why sacrifice?

[Razorfish]

On topic:
I always been under the belief that sacrifice was a physical way to show dedication and admiration to your chosen god(s). Commonly a lot of cultures used animals and other livestock for sacrifice. This is like saying: "I admire my god so much that I am willing to give up part of my meager food source to him". Let's face it, they didn't exactly have a lot of food back then, generally just enough to live on. Some cultures like the Aztecs and Mayans sacrificed people but thats what they believed their gods demaned from them.

In the Old Testament God did declare animal sacrifice as no longer necessary. I believe that this indicated to the people that God knows your dedicated to him by your daily actions, not by how much of your small food supply you give to him.