Sunday, November 4, 2007

Religion Fact of the Day

Early Israelites were no different from many other cultures in that they practiced human sacrifice. When Joshua led his armies into Canaan, enemy cities were put under herem or "ban." Every man, woman, and child was killed in the name of Yahweh. This was done because Yahweh said the Canaanites practiced child sacrifice and would act as tempters leading the Israelites away from proper worship to worshiping Baal. Whatever the reason behind it, killing humans in the name of a supernatural figure is human sacrifice (cf. Aztecs, Celts, Chinese, Scandinavians, etc.).

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