Christianity Based on Human Sacrifice?

I was doing a world religion assignment for class and because one of my topics was Jesus i came to an interesting realization.

Christianity is based on Human Sacrifice. Jesus sacrifices himself so that humans can escape the original sin, that's still human sacrifice.

I mean from a Christian perspective what happened here?

God thought, all of them down there are sinners, i want to change that so im going to send my son down to be slaughtered so that everyone can live free of the sin they committed in the garden.

Do Christians even know were the original idea of sacrifice comes from?

How men who were charged with a crime were set up to be sacrificed, but a way to avoid this was punishment to bring an animal to the temple to be sacrificed in your stead, and while you cut its throat and let its blood spill out, you would whisper your sins into its ear, thereby transfering your sin to the animal.

And another thing that has been bothering me is if Jesus released humans from original sin then why are all the punishments still upon us, like pain in child birth

Also why is it stated that the instant you eat from the tree of knowledge you die, does that make God a liar, and isnt lieing considered wrong and dysfunctional in modern society, and how could god be perfect if he lies?

Anyone have any ideas?

Your referring to the old testament not the new testament. Do some more research.

First, you have to understand,God the father sent his son Jesus in the flesh to die for All of mankinds sins.so that whosoever believeth on Him would receive the eternal gift of life, salvation.

Even though Jesus came in the flesh (meaning human form)he was not human, he was God
therefore, their was no human sacrifice. God wanted a sacrifice that would be final
And last eternity.Therefore Jesus' sacrifice covers all sin; past, present and future. and asking forgiveness for your sins and believing you are forgiven covers your sin for all eternity.

When original sin entered the world, physical death entered
This world. Your sins being forgiven have nothing to do with escaping physical death. It does however mean that you will have life eternal with God after your flesh or body has died.

Original sin entered the world not from Adam eating from "the tree of knowledge" but from both Adam and Eve disobeying God and doing the one thing God commanded them not to do and that was eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil.
Hope that helps clear up some confusion.

First of all you have to stop being so angry or upset. I use to be the same way. People who spend time thinking and disecting religion always have questions, disagreements and total confusions but the truth is that somewhere inside yourself you believe in Him. Stop being angry. As stated in the above posts Jesus died so that we can have eternal life. Jesus' suffering can be easily explained by stating that to prove Gods existance to the non-believers, Jesus lived, died and was born again in front of their eyes. This was so God could show the disbelievers that he was indeed REAL. The Bible is not easy to understand but what you must realize is that it is not the total story of our religious history just an excerpt. Hope this helps also!

Absolutely. However, Jesus was fully divine and fully human which of course defies the law of noncontradiction, but then it wouldn't be a real miracle if it did not defy the system we all experience.

Another thing, Jesus Christ is not a simple concept to analyze. A quick internet search and something one cannot explain with their knowledge does not justify calling into question a figure of this caliber. It may bring it about but does not justify it.

As for the tree, it was not that if someone touched it they would be struck dead, rather, they lose their immortality and are forced to walk the earth and perpetuate in a more animal-like manner.

I looked up Jewish human sacrifice and only found anti-semitic sites. The Bible from the start talks about sacrifice of one's possessions (sheep, fruit, etc.) but not human sacrifice. The Jews rejected that concept and disdained it as something of the pagans. The Torah is the most sacred Jewish book and the Jews never endorse sacrifice.

One site says that God wants all firstborns to be consecrated (the site thinks this means burned as an offering). No, consecrated means dedicated to a sacred purpose, made holy, seen as special. This in no way refers to sacrifice.

Abraham is commanded by God to kill and burn his son. This was a test of faith showing complete obedience to God. This was not serial killer activity and if the story is to be taken seriously, Abraham was not hearing voices because his hand was stayed by an angel. Tests can be terrifying but it is God's place to test. The story has a happy ending. A ram is sacrificed instead. Perhaps this is God saying: Thank you for your faith but I do not approve of human sacrifice, only animal.

Japeth tells God he will burn the first thing he sees on his return home. Japeth is horrified at the idea of offering his daughter when she rushes out to meet him. He keeps his promise to God out of faith though he regrets the pain caused. This in no way insinuates that all Jews had a habit of burning their children.

Josiah executes pagan priests on an altar but it is not a true sacrifice because he desecrates their bodies. It is more of a dominance issue.
This site also thinks that execution by burning equals a sacrifice. No, it is capital punishment.

The proof is not in the Bible. Because the Torah in the Bible is the chief Jewish holy book and because it does not endorse sacrifice, they probably did not sacrifice their children to God.

There is a whole history of early Christians sacrificing to thier God. It is in many books. Christians during the Roman era would wonder around the streets at night picking up abandoned babies and half dea people. What they did next isn't very Christian like. They would sacrifice these individuals then resort to cannibalism with there sacrifice.

Bet most you Christians didn't know that little fun fact did ya?

Ok first off thanks for posting everyone

second im not angry just curious

third the concept of Jesus being God just doesnt make sense, how can he be god and gods son at the same time and be human at the same time, and even if this were true are you saying that Christianity is based on GOD sacrifice, since Jesus was divine and he sacrifices himself?

Fourth if Jesus is divine doesnt that mean that by worshiping him you are worshiping more then one god, making Christianity Polytheistic

Fifth whoever said the thing about it being the old testament, well its still a part of the Christian religion so its open to criticism

reply to post by tankthinker

Christianity is based on Human Sacrifice.

It can certainly be looked upon this way, since Jesus was, as written, obedient to death.

Jesus sacrifices himself so that humans can escape the original sin, that's still human sacrifice.

Yet, to me, Jesus' sacrifice and death actually occurred in the Garden of Gethsemane where he gave his personal will over to God and defeated (killing) the ego.

third the concept of Jesus being God just doesnt make sense, how can he be god and gods son at the same time and be human at the same time,

My understanding is that Jesus is God because he was able to get himself so much out of the way (the ego) that all that was left of him was God.

Let me ask you... how can you be God's son, as we all are, and be human at the same time?

The actual question that, I think, should be asked is what makes him a Son of Man that he self described himself as?

What is a Son of Man? Is it just any ol' baby boy, or is it someone in the image of the Adam before the fall?

And, perhaps shockingly to some, there were several other Sons of Man before Jesus as the Old Testament reveals.

Fourth if Jesus is divine doesnt that mean that by worshiping him you are worshiping more then one god, making Christianity Polytheistic

Jesus' teachings are to be followed. I don't think that that constitutes worship. Yet, there are those who do worship Him... some properly and some improperly...

Properly by following his teachings, which enables the true worship of God, for his teachings sum up the Law: And he answered, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself." Luke 10:27

Improperly by believing they don't have to do what he said and only for the sake of believing they have some sort of benefit not available to others who in fact do live the teachings, but may not actually call themselves Christian.

Here's what I don't get. Why did forgiveness of sins have to require sacrifice at all? Why couldn't God, being almighty and powerful, just think the thought and forgive them without bloodshed and death?

When someone wrongs me, I don't require them to bring me some sort of sacrificial lamb to atone. They say "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that" and I reply "It's ok, I forgive you". If I'm capable of doing that, I'm most certain that God is as well.



[edit on 22-11-2008 by Mav3rick]

I feel I must insert some scripture here:

Leviticus 18:21 Do not give any of your children to be sacrificed to Molech, for you must not profane the name of your God. I am the Lord.

Deuteronomy 12: 31 You must not worship the Lord your God in their way, because in worshiping their gods, they do all kinds of detestable things the Lord hates. They even burn their sons and daughters in the fire as sacrifices to their Gods.

2 Kings 3:26-27 When the king of Moab saw that the battle had gone wrong against him, (the Israelites won) he took with him seven hundred swordsmen to break through to the king of Edom, but they failed. Then he took his firstborn son, who was to succeed him as king, and offered him as a sacrifice on the city wall.

2 Kings 16:3 He walked in the wasy of the kings of Israel (kings that fell away from God) and even sacrificed his son in the fire following the detestable ways of the nations the Lord had driven out before the Israelites.

Psalm106:106:36-38 They worshiped their idols, which became a snare to them. They sacrificed their sons and their daughters to demons. They shed innocent blood if their sons and daughters whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan, and the land was desecrated by their blood.


I think this is enough to show that the Lord most certainly without a doubt did not want human sacrifices. Now, when if comes to the sacrifice of Jesus think on this... Isaiah 53 He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afficted. But he was piereced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all like sheep have gone astray, each of us turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. Yet it was the Lord's will to crush him and cause him to suffer,and though the Lord makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand. After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light of life and be satisfied, by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities.

Jesus knew he was going to have to come to earth to become the perfect blood sacrifice that was needed to bridge the gap from man to the Father. All the animal sacrifices could not do that - only the blood of Christ. And a Christian (follower of Christ) is washed clean of our sins by the blood of Jesus. It was his giving his life that gives us eternal life.

Hope that helps some.

Peace to you,
Grandma

Originally posted by Grandma

Jesus knew he was going to have to come to earth to become the perfect blood sacrifice that was needed to bridge the gap from man to the Father. All the animal sacrifices could not do that - only the blood of Christ. And a Christian (follower of Christ) is washed clean of our sins by the blood of Jesus. It was his giving his life that gives us eternal life.

Well that just proves my point Jesus was a blood sacrifice

Originally posted by Mav3rick
Here's what I don't get. Why did forgiveness of sins have to require sacrifice at all? Why couldn't God, being almighty and powerful, just think the thought and forgive them without bloodshed and death?

When someone wrongs me, I don't require them to bring me some sort of sacrificial lamb to atone. They say "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that" and I reply "It's ok, I forgive you". If I'm capable of doing that, I'm most certain that God is as well.

DING!!!!!!!!!!!

This in itself proves that Jesus was not a sacrifice. Far from it. Jesus died because he followed the truth 100%. It is in his LIFE EXAMPLE, not his death that man can find salvation and truth to be saved by.

So, you have a bunch of people on earth who simply do not get it. How do you save these people? By showing them the truth in example. And that is why god so loved the world that he had to send Jesus - even though the very people he was sent to help would kill him.

When he is crucified, he doesn't say - why thanks boys for helping me fulfill my destiny and sacrificing me, truly great of you. NO, he said - bless them father for they know not what they do. They do not realize they are doing the WRONG thing by killing me.

If Jesus had fought back, he would have broken a commandment, which Jesus never does. He showed people who to follow the commandments 100%.

This is not taught because then it breaks the church premise of "Just war". Where men are allowed to KILL other men, HATE his neighbor and so on. Where the church manipulates and gets people to break the commandments in the name of Jesus.

The commandment was thou shall not kill. Not, thou shall not kill except in my name. Jesus told people not to be afraid of those who can only give them death, and then have no power after. But the entire premise of christian just war theory is that it is ok for you to kill in that exact same situation.

The people who are persecuted all in history are people who REFUSED to break the commandments the authority of the time told them too. The bible says Christians will be persecuted until the return of Christ(truth), but yet the leader of the most powerful nation in the world claims to be christian.

If you were against the Iraq war, how were you treated in this "christian nation"? I can tell you, it wasn't nice at all. I was called all sorts of names, received death threats and many other things.

These people worship his death, not his life.

To "bath in the blood of christ", is to bath in the truth he spoke.

[edit on 23-11-2008 by badmedia]

reply to post by tankthinker


tankthinker:

Blood sacrifice or a OFFERING up of himself..........In the garden while Jesus was praying so hard to the Father My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Then he said to Peter and John to stay here and keep watch.

Then going a little farther he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him, he prayed........Abba, Father everything is possible tor you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will. It is said that Jesus prayed so hard that night that he actually sweated beads of blood. Now, science has proven that a person under tremendous amount of stress and suffering can in fact sweat beads of blood. The little blood veins in our forehead are so tiny and right on the surface. They can rupture under tremendous amount of stress.

Now, note that Jesus is praying that he would rather not go through with THE PLAN but if not possible (WHICH HE KNEW) THAT IT BE THE WILL OF THE FATHER, AND NOT HIS WILL. He knew what was going to happen. He was waiting for them to come get him. He offered himself as our way to reach Abba the Father.

It is only up to us either to take him up on his offering or not.


Peace,
Grandma