CBS News is facing backlash for a bizarre attempt to downplay the horrors of ancient child sacrifice, suggesting that the ritual killings practiced by pre-Columbian civilizations were “not violent” but rather a means of “connecting with celestial bodies.” In a shocking display of moral relativism, the outlet framed the gruesome act of child sacrifice not as the barbarism it clearly was but as a “culturally significant” practice—sparking outrage from critics who say this is just the latest example of the corporate media bending over backward to excuse evil in the name of academic spin.
In a recent discovery, archeologists found an altar in what they assume belonged to the Teotihuacan people, who lived in the city-state of Tikal between 100 B.C. and 750 A.D. One of the archeologists explained that, after some research, the Teotihuacan altar was used to commit human sacrifices—“especially of children.” Lorena Paiz, who led the discovery, said they found the remains of three young children.
“The remains of three children not older than four years were found on three sides of the altar,” Paiz said.
“The Teotihuacan were traders who traveled all over the country (Guatemala)," Paiz added. "The Teotihuacan residential complexes were houses with rooms and in the center altars; that's what the residence that was found is like, with an altar with the figure representing the Storm Goddess.”
One might expect a straightforward, non-partisan report from a major news outlet—but you'd be mistaken. The CBS News article quickly veered off course, defending the violent ritual of child sacrifice, downplaying it as merely a cultural practice of the tribe rather than condemning it for its brutality.
María Belén Méndez, an archaeologist who was not involved with the project, said the discovery confirms “that there has been an interconnection between both cultures and what their relationships with their gods and celestial bodies was like.”
“We see how the issue of sacrifice exists in both cultures. It was a practice; it’s not that they were violent, it was their way of connecting with the celestial bodies,” she said.
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The outlet specifically sought out an archaeologist—who had no involvement in the discovery—just to push its left-wing narrative and provide a misleading justification for the barbaric practice.
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