Animal sacrifice is repulsive to modern people because, in my view, we are taught to treat animals with love and care for them. We are taught that animals are pets and we should not hurt them. I grew up on a farm - I saw chickens, sheep, cows and rabbits being killed to provide food for the family. It was something I am still horrified by. I hated it and yet it caused me to have more respect for animal products. It also caused me to realize that something has to die to provide life for others - plants die and their decay gives other plants nourishment, animals die and give other animals nourishment, Jesus died and through rememberance of him in communion and accepting him into us we are able to live. I struggled with animal sacrifice in the Old testament and the fact that Jesus had to be sacrificed for us for years, but am finally realizing the entire connection. The majority of us see our meat in packages and miss the entire connection of the sacrafice of it getting there. Death , in some form, is needed for life. Jesus Christ was the ultimate death to give us life.
