Across cultures and religions, faith is meant to guide us toward compassion, humility, and gratitude. Yet, one of the most painful contradictions found in many religious traditions is the practice of animal sacrifice… a ritual that requires the taking the life of another being created by the same God in the name of devotion.
This is not an easy subject to reflect upon, especially because most people who participate in or accept these rituals do so not out of cruelty, but because they were born into systems where such practices are normalized. From childhood, rituals are presented as sacred, unquestionable, and essential to belonging. Over time, what once may have felt uncomfortable becomes familiar.
What Does “Sacrifice” Really Mean?
The word sacrifice comes from the Latin sacrificium, meaning “to make sacred” or in other words, to give up something of one’s own for a higher purpose. True sacrifice involves personal renunciation, effort, or restraint.
Taking the life of another living being, especially one who does not want to die and in fact desperately wants to live, does not fit this meaning. Killing an animal in a ritual is not a sacrifice by the human performing it; it is the greatest loss, that of life itself, forced upon the animal.
A Violent Ideology Passed Down as Tradition
Animal sacrifice is, at its core, a violent ideology, one that requires the suppression of empathy and the distortion of moral reasoning. To participate, people must learn to numb their compassion, turn away from justice, and silence the inner voice that naturally recoils at violence.
Most humans, when left to their innate instincts, feel compelled to help an animal in distress, not harm them. The ability to kill, or watch killing without protest, has to be learned.
Animal Sacrifice Across Religions
Animal sacrifice exists in varying forms across religions, though the rituals, justifications, and frequency differ. The underlying idea remains the same: to kill an animal, offer it superficially and then consume the dead body, often with the promise of blessings, forgiveness, or prosperity.
In the Indian context, some commonly known practices include:
- Bali Pratha in certain Shakta traditions, where goats, chickens, or buffaloes are killed to appease deities like Kali or Durga
- Gadhimai festival (though carried out in Nepal, it is historically linked to the region) involving mass slaughter of animals
- Bakrid / Eid al-Adha, where goats, sheep, or camels are sacrificed to commemorate obedience
- Local temple sacrifices during village festivals, often involving chickens, goats, or pigs
While explanations differ from pleasing a deity to warding off misfortune, the outcome remains unchanged: we take the life of an animal, usually in a brutal manner.
Who Benefits From These Rituals?
Practices involving violence rarely sustain themselves without vested interests. Over time, animal sacrifice appears to have served economic and power structures benefiting those who sold animals, controlled rituals, or profited from feasts and gatherings.
To normalize killing, compassion itself had to be dismantled. Only thoughts rooted in domination, greed, or indifference could have laid the foundation for such customs. Once established, people followed these customs… some for taste, some for fear, some for social acceptance.
Control, Indoctrination, and the Silencing of Critical Thought
Animal sacrifice also functions as a tool of control. By labeling rituals as “divine” or “customary,” questioning is discouraged. Individuals who feel discomfort are told to ignore it, reinforcing obedience over conscience.
Children, especially, are deeply affected. Witnessing the brutal killing of animals can cause serious psychological trauma. Many children cope by:
- Emotionally shutting down
- Blocking memories
- Normalizing violence
- Detaching from empathy
This early conditioning weakens critical thinking and trains individuals to follow the crowd, even when their inner values protest.
Glorification of Violence as Celebration
Ritual killings are often wrapped in celebration: music, food, crowds, and social approval. People shield them from scrutiny by calling them “tradition”. Yet, tradition alone cannot justify harm. We have abandoned many practices once considered normal as our societies evolved toward justice.
A Compassionate Alternative: Gratitude Instead of Killing
The solution is not to attack faith, but to transform it.
Imagine replacing sacrifice with gratitude.
Instead of bloodshed, acts of thankfulness.
Instead of fear, reverence for life.
Gratitude rituals can include:
- Offering fruits, grains, flowers, or cooked plant foods
- Feeding the hungry
- Planting trees
- Caring for animals
- Collective prayers centered on thankfulness rather than appeasement
The Role of Youth and Conscious Adults
Real change begins when young people and aware adults take the lead. This includes:
- Engaging in respectful dialogue with religious heads
- Approaching temple committees and mosque/church managements
- Proposing non-violent alternatives
- Creating local gratitude and thankfulness groups
Daily practices of gratitude reshape not only rituals, but society itself by making shifts from violence to kindness, from fear to justice a habit.
Remembering Our True Nature
Compassion is not something we need to learn.
It is something we need to remember.
A society that protects the vulnerable whether human or other species is not weak. It is evolved.
Choose Gratitude. Choose Ahimsa.
You don’t need violence to express faith. Join us in creating compassionate alternatives rooted in gratitude, kindness, and justice.
Want guidance on starting local gratitude or thankfulness groups or engaging with places of worship in your area? Reach out to us. We’re here to support you.