The opening verses of Sunday’s Gospel describe an ancient and assuredly gruesome practice; blood sacrifice. Blood sacrifice of animals, even humans, has been practiced across history and long considered holy. It was practiced by the people of ancient China and India, by the Greeks, Romans, Celts, Aztecs, and still more. Readers of the Old Testament know it too contains blood sacrifice practices. One instance is the background context for this Sunday’s Gospel. After Mary gives birth to Jesus and “the days were completed for her purification,” Mary went with Joseph “to offer the sacrifice of … two young pigeons, in accordance with the dictate in the law of the Lord.” (Lev 12:2-8)
Blood sacrifice of living creatures was deceptively described as a saving life-giving practice in the Old Testament: “For the life of the flesh is in the blood; and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your lives: for it is the blood that makes atonement.” (Lev 17:11) Blood sacrifice of living creatures is a routine ritual in the Old Testament. It is part of the Old Testament’s religion. That religion is Militarism. Militarism is a religion based on the worship of dominating War Lords, who inflict justified suffering, and ultimately slaughter life in blood sacrifice rituals. Militarism’s primary blood sacrifice ritual is enacted on the battlefield. Thus, neither the religion of Militarism nor its blood sacrifice rituals are only ancient practices but instead quite current and still gruesome. A less commonly practiced blood sacrifice element of the religion consists of an after battle blood sacrifice, in which the flesh of conquered warriors was eaten. Given this macabre religion, true life blood, that of a woman’s flow and that which she spills upon giving birth, was not believed a source of salvation but rather of defilement. (Lev 15:19-24; 25-27) It is because of the Old Testament’s religion of Militarism that a woman, Mary, as quoted above, had to be purified from spilling blood that brings forth life! She was purified by having a man, the priest, perform the supposedly saving act of spilling the blood of two animals! It is necessary to recognize the obvious insanity of a life distorting military based religion that exalts the blood sacrifice of human beings in war, while it denigrates the blood sharing of women, especially in giving birth. Recognizing that insanity is the first step in freeing ourselves from the religion of Militarism. It coerces us into worshiping War Lords, justifying inflicted suffering on subordinates, and exercising violence as if salvific.
The religion of Militarism is an ancient and still pervasive blood sacrifice system mandating violent death. Whether it is the death of two pigeons, Jesus on the cross, 500,000 Iraqi’s, or 6,000 U.S. soldiers, whether it is assassinated cops, or unarmed Black men, whether abortion, or the death penalty, or pollution, Militarism is the life distorting belief system responsible for all the bloodletting. Militarism has unfortunately infiltrated Christianity. It did so centuries back when it was institutionalized by Constantine. The time is long passed for Christians to convert from institutional christianity. Militarism diverts Christians from the truly life-giving practices of Mary, Jesus, and so many other brave souls.
Prayer: Spirit of Life, we are open to creating a truly Holy Family across the world.
Question: Is it possible that the military is not the life-saving organization we have been led to believe and is instead a much larger death system normalizing and glorifying blood sacrifice?
December 28, 2014 Gospel Luke 2:22-40 The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph