# Death penalty = human sacrifice? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 15, 2014, 7:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-penalty-human-sacrifice/683755 "2014-03-15T07:32:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![j666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@j666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j666)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2014, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-penalty-human-sacrifice/683755/21 "2014-03-16T12:55:45Z")
I’m not sure if I agree, yet, but I’m considering it. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2014, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-penalty-human-sacrifice/683755/22 "2014-03-16T14:19:37Z")
> [@j666](#): > > According to whom? > > I’m sure many traditions of human sacrifice were based on religion, but that does not mean we can not have a secular basis for them now. Sure, you can always start movement to change the definition of something. We could just start saying that anything involving the death of a human is a sacrifice. ---
**Author:** ![ThisUsernameIsForbidden](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b4bc9f/32.png) [@ThisUsernameIsForbidden](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThisUsernameIsForbidden)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2014, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-penalty-human-sacrifice/683755/23 "2014-03-16T17:39:13Z")
The God of Justice demands tribute! ---
**Author:** ![j666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@j666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j666)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2014, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-penalty-human-sacrifice/683755/24 "2014-03-16T21:42:12Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > Sure, you can always start movement to change the definition of something. We could just start saying that anything involving the death of a human is a sacrifice. I am not aware of any definition of “human sacrifice” that **requires** a religious motivation. If you have such a definition from a reputable source, my ignorance is at your disposal. ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2014, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-penalty-human-sacrifice/683755/25 "2014-03-16T22:24:53Z")
> [@protoboard](#): > > Do you think capital punishment is essentially a modern form of human sacrifice? No. I think it is the extreme punishment meted out for the most extreme fuckups. ---
**Author:** ![buddha\_david](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@buddha\_david](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddha_david)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2014, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-penalty-human-sacrifice/683755/26 "2014-03-16T22:57:58Z")
> [@j666](#): > > I am not aware of any definition of “human sacrifice” that **requires** a religious motivation. “Sacrifice” in this context generally means an appeal to the gods. I suppose one could sacrifice something (not necessarily a human) with the hopes that some non-divine authority may hear them and respond, but I’m at a loss to come up with a credible example. In any case, the motivation behind the death penalty (whether you agree or not) has nothing to do with sacrifice, since the state isn’t asking anything in return. It’s more like saying: “See ya!” ---
**Author:** ![j666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@j666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j666)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2014, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-penalty-human-sacrifice/683755/27 "2014-03-16T23:52:55Z")
> [@buddha\_david](#): > > “Sacrifice” in this context generally means an appeal to the gods. I suppose one could sacrifice something (not necessarily a human) with the hopes that some non-divine authority may hear them and respond, but I’m at a loss to come up with a credible example. > > In any case, the motivation behind the death penalty (whether you agree or not) has nothing to do with sacrifice, since the state isn’t asking anything in return. It’s more like saying: “See ya!” So, that’s a no. Fine. ---
**Author:** ![Zyanthia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Zyanthia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyanthia)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2014, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-penalty-human-sacrifice/683755/28 "2014-03-17T14:29:17Z")
Human sacrifice is the act of killing one or more human beings, usually as an offering to a deity, as part of a religious ritual. - Wikipedia. human sacrifice, the offering of the life of a human being to a deity. Encyclopedia Britannica Offering of the life of a human being to a god. - The Free Dictionary Now, if you take human out, you get sacrificial definitions that don’t involve religion, but since my quick Google of “Human Sacrifice” + Definition yielded three sources saying religion, may I request a cite of “Human Sacrifice” that doesn’t involve religion? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/death-penalty-human-sacrifice/683755.md?page=1)