Animal sacrifices

[Gail]

If you were not a religious person how would you explain the reason for animal sacrifice? The origin of the practise?

[Kevin H]

To give an idea as to the ugliness of sin, to hopefully repulse us from it.

[rudywoofs (Pam)]

I'm not sure animal sacrifice *can* be explained by a non-religious person, as an animal sacrifice *always* involves God or a god(s).

[Gregory Matthews]

I have a hard time understanding how an animal sacrifice could be explained outside of some sort of a religious context that had some type of a higher power or essence regardless of whether or not that was conceptualized as a god.

 

[8thdaypriest]

On 12/2/2016 at 3:55 PM, Gail said:

If you were not a religious person how would you explain the reason for animal sacrifice? The origin of the practise?

You would look at the practice - from very ancient times - and say that humans wanted some assurance of good weather, or a good hunt, or bountiful harvests, etc.  Out of that need for assurance (their fears), ancient humans developed belief in powers beyond themselves.  Some action by an individual incidentally preceded a good outcome, and so the action was repeated - hoping for the same good results (like kissing a rabbit's foot).  Such actions - connected with good outcomes - evolved into worship of "gods" (of the sky, or of the earth).  But it all grew out of man's awareness, and his desire for some control over his environment.  If he thought he could bring a good harvest by sacrificing part of the last harvest (or a child from his tribe), that gave him a sense of control. 

This is how today's secular college books on the subject explain it.

We Christians believe it was all a prophecy of Messiah, and a prophecy of how unrepentant sinners will die. 

I'm more interested in a Jewish understanding of WHY Yahweh commanded animal sacrifices.  I've heard some say the LORD simply turned the common practice of animal sacrifice, to focus it on Yahweh - rather than other Gods.