committing murder, killing his son? >> i don't know if it's heartbreaking or not, but i know it's eye-opening and that it's important. because abraham introduces the idea that you can kill in the name of god. i think it's important for everybody to understand that this idea is imbedded in these biblical stories. this is not all kumbaya and come live in peace and oh, you like butterflies and love your children and therefore we can all get along. >> and yet, the story is not an endorsement in killing in the name of god. >> so it's a test. god is testing him. he doesn't really intend for him to kill his son. >> at a time when offering human sacrifice was common, this story was a call to end that barbaric practice. still, here and in so many places around the world, so many thousands of years later, the sacrifice of sons and daughters