Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Sentient Biped on October 8, 2012 at 10:21pm

Life in those days was brutal and short.  Certainly among the Aztecs, whose human sacrifice was widely reported.

Then again, during the same era, what were the Europeans doing?  

1502: First reported African slaves in The New World  ultimately, I read, about 5 million africans were killed by the slave trade, in addition to the 7 million who were hunted down and transported.  (#s from my poor memory)

1506: At least two thousand converted Jews are massacred in a Lisbon riot.

1519–21: Hernán Cortés leads the Spanish conquest of Mexico.

and basically lots and lots of wars.  

wikipedia

and of course the SPanish Inquisition, which to me is just another drawn out form of human sacrifice....García Cárcel estimates that the total number processed by the Inquisition throughout its history was approximately 150,000; applying the percentages of executions that appeared in the trials of 1560–1700—about 2%—the approximate total would be about 3,000 put to death. Nevertheless, very probably this total should be raised keeping in mind the data provided by Dedieu and García Cárcel for the tribunals of Toledo and Valencia, respectively. It is likely that the total would be between 3,000 and 5,000 executed.  again, wiki.

Permalink Reply by Joan Denoo on October 8, 2012 at 11:13pm

Not a very compassion group of people following a hate filled dogma! History is full of this kind of carnage. I wish all people had the experiences you and I have been able to share, writing about our gardens, and the ways we fix our produce, and sharing with friends. You have taught me so much about gardening and what it means to be a friend, and I don't think you are diminished by being such a wise and good friend. In fact, we both flourish; at least I hope so. 
I love this time of year, seeing the coming dormancy and preparing plants to survive another winter gives me kind of a feeling of continuity. Things are dormant, they spring to life, grow and develop into wonderful tastes and sights and smells, then begin to go dormant again. Truly a wheel of the year. I'm looking forward to watching your gift of potato onions grow in my garden. 

Permalink Reply by Sentient Biped on October 9, 2012 at 10:24am

You have taught me a great deal too.  I'm grateful.

This fall is especially good for me.   I have so many things to plant and get ready for next year.  Summer is not the best time for that.  But I did a lot.  Now I can let up on the watering while dormancy sets in.  There are more fruit trees and vines to plant, and raised beds to construct.

There is a strange small hill behind the house, where I've been obtaining soil for the raised beds.  It's artificial, and is an odd shape, location, and height.  I want to flatten it.  I keep commenting that if I find bones there it will be bad.  I hope not to find a cache of skulls like you posted here!  Maybe the hill is just left over from construction, 45 years ago.  I hope so!

Then I will be excited about Spring coming, to see if it all survived, and the trees make leaves, and some bloom.  My sacrifices (or contributions) to the earth....  compost, trees, bulbs, perennials, herbs, vines, more compost....

Permalink Reply by Chris Breman on October 9, 2012 at 6:30am

As a group, we have certainly nothing to be proud of.

Permalink Reply by Pat on October 9, 2012 at 8:39am

And what's the Christian religion founded on? A human sacrifice! And in honor of that slaughter, every Sunday, good Christians around the world engage in ritual cannibalism - or, if you're a Catholic, actual cannibalism. How much more "spiritually" advanced than the Aztecs, are we?

Permalink Reply by Sentient Biped on October 9, 2012 at 10:16am

I think many religions have an element of god-sanctioned blood lust.  it's a way to satifsy a base, generally taboo instinct, without being punished for doing so.  Plus, increase power, land, wealth by the winning side. 

Permalink Reply by Pat on October 9, 2012 at 7:26pm

SB, I agree (mostly) with your thoughts. Where I differ, considering there are no such thing as "gods," is the idea of a god-sanctioned blood lust. In my humble opinion, it's a human sanctioned blood lust. Humans are responsible for the degeneracy, blood lust, murder, and repression of our fellow primates. We can blame all the supernatural deities we want. Ultimately, if you want to see an angel or a devil, as a human, look in mirror.

Permalink Reply by Sentient Biped on October 9, 2012 at 9:39pm

Should have been more clear. priest- and king- and preacher- and politician- sanctioned blood lust, as projected conveniently onto fictitious but useful claims of gods.