Now, errr, Just Supposing .....

[FireGarden]

Crops begain failing in communities all over the world.

Tractors were breaking down, seeds were rotting in the ground.
Food production was down to 10% and falling.

Except in those communites that sacrificed healthy people to Huitzilipochtli. They have great harvests, great weather. All lottery winners come from these communities, and they never get cancer or Alzheimers or even the common cold.

Would you suggest to your community that they begin human sacrifice?

[bjornart]

Yes I would. With the kind of data you indicate it would be the only reasonable action. It would suck to have to admit nasty, bloodthirsty deities exists, but what can you do?

[Ratman_tf]

There might be another explanation. Regardless, I wouldn't sacrifice another human being in that manner regardless of the concequences.

I hope so, anyway. This is a hypothetical situation.

[Jarom]

Sure I would. As is, I'm an atheist due to lack of evidence, and the kind of evidence you're talking about would be plenty for me. I'd *hate* Huitzilipochtli in this situation, but when someone demonstrates power on that scale and a willingness to kill people, then I'd ask for his help regardless of my personal feelings about the deity.

- Jarom

[Ladewig]

Murdering people (I am assuming there are no volunteers in these communities) in this manner would require a high level of evidence: well beyond a reasonable doubt. If that level were met, I might not stop people from engaging in that activity, but I would be hard pressed to participate. If that level of evidence were not met, I would hope that I'd have the courage to get between a crowd and a victim, but I cannot guarantee it.

I guess that human sacrifice makes for strange bedfellows, because I'd probably team up with fundamentalist Christians to stop this sort of thing.

[Gregor]

Let me first ask, is Billiefan 'healthy' and do you have her address?

[FireGarden]

I am assuming there are no volunteers in these communities
[....]
I would hope that I'd have the courage to get between a crowd and a victim

Verging on contradiction ;)
I can see it now, "two for one day" at the beating hearts exhibition.

Actually, according to some (non-official, possibly non-credible sources - okay, then, television!) amongst the Aztecs it was condidered an honour to be sacrificed. I'm not sure if that equals "there were volunteers", but .....

As I post, 1 in 6 of the yes vote are volunteers



[mmmm I think Gregor has ulterior motives .....]

[Edited to add missing line]

[Fun2BFree]

I would more thoroughly investigate whether perhaps the people of those communites that sacrifice people to Huitzilipochtli are doing something nefarious to the rest of the world...far more likely given what we know about how the world has worked so far..this is the problem with the hypothetical--it is not grounded in anything like the reality of the last 10,000 years + so it comes out of left field pretty hard to buy into.

[Yahzi]

I had to vote "Yes." Although I would hate Huitzilipochtli morality is a product of evolution designed to help us survive. If your scenario were the case, morality would evolve to accomdate it, and offering yourself as a sacrifice would be an honorable thing to do.

The facts matter.

[triadboy]

Originally posted by GoodPropaganda

Would you suggest to your community that they begin human sacrifice?

I voted yes - on the stipulation that we not sacrifice beautiful young virgins. I think we should sacrifice old women who look like Ernest Borgnine.

[Yahweh]

I voted No. I refuse to bow down and appease anyone, mortal or devine. I dont see how sacrifices of any kind should denote stronger faith. So I'd start my own religion.

[EdipisReks]

i voted no. even though this could be evidence of a deity if all the evidence is proper, i refuse sacrifice my fellow man to some petty, bloodthirsty godling. instead, i would go find some other petty, bloodthirsty godling to kick Huitzilipochtli's ass and hope that this new petty, bloodthirsty godling will go away if asked nicely.

[crocodile deathroll]

Did you ever consider they were just sacrificing "healthy" people with the slightest sniffle rash to that SOB Huitzilipochtli just to hide the evidence that anyone in their colony get sick?

[Yahzi]

I want to amend my answer to make it clear I don't believe in relative morality.

It would always be morally wrong for Huitzilipochtli to demand sacrifice: but human beings would find some morally acceptable way of sharing the burden, so that the human race could continue.

[Ladewig]

I would hope that I'd have the courage to get between a crowd and a victim
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Verging on contradiction
I can see it now, "two for one day" at the beating hearts exhibition.


Yeah, I see the humor. I guess the question then becomes, if I am willing to stand up for the victims and fight the sacrificers, am I willing to kill the sacrificers. And if I am willing to do that, why not just cross-over to the other side.

Of course, the question that keeps running through the back of my mind is, "how can I make money off this situation." Can I sell amulets or charms to Huitzilipochtlians? Does their diet require a special fruit that I could grow. It sounds like Huitzilipochtlianism might really take off - getting in on the ground floor could be profitable.

[Max560]

Since when do we need some deity as an excuse to sacrifice people? I for one ...errr...nothing, never mind

[kittynh]

Sorry, maybe this is why most Christians claim I'm not one. I follow what my own heart and mind tell me is a morally correct path. Killing people for isn't part of that morality. Heck, Texas should though be a great place to live if this were true!

[FireGarden]

Ladewig
Actually, I hadn't thought that you would be willing to use force. I had simply meant that by "getting between the crowd and victim" you would end up a victim yourself. And hence have "volunteered"

Yahzi
I want to amend my answer to make it clear I don't believe in relative morality.

It would always be morally wrong for Huitzilipochtli to demand sacrifice: but human beings would find some morally acceptable way of sharing the burden, so that the human race could continue.
Do you mean that people would find some way to feel good about doing something that is (by some objective view) wrong?

Wouldn't that mean that those people do not have an objective sense of morality? Why should being objective stop at morality?

Self sacrifice already exists, and is already considered honourable by some of those that agree with the aims of the sacrificee. Suicide bombers, those that set themselves alight at protests, hunger strikers.

Some would say that wealth is built on poverty. Is allowing so much of the world to live a third rate existence some kind of human sacrifice?

[Nucular]

Kill people on the basis of a simple correlation which remains unexplored?

I vote no.

Let's look for other causes, or, if the god does turn out to exist, let's see if he'll accept any other kind of deal.

While we're at it, let's claim Randi's million dollars for proving the existence of a deity, and buy up the remaining food. Or offer the dosh to Huitzilipochtli in return for him helping us out.

Let's dialogue, people!

[Yahweh]

Originally posted by kittynh
Sorry, maybe this is why most Christians claim I'm not one. I follow what my own heart and mind tell me is a morally correct path. Killing people for isn't part of that morality. Heck, Texas should though be a great place to live if this were true!
Texas has a macho "we are the ballsiest state in the country" kinda attitude... they wont give up executing people all at once now will they?