FATHER JOHN HYDE SJ

@9:18: A perceptive comment. Thanks.
To consider the origins of the notion of the bloodthirsty God, may I offer some thoughts as follows.
The notion of appeasing all powerful but unseen “powers” aka gods, is as old as humanity. It goes back to primitive humanity cowering in caves and forests from the terrors of nature’s devastating earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, lightening, floods, etc, none of which were understood. These entirely natural events were ascribed by our primitive ancestors to “gods” and their effects thought to be purposely directed at us. This thinking is a long standing instinctive human self centered tendency to place ourselves as central to all existence.
The “appeasement” of the wrath of these vengeful gods evolved over countless generations. It became the perogative of individuals perceived to have influence in human society, and by extension, with these unseen “gods.” Thus evolved the first “priests”, and consequently their acquisition of primacy in society through their leadership of practices and rituals believed to influence the unseen gods. These thematic processes occurred over many thousands of years worldwide, with wide variation in practices, but with central belief cores associating human dependency and our wellbeing on appeasing “the gods” by sacrificial offerings conducted by priestly intercessors on our behalf.
When moving up the scale from apparently innefective token offerings, human sacrifice: the greatest possible offering, became the most significant and powerful token of appeasement. It became a grim reality as part of the priestly function of many past primitive cultures, for example Aztec and Inca in South America. It continues to find expression even to this day, albeit in less gory circumstances!
Even though we now scientifically understand many formerly perceived “Godly interventions” such as lightening earthquakes etc, the vestiges of former human misinterpretation of natural disasters and our primitive responses live on in many religious practices.
Christian beliefs in the “sacrifice ” of Christ on Calvary and its “continuation” through “ontologically endowed” priestly offerings of the “Mass” can be understood as part of humankinds continuing evolution in the “Western world” and its ” colonies” as influenced by Christianity. Here, the dominant theme of a bloodthirsty vengeful God of the pre-Christian era, now seems to be in the process of further evolving.
Elsewhere evolution continues change in other forms of beliefs and practices .
MMM

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