If Aztecs were not conquered?

[Cyberman]

You going to stick around this time, TrueChristian? You know, for the thread you yourself created?

[Aegon]

What would happen if Aztec empire still existed? What would their civilization be like?

Would they have gotten over their human sacrifices and embraced Christianity voluntarily?

Or would they have remained devoted to sacrificing people and become an "Evil empire" sort of like the Soviet Union was?

I know you might be trolling, but fuck it, I'll take the bait because I want to talk about this...

I take issue with your loaded question because it assumes their society is evil and savage compared to the great, pure Christianity. The actions by conquistadors in Mesoamerica were ten times as "savage" as anything the Aztecs ever did. People have it in their heads that Aztec rulers just picked poor, innocent people off the street and ripped their hearts out and threw their bodies to the buzzards. That would have been seen as savage. Human sacrifice was a solemn and delicate process. Most sacrificed were P.O.Ws who fought nobly in war or members of their own society; in either case, it was seen as a great honor. The Aztecs kept a ritual calendar, and the calendar called for different sorts of sacrifices. Some ritual participants needed to be tall, handsome, lean, and extremely attractive in order to satisfy the prerequisites of a given ritual period and for other ritual periods they had to be fulfilled by children. The process to becoming a ritual participant was actually very demanding in many cases, requiring the participant to learn many speeches and dances before being sacrificed. It was just a natural part of their society. 

As for your overarching question, it would have happened. Around 50 percent of the Aztec population died from a smallpox outbreak in the first few years after making contact with the Spanish. They were doomed from the start.

[Regina]

There is real archaeological evidence to prove that mesoacmericans did human sacrifice. However, I believe the Spanish were blowing it out of proportion and exaggerating it. History is written by the winners, they needed a "save the savages" complex to justify their cultural cleansing of Native peoples. It's exactly the same way as how in America, blacks were dehumanised during slavery. If you can remove the humanity from the people you are brutalising, you don't feel as much guilt over doing it.

Also, people equate "human sacrifice" with indigenous peoples as though they were the only race of people ever to do it. You can find evidence of human sacrifice in pretty much every region of the planet at some point in history. It seemed to just be a natural phase of early civilisation that most people went through. So yes, had the Aztecs been left uncontacted I think they'd eventually have dropped the practice.

[TrueChristian]

You going to stick around this time, TrueChristian? You know, for the thread you yourself created?

Yes I am. Don't you take that direspectful tone with me! I have respected you countlessly, even if you did not appreciate it!

It really was rather horrid what those Aztecs did to the P.O.Ws by sacrificing them. I am sure tehy did not appreciate it.

Is it so hard to believe the Aztecs may have been an evil empire that finally crumbled?

Not saying Spanish weren't awful (Catholocism, Tacos, burritos) they probably were.

But.... does anyone really miss the Aztecs?   Numenor/Atlantis they were not!

[Aegon]

It really was rather horrid what those Aztecs did to the P.O.Ws by sacrificing them. I am sure tehy did not appreciate it.

Did you not read what I said? They did. I mean, yes, I'm sure they would have preferred not dying at all. But if one had to die, being sacrificed was a great and noble honor.

Is it so hard to believe the Aztecs may have been an evil empire that finally crumbled?

Not saying Spanish weren't awful (Catholocism, Tacos, burritos) they probably were.

But.... does anyone really miss the Aztecs? Undecided Numenor/Atlantis they were not!

You're certainly trolling.

[The Valkyrie]

The descendants of the Aztecs miss their empire.

They may have sacrificed a lot of people.

But considering the Christians who then invaded their lands killed tens of millions, one way or another

[Regina]

Lmao most of what we thing of as "Mexican food" today is actually indigenous in origin, not Spanish.

And exactly Beccs, the Spanish had to make themselves look good. While the Aztecs were sacrificing to Quetzalcoatl, The Spanish were mid-inquisition back home, burning people alive in the name of their own God. It was all ass-covering, keeping up appearances.

[The Grand Nudger]

All empires collapse.

I'm just dubious of the tale the Spaniards tell.

They knew how to sell a tall tale, that's for sure.  It isn't for any story the spaniards told that I think they were done, though.  There was an insufficient number of suitable wild domesticates (plant or animal) with which to advance further than they had.   IMO.

[Nay_Sayer]

[Fidel_Castronaut]

POE POE POE POE POE POE POE TROLL POE.