The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions (2042 page)

rauta sacrifices also became prohibitively expensive, and only vestigial remains of them survive in practice, confined to symbolic acts like the pouring of a glass of water or the giving of a handful of rice. Occasionally, a larger sacrifice is organized (e.g. against the menace of nuclear war in 1957), but only a few brahmans now maintain the daily ritual and study which underlie the larger occasions.

 
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(Lat., the theft of sacred objects). The violent, contemptuous, or disrespectful treatment of persons or objects associated with religious reverence or dedicated to God. In Judaism, the violation of sacred things is a deep offence. In Christianity, the notion of sacrilege is extended to include receiving the sacraments unworthily or in a state of
mortal sin
.

 
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see
HERESY
(E. religions).

 
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(Arab.). Almsgiving, voluntary charity. The word is sometimes used as a synonym of
zak
t
, the official alms tax (as in Qur'
n 9. 58, 104); but
adaqa (pl.
adaq
t) is considered a pious duty, the details of which are not laid down.