How does the metaphor of blood, sacrifice, and purity reinforce exclusionary notions of holiness? This question is important because it reveals how religious traditions have historically used these concepts to justify violence against minorities, women, and LGBTQ people. The idea that someone's identity can be determined by their genetic makeup, or that certain individuals are "impure" due to their physical features or behavior, has been used to exclude entire groups from participating fully in society. In this article, we will explore the ways that blood, sacrifice, and purity have been used to promote an exclusive notion of holiness throughout history.
Blood
Blood has long been associated with both life and death in many religions and cultures. It is often seen as a symbol of strength, power, and vitality.
It has also been used to exclude certain people from access to sacred spaces and rituals based on their ethnicity or gender.
Many indigenous tribes believed that only those who had the right amount of "blood quantum," or percentage of native ancestry, could participate in ceremonies and receive spiritual guidance. Similarly, in some African societies, women were considered impure during menstruation and forbidden from entering temples. This practice was justified by the belief that they were "unclean" and needed to be protected from polluting the holy space. These examples illustrate how blood was used to create divisions between insiders and outsiders within religious communities.
Sacrifice
Sacrifice is another concept central to many religious traditions. In ancient times, animal sacrifices were commonplace in order to appease gods and ensure good fortune for one's tribe or community.
Human sacrifice became more prevalent, particularly among civilizations where fertility was important for survival. Women and children were often chosen because they represented the future of the group and were thought to possess greater purity than older individuals. The Aztecs, for instance, performed human sacrifices regularly, believing that the victims' blood would nourish the earth and bring forth new crops. Today, some groups still perform animal sacrifices for similar reasons, such as the annual killing of goats in Yemen as part of a pilgrimage festival. Once again, this practice reinforces an exclusionary notion of holiness by privileging certain individuals over others based on their ability (or willingness) to give up life for the greater good.
Purity
Purity has been closely linked with notions of holiness throughout history. Many cultures have had strict codes of behavior regarding sex, diet, dress, and other aspects of daily life. Those who did not adhere to these codes were seen as impure and unworthy of being part of the religious community.
In medieval Europe, Jews were forced to wear distinctive clothing to mark them as "unclean" and separate them from Christians. Similarly, Muslim women who do not cover their hair are sometimes considered immodest and therefore unable to enter mosques or participate fully in worship services. These ideas of purity are often rooted in fear and anxiety about contamination, which can lead to violence against those deemed "impure."
The metaphor of blood, sacrifice, and purity has long been used to exclude minorities, women, and LGBTQ people from access to religious communities and rituals. By portraying these groups as inherently "unclean," they are excluded from participation in the sacred sphere and denied full membership in society. This trend continues today in many places around the world, demonstrating that religion is still a powerful force shaping social norms and attitudes towards difference.
How does the metaphor of blood, sacrifice, and purity reinforce exclusionary notions of holiness?
According to some anthropologists, the idea that blood is sacred can be found in many cultures across time and space. In these traditions, the shedding of blood may have been linked to rituals of fertility or healing, but it has also served as a way to distinguish between those who are pure and unpure, thus creating boundaries based on exclusion rather than inclusion.