The penalty for our sins is death (Rom 6:23), both physical and spiritual. In order to have atonement (forgiveness) for our sins, and be saved from "death," God has required that a life must be given, and its blood be shed (Heb 9:22). A living creature must forfeit its life, so that another can live.
This shows the awfulness that is sin, and it also points to the one sacrifice that puts an end to all others, Jesus Christ.
God said in (Lev 17:11) that the life of a living creature is found in its blood. Blood represents life. When a life was taken, and its blood shed as a sacrifice, it represented new life for another. It made atonement for their soul (same verse).
Because of what blood represented, God would not allow anyone to eat the blood of an animal (Lev 17:12). Anyone who ate it was to be cut off from among the people (Lev 17:14).
The Bible tells us, however, that the blood of bulls and goats could not actually take away sins (Heb 10:4). The Old Testament sacrificial system, and the High Priest, was simply a picture that pointed forward to Jesus. Only through the blood of Jesus can we actually have remission of, and redemption from our sins (Mt 26:28)(Col 1:14)(Eph 1:7). His blood cleanses us from ALL sin (1 Jn 1:7). Through the offering of Jesus' body, we are sanctified once for all (Heb 10:10). Those in the Old Testament looked forward to this, and today we look back at it.
@Silverwings Amazing isn't it, how so many strongly religious members of one faith assume that what they think right [i]for themselves[/i], is therefore automatically right for [i]everyone[/i] else, of any other sect, faith, cult or none! :-)
Anyway the original point was the rightness or otherwise of killing an animal (or human) as mere ritual. Nothing to do with "sin" however defined; but the apparent necessity to atone for doing wrong by performing another wrong whose "need" you blame on your deity.
@ArishMell [quote]Amazing isn't it, how so many strongly religious members of one faith assume that what they think right for themselves, is therefore automatically right for everyone else, of any other sect, faith, cult or none! [/quote] I remember the words of a Wiccan speaker at a Pagan convention I attended many years ago - [quote]I [b]know[/b], beyond all doubt, that my path is the right one ........ for me. [/quote]
My friends include 3 Anglican clerics and at least 1 Wiccan - a former girlfriend and her sister were Wiccans too - and none of them ever try to proselytise like some of the contributors on here.
@ArishMell Wickens can do what ever they choose to as long as it is not illeagal, as for Christians, it is Gods will that we share our faith and belief with others, so that all will have an opportunity to accept him.
@Silverwings You should also accept the fact that most of us don't want your beliefs shoved down our throats.
Would you be happy for Satanists to call at your home to share their faith? How about if they attempted to convert your children to their faith by supplying them with Satanic literature? After all, it's no more than what many christians do.
@Silverwings You asked for an example of christians spreading lies. (https://similarworlds.com/19-Spirituality-Religion/2998428-Why-do-you-think-god-demands-blood-sacrifices-and?com_id=35074082&ncom_id=35286179&sort=1) Unless you can present evidence [b]proving[/b], beyond doubt, that your god exists and actually said that, there's is the example you requested.
To save wasting everyone's time, our existence is [b]not[/b] proof of your god any more than is it proof of The Flying Spaghetti Monster and the bible is not a reliable source.
Now perhaps you will answer my question. I'll repeat it here -
[b]Would you be happy for Satanists to call at your home to share their faith? How about if they attempted to convert your children to their faith by supplying them with Satanic literature?[/b]
@Silverwings That's not sharing. It's aggressive proselytising based on thinking you defending God, but you paint that God - which is perfectly capable of looking after itself - as a frankly, very unpleasant, wrathful and jealous god of death.
Describe a genuinely creative, loving, caring, understanding and forgiving God you happen to follow, and suggesting we might find He/She/It similarly comforting, and then we might agree you are trying to "share" your belief.
Otherwise, as Sharon says, you [i]are[/i] just trying to ram it down our throats: you present yourself as regarding your [i]personal[/i] religious [i]opinion[/i] as a "fact" that is almost compulsory for everyone, merely because you find such [i]belief[/i] right for you.
That is why you are only getting people's backs up - and we have still to read a convincing, objective answer from you to how killing some innocent creature (animal or human, edible or not), might satisfy a deity. A deity I might point out, that you believe made such creatures. You simply attack anyone for daring to question you or your belief, and quote a book stating ancient religious [i]opinions[/i].
@ArishMell I take it that you object to my being able to speak about my God at all? You would like very much to silence me! Obviously I must be saying something right to get under your skin? If not why put up such a fuss?
@Sharon Satanist are the exact opposite of Christians, of course I would object to them teaching my children anything. In fact I would protest if any other religion tried to teach my children anything.
@Silverwings [quote]Satanist are the exact opposite of Christians,[/quote] So what? They have the same right as you to share their faith with others. That includes attempting to convert your children to Satanism just as christians attempt to convert other people's children to christianity. To say otherwise is hubris and hypocrisy - something that seems to be common among christians. Why should non-christians tolerate your proselytising when you're so intolerant of others?
@Silverwings Of course not! NO-ONE is attacking your right to believe in your God as you do, and to explain that belief.
What upsets some of us is the way you do it- as if telling us your version of your religion is somehow the only one, somehow "right" or "true" for everyone, and that we must all follow it.
For all you know, unless we have explained our beliefs, we may be just as religious as you but by some other sect or religion entirely.
All that doom-laden, guilt-trip and death-penalty stuff hardly helps you convert us, either!
