Sacrificing

[Rosie]

We got our new journal question a day early cause my bible teacher won't be here tomorrow and a guest person will do a prayer service in chapel. 

This is a pretty hard question to figure out the answer for but mostly what it is about is the stuff people were willing to sacrifice for God. You know like how Abraham was willing to sacrifice Isaac.  God sacrificed Jesus for us I guess. I don't know.  I honest don't know what I think about that cause isn't a parent supposed to protect there kid?  Why would Abraham kill his own child?  Why couldn't God just forgive us without putting his son through all he did?
I am supposed to write about what I would sacrifice for God.  I don't think I could ever sacrifice a person who I love.  I don't think I could even sacrifice Wilburt or Miss Hissyfit. 
For the parents.  If you had to sacrifice one of your kids to save the others like God did with Jesus would you be able to do it?

[Vince]

This is sort of similar to the "trolley problem" that you see discussed in ethics / philosophy - the basic premise is if there were a runaway trolley that was headed for a number of people who are trapped on the tracks, and by throwing a switch you could divert the trolley to a side track where it would only hit (and presumably kill) just that one person, would you:



1. Do nothing, in which case the trolley will kill the five people on the main track, or 

2. Pull the lever, diverting the trolley onto the side track where it will kill one person?

It's pretty drastic, as drastic as the idea of sacrificing your child (sorry, not going to happen). But would I sacrifice myself to save my child? I'd like to think so, but I hope to never be put into that position.

Interestingly, the story of Abraham is also in the Quran. But in the Quaran, it is Ishmael and not Isaac who is to be sacrificed. Abraham has a vision in which he is told to sacrifice Ishmael, and Ishmael tells his father to do as Allah commands. It was a test, apparently, and Abraham and Ishmael "passed".

Think about it in this way though - sometimes the sacrifice you make is yourself: if a group of kids at school is bullying someone, which is easier - to sit back and let it happen, or to call out the others (and therefore risk them turning on you instead)?

A trick I have learned is when someone tells an inappropriate joke that makes fun of any sort of less-privileged group (whether it is women, or someone non-white, or someone non-straight) is to say, "I don't get it. Why is that funny?"

[charity]

What does your teacher expect to hear back?  Does he have a family?  Would he sacrifice his family?  You can't compare God sacrificing his son with one of us sacrificing someone we love.  Jesus IS God and he took on our sins willingly.  He could have walked away from it but he chose not to.  

[Addy]

You can tell him that you're willing to sacrifice all religion teachers. 

[Tatiana]

I'll sacrifice Clare. Just kidding.
I like Addy's idea. We'll sacrifice all religious education teachers and the clergy too.  

[Kim]

Reread what Vince posted.  The sacrifices you make as a 16 year old kid will be personal ones, such as sticking with the person who is being bullied.  When you want to do something but you let your sister have her pick, you're sacrificing what you want in order to make her happy.  Those little sacrifices are just as pleasing to God as the dramatic ones.  When you give up a Saturday afternoon to vacuum for your grandmother, that's a sacrifice.  There's many ways that you sacrifice but you have to look at the ones that aren't dramatic.  God doesn't want you to put a member of your family on an altar and do them in.    Don't take the Bible literally, take it figuratively.  Think about the allegories you studied last year and try to apply that to Abraham and Isaac.  What message is God trying to send?  Could it be that Abraham and Isaac is meant to show you that God should come first?  That you are to strive to love him best?

[Libby]

Kim are you sure about God not wanting us to put our family members on the altar to do them in?  I have to tell you, I'm quite certain my kids are trying to do me in. 

Rosie, listen to what people are saying.  Sweetheart, think of the New Testament.  Jesus didn't go around sacrificing people, he was the lamb that was sacrificed.  He served others and that is what we're called to do.  

Would I ever sacrifice one of my children if I thought God wanted me to?  No.  God would never ask any of us to do something we couldn't do and I could never harm one of my children.  If I hear a voice telling me to sacrifice one of mine, I'll be running to the nearest psychiatrist. 

[quinn]

I bet your Bible teacher's mind is a scary place to be. These are difficult questions for anyone, let alone a high school student. I like the answers about small sacrifices.

[Rosie]

Right now I will sacrifice Scarlette. 

[Tatiana]

Instead of sacrificing our sisters maybe you could send me Scarlette for a little while and I'll send you Clare so we both get a break from our sisters.  Or we could have Scarlette come here and stay with Clare and I'll go there and stay with you. 

[scarlette]

You can't sacrifice me because you're weird.
Tati I'm sending her to you on the next flight out.  She'll be the one who's been drugged because she's afraid to fly. 

[mandy]

No-one can sacrifice someone else because it isn't Bible days and today it would be called murder. 

[Brit]

Mandy has a point.

[JenniferS]

I hope your teacher was expecting more minor things that you'd be willing to sacrifice. To even consider thinking about sacrificing a life is way beyond something you should have to think about.

[Rosie]

That is how my mom and dad think to but he brought up Abraham was willing to sacrifice his very own son and God sacrificed his very own son. I don't know. But Jesus don't talk about us sacrificing people and I'm pretty sure somewhere he said about us being willing to lay down our life for a friend and that isn't about sacrificing somebody else.