Compare And Contrast Christian And Aztec Religion

Brian Diaz AMDG

11-3-17

Honors World History and Christian Scriptures

Fr. Teodoro and Mrs. Luna Virtue Essay Christianity and the Aztec civilization developed virtues based on their beliefs. The Aztecs and the Christians were both very passionate about their virtues and customs. Aztecs lived a violent lifestyle, whereas Christians tried to live a life of peace and non-violence. The Christians also practiced the virtue of generosity, while the Aztecs performed self-sacrificing rituals as a way to be generous towards their gods. Self-sacrifice was a virtue for the Aztecs that was taken seriously. The

In Aztec culture, the virtue of self-sacrifice meant that your own life must be sacrificed if necessary. The Aztecs were willing to sacrifice personal possessions and life itself in order to please the gods. Self- sacrifice was an important virtue to the Aztecs because they firmly believed in giving in order to receive, in offering gifts to the earth in exchange for daily sustenance (food), and in paying the gods back for the sacrifices they had made at the Fifth Sun for human life to begin. Self-Sacrifice was seen as an important virtue in their culture in order to keep peace and harmony with the gods and their people. Fagan states, "The offering of human blood was the most profound Aztec religious act. Human sacrifice was the touchstone of all Aztec virtue, the key to their spiritual world. The gods themselves had originated the rite of sacrifice by immolating themselves on the summit of the Pyramid of the Sun at Teotihuacan to create the world of the Fifth Sun" (Fagan 424). According to this statement, sacrifice was a form of payment to the gods for creating life and creation. The reason why Aztecs sacrificed was because they

Leviticus 25:35-37 states, "if your brother becomes poor and cannot maintain himself with you, you shall support him as though he were a stranger and a sojourner, and he shall live with you. Take no interest from him or profit but fear your God, that your brother may live beside you. You shall not lend him your money at interest, nor give him your food for profit". This verse shows, that when something happens to your family member or friend where they can't support themselves anymore, you have to do what you can to help them without expecting anything back from them or any benefit in return. Christians try their best to live by these types of quotes in the bible. This quote represents the virtue of generosity. Generosity is the act of helping others while not expecting anything in return and not valuing material things that much. Christians did not look for the benefit of their own culture, but the benefit of all of God's people, which is everyone in the world, no matter religion nor color. However, Aztecs sacrificed in a more selfish and violent way, whereas Christians sacrificed for the good of not only themselves but everyone. They were very generous towards others and sought the benefits for not only themselves but God's