Sacrifice is a religious ceremony in which something is given to a god or the gods, thus becoming “holy.” The word comes from two Latin terms meaning to make holy. People offering the sacrifice often expect to receive some physical or spiritual good, and to achieve a proper relationship with the sacred power. Sacrifices have included food, animals, and even human beings.
There are many ideas about the origin of sacrifice. Some people claim that it was divinely instituted. Others believe it developed from people’s inner conflicts, uncertainties, or feelings of guilt and remorse. Still others believe the sacrificed object occupies a middle space between humanity and sacred beings, thus connecting them.
Many religions include a ritual of sacrifice, often symbolically. Christianity teaches that the sacrifice of Jesus makes other sacrifices unnecessary. The Jews have not used sacrifice since A.D. 70, when the Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed. Some religions, such as Buddhism, oppose sacrifice.
