Keywords
Ethics, abortion, child sacrifice
Abstract
In my recent studies of history and anthropology I have found reference in many cultures to child sacrifice. These cultures include many far-flung groups that are distinct in geography, worldview, and mythology. A few examples include the Mayans, Incas, and Aztecs of South America. On the other side of the world, examples are found in several cultures of the Middle East, such as the Canaanites, the Edomites, and occasionally the Hebrews. These cultures performed child sacrifice to placate or pacify a deity in exchange for continued services, such as keeping the sun in the sky or bringing rain for the coming growing season. The common factor is that the society sacrificed children for the sake of individual and communal health and wealth. I intend to show that the majority of abortion decisions today are made for these same reasons, and that abortion is morally equivalent to child sacrifice.
Recommended Citation
Miedema, David
(2004)
"Child Sacrifice in the Western World,"
CedarEthics: A Journal of Critical Thinking in Bioethics: Vol. 4:
No.
1, Article 2.
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.cedarville.edu/cedarethics/vol4/iss1/2
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