The protestant reformation of the 16th century made this image possible :

--virgil

Don't forget that now is the perfect time to make a sacrifice to the gods and ensure a bountiful harvest!

The gruesome pic brings to mind what I found on another blog:

Which is more gruesome:

A) celebrating "Halloween" with children wearing costumes that depict bloody bodies, skeletons, etc?

B) celebrating "Reformation Day" with children rejoicing over the division and butchery of the Body of Christ (the Church) in the wake of Luther's protest and burning of a papal bull?

Wow. That's really something to think about, now, isn't it?

Albert Scharbach comments:

Ironically, celebrating the Reformation is more gruesome than a bloody costume. The latter is pretend, while the former violence to the body of Christ is real -- and made all the worse by the way that tragedy is perpetuated with joy.  

Father, forgive Virg for he knows not what he does.