Animal sacrifice

Animal sacrifice is the willful killing of an animal in a spiritual/religious ceremony. The purpose of which is to engender favor with a particularly entity of power that exists beyond the world of the living and beyond the understanding of mere mortals. Such entities may include the Judeo-Christian interpretation of God, the angels of Heaven or even Satan and his various demonic minions. Practioners of the voodoo faith will often sacrifice animals in the name of the Saints, whom they hold in as high a regard as their own token spirit guides such as Baron Samedi, Damballa and Agw. With Satanic or other black magic rituals, it is not uncommon to sacrifice human beings rather than animals. Classically, animals used in sacrifice were known to have great value to the community, usually as a source of food. This is why many rituals involve the sacrifice of animals such as chickens, cows, pigs and goats. Killing an animal that holds no real value to the one doing the killing cannot truly be regarded as a sacrifice.