ity / rel ig ios ity ▁to ▁another , ▁across ▁denomin ations , ▁or ▁to ▁assume ▁effects ▁are ▁uniform ▁for ▁men ▁and ▁women . ▁ ▁Vi ol ence ▁ ▁Crit ics ▁like ▁H ector ▁A val os ▁Regin a ▁Schw art z , ▁Christopher ▁H itch ens ▁and ▁Richard ▁Daw kins ▁have ▁argued ▁that ▁relig ions ▁are ▁inher ently ▁violent ▁and ▁harm ful ▁to ▁society ▁by ▁using ▁violence ▁to ▁promote ▁their ▁goals , ▁in ▁ways ▁that ▁are ▁end ors ed ▁and ▁explo ited ▁by ▁their ▁leaders . ▁ ▁Anth rop ologist ▁Jack ▁David ▁Ell er ▁as ser ts ▁that ▁religion ▁is ▁not ▁inher ently ▁violent , ▁arg uing ▁" rel ig ion ▁and ▁violence ▁are ▁clearly ▁compatible , ▁but ▁they ▁are ▁not ▁identical ." ▁He ▁as ser ts ▁that ▁" vi ol ence ▁is ▁neither ▁essential ▁to ▁nor ▁exclusive ▁to ▁religion " ▁and ▁that ▁" virt ually ▁every ▁form ▁of ▁religious ▁violence ▁has ▁its ▁non rel ig ious ▁cor ollary ." ▁ ▁Animal ▁sacrifice ▁ ▁Done ▁by ▁some ▁( but ▁not ▁all ) ▁relig ions , ▁animal ▁sacrifice ▁is ▁the ▁rit ual ▁killing ▁and ▁offering ▁of ▁an ▁animal ▁to ▁appe ase ▁or ▁maintain ▁favour ▁with ▁a ▁de ity . ▁It ▁has ▁been ▁b anned ▁in ▁India . ▁ ▁Super st ition ▁▁ ▁Greek ▁and ▁Roman ▁pag ans , ▁who ▁saw ▁their ▁relations ▁with ▁the ▁gods ▁in ▁political ▁and ▁social ▁terms , ▁sc orn ed ▁the ▁man ▁who ▁constantly ▁trem bled ▁with ▁fear ▁at ▁the ▁thought ▁of ▁the ▁gods ▁( de is ida im