Humans are creatures of habit. We do what we are taught to do, following the lines of behavior drawn for us by previous generations. These rules of behavior are called conventions. Conventions govern how things are done, dictating what is polite and acceptable to members of our society. To be conventional is to do “what is generally considered acceptable at the expense of individuality and sincerity.” The concept of sacrifice is a convention deeply rooted in our society and our religion. No one questions this raw and seemingly unnecessary violence, because it falls within the bounds of our convention. Violence is strongly perpetuated because it is a social convention. In the novel Black Lamb and Gray Falcon, Rebecca West witnesses the ritual sacrifice of lambs. She remains at the Rock of Sacrifice in hopes of better understanding what she witnessed. On page 823, she says that "the place had enormous authority." A place of sacrifice demands respect even from strangers, because the social convention of respecting the sacrifices of others is ingrained in societies around the world. The convention of sacrifice is rooted in religion and I would argue that it has a place in all religions, but the scope of this article limits me to discussion of Christianity. According to the New Oxford American Dictionary, a sacrifice is "an act of slaughtering an animal or person or giving up property as an offering to God or a divine or supernatural figure." The word is derived from the Latin word Sacer which means to be "connected to God or dedicated to a religious purpose and thus deserving of veneration". In the very structure of the word we can see its indissoluble links with religion. The act of killing an animal and spilling... middle of paper..." (page 825). Rebecca West suggests that love and violence are closely linked and I agree. Christ was so filled with love for humanity that he went to the cross as a willing sacrifice, knowing that death was the only means by which he could be understood. Violence is as old as humanity and will continue to be. permeate our cultures as long as the social conventions of sacrifice are blindly followed. Until we question the meaning and purpose of violence, Rebecca West argues forcefully that rock violence is senseless and can be avoided. This generation of humanity and those to come must redraw the lines of social conventions in order to curb violence. History not understood is doomed to repeat itself...