One of the primary reasons God in the Old Testament demanded sacrifices of animals is to prove a point. Most pagan religions, particularly the Egyptian one, either revered animals or were part animal in their visualization of their demon gods.
Christians will slaughter every cow in India one day and have beef tacos when they convert from demon worship.
I say in the original post that it's only part of the reason.
Those things you mention here are also part of it too, but making a case on those things are like speaking Greek to the barbarians who just want to say "God bad."