Human sacrifice is the act of slaughter a human being for the purposes of making an offering to a holy being or other. It was practiced in many ancient cultures. Human sacrifice was an aspect of historical Aztec culture/religion, although the extent of the practice is debated by scholars.
In the Aztec "Legend of the Five Suns", all the gods sacrificed themselves so that mankind could live.
The Aztec priests defended themselves as follows:
“Life is because of the gods; with their sacrifice they gave us life.
They produce our sustenance which nourishes life”
The sacrifice of animals was common, a practice for which the Aztecs bred dogs, eagles, jaguars and deer. Objects also were sacrificed by being broken and offered to the gods.
Over time human sacrifice has become taking away around the world, and sacrifice are now very rare. Most religions revile the practice and present-day laws generally treat it as a criminal matter. However it is still occasionally seen today, especially in the least developed areas of the world where traditional beliefs persist.
Sources: wikkipedia.com
http://www.ancientweb.org
