This text is important to anyone who follows a set of religious practices that may include sacrifice, particularly the sacrifice of animals. Its goal is to create a framework that makes it possible for the practitioner to approach the issue of animal sacrifice on the secure footing of systematic thought coupled with deep feeling; hopefully avoiding the slippery and sensationalistic aversion or attraction too often associated with the subject. Both the pros and cons of animal sacrifice are examined and the author proposes alternatives to sacrifice of sentient beings."Think; deeply contemplate actions and their alternatives and the fruit that they bear. Choose freely and wisely. Choice stands at the wheel in navigating this river of the soul. There is no condemnation or commendation, only an ever-present responsibility that is built into the very fabric of the universe. We can choose in our actions; there is no choice involved in the consequences that they, by their nature, call forth."