the word ''talya'', literally "lamb," had the common meaning of "male child". This is akin to "kid" meaning "child" in modern colloquial English . The female equivalent of ''Talya'' was ''Talitha'', literally "ewe lamb" and figuratively "girl" (the word is found in the Narrative Of The Daughter Of Jairus ). Thus, "Lamb of God" could have been a slang means of saying " Son Of God " or "God's Kid". In the ), and the offering becomes one with that of Christ on the Cross. In the Mass as on the Cross, Christ is both priest (offering the sacrifice) and victim (the sacrifice he offers is himself), though in the Mass in the former capacity he works through a solely human priest who is joined to him through the sacrament of Holy Orders and thus shares in Christ's priesthood. Through the Mass the merits of the one sacrifice of the Cross can be applied to the redemption of those present, to their specific intentions and prayers, and to the redemption of the souls in purgatory. A prophecy of the sacrifice of the Mass, offered in every corner of the world, is found in the Book of Malachi in the Old Testament: "from the rising of the sun to the going down of the same, my name has been glorified among the Gentiles, and in every place incense is offered to my name, and a pure offering, for my name is great among the Gentiles" (Mal. 1:10-11). The concept of self-sacrifice and as a sacrifice, inclining to see it as merely a holy meal (even if they believe in a form of the Real Presence of Christ in the bread and wine, as Lutherans do). The Catholic/Orthodox response is that the sacrifice of the Mass in the New Covenant is that one sacrifice for sins on the Cross which transcends time offered in an unbloody manner, as discussed above, and that Christ is the real priest at every mass working through mere human beings to whom he has granted the grace of a share in his priesthood. Since the word 'priest' carries heavy connotations of 'one who offers sacrifice', Protestants usually do not use it for their clergy. Evangelical Protestantism emphasizes the importance of a decision to consciously, personally accept Christ's sacrifice on the Cross as atonement for one's individual sins if one is to be saved - this is known as 'accepting Christ as one's personal Lord and savior.' The Orthodox church sees the celebration of the Eucharist as a continuation, rather than a reenactment, of the of St. John Chrysostom , when the Priest says: "Accept, O God, our supplications, make us to be worthy to offer unto thee supplications and prayers and bloodless sacrifices for all thy people," and "Remembering this saving commandment and all those things which came to pass for us: the cross, the grave, the resurrection on the third day, the ascension into heaven, the sitting down at the right hand, the second and glorious coming again, Thine own of Thine own we offer unto Thee on behalf of all and for all," and "… Thou didst become man and didst take the name of our High Priest, and deliver unto us the priestly rite of this liturgical and bloodless sacrifice…" Modern Christianity has tended to lessen the focus on the concept of sacrifice. The idea of original sin in combination with the idea that sin demands atonement or punishment appears less relevant. The focus appears to be on Christ's life as moral teacher rather than as sacrificial victim. Islam See Also: Dhabiha An animal sacrifice in Arabic is called ''Zabiha'' (أُضْحِيَّة) or ''Qurban'' (قُرْبَان) . However ''Qurban'' has a pagan connotation in some places except in India/Pakistan, where ''qurbani'' is always used for Islamic animal sacrifice. In the Islamic context an animal sacrifice referred to as ''Zabiha'' (أُضْحِيَّة) meaning sacrifice as a ritual, is offered only in Eid Ul-Adha . ..."therefore, to thy Lord turn in prayer and in Sacrifice. " (Nahr)-Al Quran, 108.2 Qurbani is an Islamic prescription for the affluent to share their good fortune with the needy in the community. On the occasion of Eid ul Adhaa, affluent Muslims all over the world perform the Sunnah of Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham), by sacrificing a goat or sheep. The meat is then divided into three equal parts. One part is retained by the person who performs the Qurbani. The second is given to his relatives. The third part is distributed to the poor. The Muslims say that this has nothing to do with blood and gore ('s willingness to sacrifice his son Ishmael at God's command. The sacrificial animal may be a lamb, a sheep, a goat, a camel or a cow. The animal must be healthy and conscious. The Islamic system of slaughter is called '' Ḏabīḥah ''. Hinduism See Also: Yajna The Sanskrit word '' Yajna '' is usually translated in English as "sacrifice" but its primary meaning is any kind of worship, especially the one involving certain oblation being put into the sacred fire with the chanting of the Mantra s. Yajna typically refers to any fire-offering or such equivalent ritual of the Vedic Indo-Aryans. The offerings were usually of vegetable origin, including saw-dust for the fire, grains like barley, etc. Milk and Ghee (clarified butter) was also offered in large quantities. A mysterious, unidentified plant's juice, called Soma , was offered at special Soma sacrifices. The Veda s actually contain the mantras to be chanted for these yajnas. A few historians claim that the Vedic fire-sacrifices also involved the slaughter of certain animals, such as Goat s and Sheep (and probably the bull)—but animal sacrifice was only meant for larger and very special Yajnas (This is also claimed by most Buddhist and Jain texts). They also claim, that the ancient Hindu scriptures allow eating the flesh of such sacrificed animals as the only lawfully allowed meat. But these facts are hotly debated by many contemporary Hindus. They claim that the instances in the Vedas depicting animal sacrifices are either misunderstood / misinterpreted by historians or very deliberately misrepresented. Animal sacrifice (of goats and buffaloes) is rare but is held on certain festivals in contemporary India, and Sri Lanka, especially to honor the Mother Goddess ( Durga ) by the followers of certain cultic groups of Hindus belonging to the sect of Shaktism . Due to severe condemnation by most other Hindus, calling this as a barbaric act, these animal sacrifices are quickly disappearing in India and Sri Lanka. Among the Hindus of Nepal , animal sacrifices are common even today, not only for the Mother Goddess, but also for almost all deities of the Hindu pantheon. The Hindu way of slaughtering the animal may be less painful than others, as it involves an immediate severing of the whole neck of the animal by one quick stroke of a sword or an axe (otherwise great calamities are believed to befall the sacrificer), rather than slitting of the throat. SACRIFICE BY TYPE OF OFFERING Animal sacrifice See Also: animal sacrifice Animal sacrifice is the ritual killing of an Animal as part of a Religion . It is practiced by many religions as a means of appeasing a god or gods or changing the course of nature. Animal sacrifice has turned up in almost all cultures, from the Hebrews to the Greeks and Romans (particularly the purifying ceremony Lustratio ) and from the Aztecs to the Yoruba . However, the practice was a taboo among the Ancient Egyptians , and they tended to look down on cultures that practiced this custom. Animal sacrifice is still practiced today by the followers of Santería and other "lineages of Orisa", as a means of curing the sick and giving thanks to the Orisa ( Gods ). However in Santeria, such animal offerings constitute an extremely small portion of what are termed "ebos" – ritual activities that include offerings, prayer and deeds. Some villages in Greece also sacrifice animals to Orthodox saints in a practise known as kourbània. The practise, while publicly condemned, is often tolerated for the benefits it provides to the church and the sense of community it engenders. Human sacrifice See Also: Human sacrifice Human Sacrifice was practiced by many ancient cultures. People would be ritually killed in a manner that was supposed to please or appease a God or Spirit . While not widely known, human sacrifices for religious reasons still exist today in a number of nations. Some occasions for human sacrifice found in multiple cultures on multiple continents include:
Some of the best known ancient human sacrifice was that practiced by various Pre-Columbian civilizations of Mesoamerica . The Aztec were particularly noted for practicing this on an unusually large scale; a human sacrifice would be made every day to aid the Sun in rising, the dedication of the great temple at Tenochtitlán was reportedly marked with the sacrificing of thousands, and there are multiple accounts of captured Conquistador es being sacrificed during the wars of the Spanish Conquest of Mexico . In Scandinavia , the old Scandinavian Religion contained human sacrifice and both the Norse Saga s and German historians relate of this, see e.g. Temple At Uppsala and Blót . There is evidence to suggest Pre-Hellenic and the Minotaur (set in the labyrinth at Knossos) provides evidence that human sacrifice was commonplace. In the myth we are told that Athens sent seven young men and seven young women to Crete as human sacrifices to the Minotaur. This ties up well with the archaeological evidence that most sacrifices were of young adults or Children . Human sacrifice still happens today as an underground practice in some traditional religions, for example in Muti killings. Human sacrifice is no longer officially condoned in any country, and these cases are regarded as Murder . Some people in India are adherents of a religious sect that is referred to as Tantrism ; a small percent of unscrupulous Tantric practitioners engage in human sacrifice, often with the promise of inducing childbirth in a sterile couple (see Further Reading). These superstitious practices are quickly disappearing. Human sacrifice has been completely absent at all times in mainstream Hinduism , and is severely condemned and seen with utmost horror by all mainstream Hindus. But the absence of any central Dogma in Hinduism has allowed some unscrupulous sideline cults to exist. A few Indian tribes like Maraya and Thugs used to also practice human sacrifice. In Hindu narratives, practising human sacrifice and eating human meat was a work of the demons (See Demon ). In the Aeneid by Virgil the character Sinon claims that he was going to be a human sacrifice to Poseidon to calm the seas (of course Sinon was lying). Human sacrifice is a common theme in the Religion s and Mythology of many cultures. OTHER ASPECTS Self sacrifice Self-sacrifice, the act of deliberately following a course of action that has a high risk or certainty of suffering or death (which could otherwise be avoided), in order to achieve a perceived benefit for certain others, is a powerful theme with a well established place in many Culture s, Myth s, and Societies . Examples include:
In cases where literal death is not at issue, self sacrifice connotes a theme of self-deprivation, that one does not have all one might, or accepts a loss or discomfort, for the benefit of others. Examples include:
Sacrifice in games Sacrifice is also used metaphorically to describe a number of plays in Game s. Sacrifices, in this sense, are plays that deleteriously lose pieces or opportunities in order to obtain some other advantage. In to disrupt the opponent's formation and open up an attack. Chess Opening s that involve sacrifices are usually called '' Gambit s'' by chess players; in these gambits, usually a pawn is deliberately lost; gambits that lose a piece are rare and risky. In Contract Bridge , a Sacrifice is a deliberate higher level bid of a contract which is likely to fail, in the hope that the adverse cost of the failure will still be less than the opponents' likely successful score would have been. In Baseball , a '' Sacrifice Fly '' is a play in which a batter hits a fly ball deep into the outfield for an out so as to enable a runner on third base to score. Likewise, a Sacrifice Bunt in baseball is one in which a batter deliberately allows himself to be put out while advancing a team mate to second and/or third base, from where he has a greater chance to score. Players who commit either a sacrifice fly or bunt are not charged with a "time at bat," thus the out that they sacrificed is not charged against their batting average. In a few Role-playing Games , some characters have the ability to give up their Hit Points in order to restore all others' Hit Points and Magic Points . SEE ALSO
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