669- The practice of human sacrifice dates back to remotest antiquity. Why was humankind led to believe that such a thing could be pleasing to God?
“First, because they did not understand God as being the source of the good. Amongst primitive peoples matter predominated over spirit. They yielded to their animal instincts and that is why they were generally so cruel – their moral sense had not yet developed. Second, primitive humans naturally believed that a living creature had much more value in God’s sight than an inert object. This is what led them at first to immolate animals and humans later, because, according to their erroneous belief, they thought the value of a sacrifice was in proportion to the importance of the victim. Usually, whenever you buy a gift for someone, you always select one with as great a value as the friendship and consideration you want to show the person. The same applied to ignorant humans with respect to God.”
– Then the sacrificing of animals preceded that of human beings?
“There can be no doubt about it.”
– According to that explanation, didn’t human sacrifices originate from a sentiment of cruelty?
“No, but from a mistaken concept of what was pleasing to God – look at Abraham. In time, humans began to commit the abuse of immolating their national enemies and even their personal enemies. However, God has never demanded sacrifices – animal or human. God could never be honored by the useless destruction of God’s own creatures.”
670- Could human sacrifices ever have been pleasing to God if performed with pious intentions?
“No, never, but God does judge the intention. Since they were ignorant, those ancients may have believed they were performing a praiseworthy deed in immolating one of their fellow beings. In that case, God would have heeded the thought but not the deed. As they evolved, human beings had to recognize their error and reject such sacrifices, which could no longer be acceptable to enlightened spirits; I say enlightened because, back then, spirits were shrouded by the veil of matter. By their free will, however, they were able to perceive their origin and their final purpose, and many already intuitively understood the evil they were committing, although in order to continue gratifying their passions they did not cease practicing it.”
671- What should we think of so-called holy wars? Wouldn’t the sentiment that leads fanatical peoples to think they are pleasing God by exterminating the greatest possible number of those who do not share their beliefs have the same origin as the sentiment that formerly led them to sacrifice their fellow beings?
“Such peoples are driven by evil spirits. By waging war on their fellow beings, they act against the will of God, who requires that people love their neighbors as themselves. All religions, or rather, all peoples, worship the same God whether by this or that name. Why wage a war of extermination because a religion is different, or has not yet attained the religious progress typical of enlightened cultures? Peoples may be excused for not believing in the word of the one who was animated by the Spirit of God and sent by God, especially those who have neither seen God nor witnessed the divine acts. But how could you possibly expect them to believe in that word of peace when you seek them out while bearing a sword? They must be educated and we must seek to enable them to understand his doctrine – by persuasion and kindness rather than by force and blood. Most of you do not believe in our communications with certain mortals, so how could you expect strangers to believe in your words when your acts belie the doctrine you profess?”
672- Did the offering of the fruits of the earth have more merit in God’s sight than the sacrificing of animals?
“I have already answered that by saying that God judges the intention; the deed itself holds little importance. Offering the fruits of the earth rather than the blood of victims would obviously be more agreeable to God. As we have told you and continue to repeat, a prayer said from the bottom of the heart is a hundred times more pleasing to God than all the physical offerings you could make. I repeat: the intention here is everything; the deed, nothing.”
673- Mightn’t there have been a way of rendering those offerings more pleasing to God by consecrating them to the relief of those who lacked the necessities of life? And in that case, mightn’t the sacrificing of animals, performed towards such a useful end, have been more meritorious than an abusive sacrifice that served no useful end, or when it profited only those who did not need anything? Wouldn’t there be something truly pious in consecrating to the poor the firstfruits of the earth that God has granted us?
“God always blesses those who practice the good; helping the poor and afflicted is the best means of honoring God. I do not mean to say that God disapproves of the ceremonies you use for prayer; however, there is a great deal of money spent on such ceremonies that could be employed more usefully. God loves simplicity in all things. The person who attaches importance to external acts and not those of the heart is a narrow-minded spirit. Judge for yourself as to whether or not God should be more concerned with form than with depth.”
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