Pagan sacrifices

[theterminator]

Why did pagans sacrifice their children? Did giving up the lives of their children break their hearts?

[Clive]

Did they? I can vaguely remember some comments by Lane-Fox about the Spartans, but there are so many issues here.

Propaganda by xians

What was the age a baby was thought to be viable - wasn't it eight days, when circumcision occurred in some cultures.

I thought exposure was actually quite realistic - if most of your children are going to die, why not select for that early and save food etc for those likely to survive.

What choices would you make without our health services and knowledge now? And yes, their hearts were broken.

Peter Singer on Ethics is fascinating on these issues.

Maybe utilitarian ideas are ancient?

[Sheshbazzar]

Why did pagans sacrifice their children? Did giving up the lives of their children break their hearts?

Seems in most cases, to influence or appease the god(s), sometimes to bring rain, or quiet the volcano, or to bargain for a bountiful harvest.

As to whether it broke their hearts, that would very much depend upon the particular culture and what was considered socially acceptable.
In many of these primitive cultures having your child selected for sacrifice to the god(s) was regarded as being the highest honor society could bestow.
Many of the victims and their families being willing, even enthusiastic participants in the cult activities even while knowing with certainty that it would culminate in the ultimate sacrifice, the death of the victim.(for the benefit of the entire community, or so it was believed)

Plow the furrow! Plant the corn! ....Make thee the corn! Make thee the corn! Make thee the corn!
(scene from the 1978 movie 'The Dark Secret of Harvest Home' featuring Betty Davis )

[Thor]

As to whether it broke their hearts, that would very much depend upon the particular culture and what was considered socially acceptable.
In many of these primitive cultures having your child selected for sacrifice to the god(s) was regarded as being the highest honor society could bestow.
Many of the victims and their families being willing, even enthusiastic participants in the cult activities even while knowing with certainty that it would culminate in the ultimate sacrifice, the death of the victim.(for the benefit of the entire community, or so it was believed)

Kind of like when people send their children of to war. Not very sure why, or where, many of their children will meet the end.

".... regarded as being the highest honor society could bestow. Many of the victims and their families being willing, even enthusiastic participants in the cult activities even while knowing with certainty that it would culminate in the ultimate sacrifice, the death of the victim.(for the benefit of the entire community, or so it was believed)."


Humans are the same now as before. We see ourselves as some sort of morally or socially evolved being. But we cry for our children as people in the past cried for their children. We rationalize actions with our myths and stories, as people in the past rationalized their actions with myths and stories.

If people could choose abortion instead of exposure as part of "family planning". They would most likely choose the same as we can today. If they could predict the health of their unborn child. they would select with same compassion as parents in our modern "evolved" society.

[Blood]

Why did pagans sacrifice their children? Did giving up the lives of their children break their hearts?

You mean the worshippers of the god "Pagan"?

Be specific. Which religion are you talking about? There was no religion called "paganism."