AZ: Child-sacrifice

[Heather Hess]

I agree whole heartedly!  Heather


>From: ECOLING at aol.com
>Reply-To: nahuat-l at server.umt.edu
>To: Multiple recipients of list <nahuat-l at server.umt.edu>
>Subject: Re: AZ: Child-sacrifice
>Date: Thu, 21 Oct 1999 11:01:46 -0600
>
>Richard Haly:
>
>You may know that human sacrifice has been discussed extensively
>on this and other lists, and keeps coming up again and again.
>
>It did occur.
>
>But it is usually sensationalized in our cultures,
>usually as a way of making money in the media,
>or of making ourselves feel how "superior" we are,
>of course neglecting the fact that in our own cultures
>it has occurred too, and if one uses a suitably general
>definition, not circularly designed to apply only to certain
>"manners" of sacrifice, still does
>(i.e. for symbolic or ritual value,
>not for eating because of nutritional needs).
>
>That means it is distorted, and its role in the society
>overemphasized.
>That is much of what "sensationalized" means.
>
>I would always discourage any relative newcomer,
>and any child,  from dealing with this issue at all,
>until they have GREAT maturity,
>stability, presence of mind, ability to detect hidden assumptions
>and motivations behind how things are presented,
>and behind what is chosen to be presented
>and what is chosen to be omitted, etc. etc.
>
>In short, enormous sophistication.
>
>Otherwise, it ends up doing harm both to the modern
>people descended from the ancient people studied,
>and to the psyche of the student looking at the concept.
>
>Sincerely yours,
>Lloyd Anderson
>

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