Bible Humper

Geotheo asked me to back up my claims that Yahweh loves the smell of freshly burnt animals. Yahweh is a deity no different from any other sky-juju revered by a primitve tribe of barbarians, the NT heralded a new approach to this sky monster, but there are tons of anachronisms that remind us that this new kinder, gentler magical grandfather figure deity is the same Yahweh who used to be offered regular sacrifices.

This conversation started with Geotheo in another thread, but I figure that it deserves a thread of it's own anyway.

The OT describe how to sacrifice animals, and also how to burn them nicely so that there is a "savoury" aroma to float up to the deity's cloud castle.

All sacrifices are gifts to the gods, those delivered to Yahweh were no different. This ritual to Yahweh also has the same genesis as the others, it is natural after people have supposed that there are supernatural entities responsible for everything unknown or misunderstood to try and gain the favor of said entities. Giving something that they themselves value is a natural expression of this, as shown by the practice of sacrifice being found in many religions throughout the world.

Theists, even though you disagree regarding your own deity, think of the other deities only and then remember that it has to look the same for yours so that we can have free will to believe in him or not.

Psalm 139:8 "If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. " Interesting that the deity is declared to be in hell.... Anyway, on with the show.

Here are the chapters and verses where you can go to see for yourself, the following summaries are all taken from the Skeptic's Annotated Bible.

The first nine chapters of Leviticus are, of course, crucial to any discussion of the deity's love for the smell of burnt animals.


God gives detailed instructions for performing ritualistic animal sacrifices. Such bloody rituals must be important to God, judging from the number of times that he repeats their instructions. Indeed the entire first nine chapters of Leviticus can be summarized as follows: Get an animal, kill it, sprinkle the blood around, cut the dead animal into pieces, and burn it for a "sweet savor unto the Lord."

More killing, sprinkling of blood, waiving animal parts, and burning carcasses "before the Lord." Leviticus 9:8-21

God gives us more instructions on killing and burning animals. I guess the first nine chapters of Leviticus wasn't enough. He says we must do this because he really likes the smell -- it is "a sweet savour unto the Lord." Leviticus 23:12-14, 18

In these chapters, God provides ridiculously detailed instructions for the ritualistic sacrifice of animals. The burning of their dead bodies smells great to God. Eleven times in these two chapters God says that they are to him a "sweet savour." Numbers 28-29

God give instructions for burning the "dung" of sacrificial animals. This is something that everyone needs to know about (that's why it's in the Bible!). 19:5

The purification of the unclean. These absurd rituals, cruel sacrifices, and unjust punishments are vitally important to God. He even insists that they are to be "a perpetual statute" to all humankind. 19:1-22

God describes once again the procedure for ritualistic animal sacrifices. such rituals must be extremely important to God, since he makes their performance a "statute" and "covenant" forever. Why, then don't Bible- believers perform these sacrifices anymore? Don't they realize how God must miss the "sweet savour" of burning flesh? Don't they believe God when he says "forever"? 18:17-19

God gives more instructions for the ritualistic killing of animals. The smell of burning flesh is "a sweet savour unto the Lord." 15:3, 13-14, 24

The bloody death of Jesus smelled good to God. Ephesians 5:2

Saved people smell good to God. 2 Corinthians 2:15

And I already know that he considers this "debt" we owed him to be paid in full since he sacrificed his avatar to himself, but the fact that he demanded sacrifices before he bribed himself proves that he likes it, but just doesn't require it anymore.


Do any Christians care to explain this thirst for blood by their loving deity?

Boro Nut

Erm... No, I don't think they do.

Boro Nut

missus_gumby

You know, it's almost as if those Levitical temple priests appreciated a good bar-b-q, but were really reluctant to go out and buy and cook one for themselves.

It's so obvious the aroma of toasted goat was a sweet savour to the lord - that's exactly what the temple priests wanted for their Sabbath Roast. Add to that a few pigeons and turtle doves from the female tribe members, and voila, food for ever, for free.

atheist_in_foxhole

I had no idea that Yahweh was so into BBQ. If He really does exist I wonder if there will be a vegetarian section of Heaven for folks like me. Somehow I doubt it!

Vibr8gKiwi

Don't forget the New Testament. Verses there tie this sweet smelling thing to human sacrifice. Apparently God loves the smell of a good crucifixion too:

Ephesians 5:2
And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.

[Edited]
oops, noticed you already had this. Doh!

[ November 21, 2002: Message edited by: Vibr8gKiwi ]</p>

Bible Humper

Haha! Dead on, missus_gumby!

I'm sure that they would love to blame someone other than the deity, but I don't know if they would find it palatable in this case.

To be a Christian requires you to give prodigious amounts of benefit of the doubt to the early figures, if they are going to tell us that animal sacrifices were just part of a confidence scam, and not the deity's fault, then this has crucial implications for the credibility of their Bible as a whole!

Yahweh is supposed to have personally delivered these commands, are any Christians willing to speculate that perhaps the tales of supernatural manifestations found in the Bible were merely the tall tales of superstitious folk that grew with the telling? Just like any other religion....

thebeave

Is there anything in Leviticus about what flavors of BBQ sauce or marinade God and/or Jesus likes? I hope there is plenty of A-1 sauce up there, as my grandaddy is up there and he loves A-1! Would it be sacriligeous to have a side of potato salad with these ymmy animal sacrifices?

[ November 21, 2002: Message edited by: thebeave ]</p>

thebeave

Post deleted because I'm still a BBS posting moron. <img src="graemlins/banghead.gif" border="0" alt="[Bang Head]" />

[ November 21, 2002: Message edited by: thebeave ]

Post edited again because I'm a spelling moron. <img src="graemlins/banghead.gif" border="0" alt="[Bang Head]" /> <img src="graemlins/banghead.gif" border="0" alt="[Bang Head]" />

[ November 21, 2002: Message edited by: thebeave ]</p>

thebeave

[ November 21, 2002: Message edited by: thebeave ]</p>

Bible Humper

Well, after <a href="http://iidb.org/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=45&t=001457" target="_blank">reading this thread</a>, you'll come to the only possible conclusion about which sauce he wants on his meat.

"Man Juice"!

[ November 21, 2002: Message edited by: Bible Humper ]</p>