I think that this is a very personal response and I would like to seperate my respect for it from the questions I have on the next to bits.
Not that they're discrespectful questions, but that I find that questioning personal things benefits from a considerate approach and text can be crap for that sort of thing
Thank you for being sensitive and asking thought-provoking questions. Now that I've had time to think about it, I'm seeing that I've got a lot of defensive reactions in regards to this topic, which has me surprised. I'll try to do better about articulating myself.
Can/will you elaborate on what you mean by 'doeasn't sit right'? Stream of consciousness would help as a starter, if it's hard to put into a whole picture.
What is disturbing? The offering? What's being offered? Other? How does the current era relate to the gods' acceptence (or otherwise) of the gift?
I suppose the reason actual human sacrifice disturbs me is the fact someone had to be killed for it to happen. Whatever the thoughts were on the proper use of prisoners of war, or the desires of the gods, the modern values I was raised with tell me that murder is wrong. Human life is sacred, and the act of killing should have very good justification behind it (for example, in self-defense of oneself or loved ones, or in capital punishment involving serial killers). To me, "because (I think that/my culture or religion tells me that) the gods want me to" isn't a nearly good enough excuse.
Going to why I don't like the idea of gods accepting that sort of sacrifice... because murder is such a Very Bad Thing in my eyes, I don't like thinking that my gods are associated with Very Bad Things. I acknowledge that most of the gods we have written myths for were/are involved in some pretty terrible things, though I think that there's a deity, and then there's the deity as represented by a certain author, in a certain time period, writing with as much bias as an author today. And with the relationships I've kindled over the years, I can't imagine ever being okay with the gods I know and love accepting a human sacrifice. That's condoning actual murder - not the mythological or figurative kind, but the real kind - and that's not right by me.
Finally, as far as my dislike of human effigy goes... an effigy is supposed to be a stand-in of the real thing. Since I view literal human sacrifice as unjustified murder, I have a hard time understanding why someone would want to reproduce that, even without the loss of human life. However, since there are definitely intentions other than that (even if I can't think of them right now), if the intent of the sacrifice is clearly stated and there's a certain reasoning there for why someone wants to include that... I'd be willing to listen. I don't think I could participate in that ritual, but I would try to understand it.
I hope that makes more sense.
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