Blog Post #10

In the reading, Sacrifice: Its Nature and Function by Hubert and Mauss it starts off by defining the term sacrifice and they really want their audience to understand by its meaning. There is a difference between sacrifice and the idea of consecration and Hubert and Mauss want to clarify this idea right off the bat because these two ideas tend to cause a lot of confusion. In the first chapter, they write about how many readers hear about this and are confused by the idea thinking that the two notions are similar. With the idea of sacrifice, something is consecrated and it passes from the common domain to the religious. But where these two terms differ is that not all consecrations are the same kind. The example that is used if that of a king being consecrated. The king’s personality undergoes a religious transformation, but that it the only thing that happens. Everything else remains the same.

As the reading continues throughout the first chapter, Hubert and Mauss explain more terminology around sacrifice. They name a “sacrifier”, which is the identity who undergo the benefits of the sacrifice. This can typically be a specific person, a family, or even a tribe. It is also explained in the reading that a sacrifier does not always and is not always a person, or people. Sometimes a sacrifier is an item that is associated with that person or persons.

Blog Post #8

The story of scapegoat finally makes a little more sense after reading more about it. Throughout my learning, I can clearly remember my teacher's referring to the term of "scapegoat" in some teachings, but I never really understood the meaning exactly. The escapegoat video was a cool way of simplifying the definition of what a scape goat really is. And After watching the video, it's basically a way to get rid of two goats. It serves as a way to blame someone else other than oneself. In the video, one way is seen as being the "better" method of the two ways, but looking at it from the goat's perspective. how better is it really? One goat is sacrificed and the other is sent off to the middle of nowhere bound to die. This method was a way of cleansing/ clearing the entire town's people sins and sending them off to be ridded of. Being a scapegoat is never fair, one person or persons should not have to be blamed for at the expense of another person's freedom.
I think this topic is very important because of  how it serves as a "cover up" in the real world. If some light can be shed on this topic and people can understand the harm, things can get better. There are so many people who are considered scapegoats, But we do not really see them as such because of how blind we as people are, it happens all the time. Any group  of people who are marginalized are considered a scapegoat. If there is any one person who can be oppressed by another person or by another group of people, then it will continue to happen and society will continue to dismiss this oppression of others.