Sensationalizing of "human sacrifice"

[Craig Berry]

On Tue, 27 Jul 1999, micc wrote:

> Very cogent analysis of the discussion.....
>
> It can be said that 20th century Germany, japan, Cambodia, Uganda,
> Argentina, Chile, China, Rawanda, Serbiaand yes EVEN the U.S. (remember
> hiroshima and Nagasaki?) have practiced "human sacrifice"....

Again, I insist on greater linguistic/sociological rigor!
'State-sponsored killing' and 'warfare' are not the same thing as
'sacrifice'.  Sacrifice is 'to make sacred'.  A killing which is a
sacrifice is conducted for a specific religious reason, as part of a
ritual in which such killing plays a necessary part.  Killings motivated
by secular goals (winning a war, ridding society of a troublemaker, and
the like) are *not* sacrifices.  The Nahua are intriguing in part because
their concept of warfare partly bridged this gap.

Can we agree on this important clarification, and use words in this way?
I believe it will help improve the light to heat ratio on the mailing
list...

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