davidH

There are so many other discussions that have taken place on this topic.

If you read the OT nowhere does the LORD command the Israelites that they are to saccrifice human lives to him. As seen by the other verses it was because of this evil that the Israelites were to judge the countries when they took the land.

You will find some people giving the verse that the best of the animals are to be given to the LORD and at the end of that verse it also mentions the firstborn. They then go on to say that because the animals were sacrificed to the LORD then this was a command to saccrifice the firstborn.

This is not the case. The giving over to the LORD of the firstborn child was a consecration of the child to God - being set apart , all males were circumcised on the 8th day after they were born as a sign that they were the LORDs.

Nowhere in scripture does God say that human sacrifices should be made to him.

Jack the Bodiless

Moses commands it, on behalf of God. God, apparently, has no objection.

Therefore, the claim that God himself doesn't command it is an attempt to wriggle out of the problem.

Human sacrifice is certainly consistent with what God DOES command: ritual blood sacrifices, and complete slaughter of enemies. Why not do both, by using enemies as sacrifices?

There doesn't appear to be any Biblical reason NOT to do this. Therefore it's entirely reasonable to take the OT references to human sacrifice at face value, rather than pretending that God would disapprove of human sacrifices.