article by Darris McNeely
Of all ancient practices of pagan religion, the most hideous were those that involved child sacrifice.
A child being offered as a sacrifice to a Molech idol.
Source: Wikimedia Commons - 1897 Bible Pictures and What They Teach Us: Containing 400 Illustrations from the Old and New Testaments
In the lands of the Middle East and areas around the Mediterranean Sea, this involved the ritual murder of children, often in fire and presided over by a priesthood with the approval of the worshippers.
A child could be placed on an open fire or into an open burning chasm of a metal idol representing gods such as Baal or Molech. Done to appease a god and to gain favor for an abundant harvest, victory in battle or the defeat of one's enemies, these cruel acts litter the ancient world.One well-known cemetery, full of the bones of thousands of infant sacrifices, has been found at the site of ancient Carthage in North Africa. Burials of infant bones and skulls with signs of violent death have been unearthed. Sadly, even the Bible tells of a time in the biblical kingdom of Judah when child sacrifice was carried out in Jerusalem under certain kings.
Any modern nation that chooses to commit child sacrifice in the name of "pro-choice," "family planning" or "abortion rights" should learn a lesson from these examples. The lesson is this: Any culture or people that has participated in child sacrifice has declined and disappeared from history. Ancient Carthage was destroyed by Rome. The Romans sowed salt into its land so it would never rise again. Idolatry eventually won out in Judah, and it was invaded and destroyed by Babylon—its temple razed and the people deported.
We're not so different today. While ancient people would murder their children to please a false god, modern people do the same in honor of a different kind of god—the god of self. This is a hard saying, but it is the truth. The unborn are slaughtered in the millions when they interfere with the pursuit of selfish pleasure and the gods of convenience.
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