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RE: Cannibalism
February 16, 2015 at 8:28 pm
(This post was last modified: February 16, 2015 at 8:45 pm by Pyrrho.)
(February 16, 2015 at 7:53 pm)Nestor Wrote: So, since it boils down to practical judgement and not any great violation of an important, sensible, and humanistic code of ethic, would you go befriend a cannibal? Go over his house for dinner? Double date? Or is the stigma against such a person and/or the act, assuming no one gets hurt, still justified on some ground?
From what I have read, many actual cannibals kill their food. So, no, I don't want to go over to his house, or spend any time with him. I don't want to spend time with someone who regards me as a possible item on the menu.
And I certainly don't want to eat any dinner at his place, as I do not want any chance of getting CJD. Even if he is scrupulous about cleaning his dishes, and is not serving human, that will not guarantee that there are no prions on the dishes that will cause CJD in his guests. Remember, even if he cleaned his dishes as well as surgical sterilization (which pretty much no one does for dishes), it will not be good enough to ensure that there are no prions that could give someone CJD.
You might want to read the articles at wikipedia about Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease and Bovine spongiform encephalopathy. And also the article at the NIH entitled "Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Fact Sheet for Healthcare Workers and Morticians." It is pretty interesting and scary stuff.
"A wise man ... proportions his belief to the evidence."
— David Hume, An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding, Section X, Part I.
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RE: Cannibalism
February 16, 2015 at 9:26 pm
(This post was last modified: February 16, 2015 at 9:50 pm by Jenny A.)
I can think of several reasons not to:
1) It is a slippery slope between eating people and looking other people as things to be used.
2) Cannibalism has been used as the ultimate intimidation tactic in the past.
3) Living people often do care what happens to the relatives remains.
4) Disease.
But, in famine, and other emergency situations, I couldn't condemn anyone for practicing it; provided of course that they did kill not their dinner.
If there is a god, I want to believe that there is a god. If there is not a god, I want to believe that there is no god.
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RE: Cannibalism
February 16, 2015 at 9:38 pm
(February 16, 2015 at 9:26 pm)Jenny A Wrote: ...
But, in famine, and other emergency situations, I couldn't condemn anyone for practicing it; provided of course that they did kill their dinner.
Did you mean to state:
But, in famine, and other emergency situations, I couldn't condemn anyone for practicing it; provided of course that they did not kill their dinner.
"A wise man ... proportions his belief to the evidence."
— David Hume, An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding, Section X, Part I.
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RE: Cannibalism
February 16, 2015 at 9:50 pm
(February 16, 2015 at 9:38 pm)Pyrrho Wrote: (February 16, 2015 at 9:26 pm)Jenny A Wrote: ...
But, in famine, and other emergency situations, I couldn't condemn anyone for practicing it; provided of course that they did kill their dinner.
Did you mean to state:
But, in famine, and other emergency situations, I couldn't condemn anyone for practicing it; provided of course that they did not kill their dinner.
Thank you!
If there is a god, I want to believe that there is a god. If there is not a god, I want to believe that there is no god.
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RE: Cannibalism
February 16, 2015 at 9:52 pm
(February 16, 2015 at 9:50 pm)Jenny A Wrote: (February 16, 2015 at 9:38 pm)Pyrrho Wrote: Did you mean to state:
But, in famine, and other emergency situations, I couldn't condemn anyone for practicing it; provided of course that they did not kill their dinner.
Thank you!
Yes, killing for dinner is bad. But can we kill for the lesser meals and snacks?
Playing Cluedo with my mum while I was at Uni:
"You did WHAT? With WHO? WHERE???"
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RE: Cannibalism
February 16, 2015 at 10:05 pm
In view of the medical issues, making it a moral issue to not nibble the dead might carry more weight with a tribe innocent of the germ theory of disease.
The granting of a pardon is an imputation of guilt, and the acceptance a confession of it.
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RE: Cannibalism
February 16, 2015 at 10:09 pm
(February 16, 2015 at 9:50 pm)Jenny A Wrote: (February 16, 2015 at 9:38 pm)Pyrrho Wrote: Did you mean to state:
But, in famine, and other emergency situations, I couldn't condemn anyone for practicing it; provided of course that they did not kill their dinner.
Thank you!
You are welcome. I thought from the rest of your post that that is what you meant, but I wanted to be sure.
"A wise man ... proportions his belief to the evidence."
— David Hume, An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding, Section X, Part I.
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RE: Cannibalism
February 16, 2015 at 11:55 pm
If thou shall practice cannibalism, thou shall wear a loin cloth. For though shall not confuse ones own member for an appetizer.
“Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then he is not omnipotent.
Is he able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent.
Is he both able and willing? Then whence cometh evil?
Is he neither able nor willing? Then why call him God?”
Epicurus
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RE: Cannibalism
February 17, 2015 at 3:57 am
(This post was last modified: February 17, 2015 at 4:01 am by bennyboy.)
I think cannibalism is fine, even of people who didn't die of natural causes, so long as you take reasonable steps to prevent their suffering at the moment of death. So hanging someone by their feet and slitting their necks is no good. But if you drug them or use a bolt gun straight through the brain, then there's really no suffering involved, and therefore no moral issue with killing them for their meat. For a really clean conscience, I recommend letting your people graze in their natural habitat-- McDonald's, for example, or in a kitchen stocked with waffles and muffins; however, if necessary, you can enclose them in small spaces, like TV rooms or offices, to conserve space, and feed them tofu and lentils.
Note that breeding humans is very easy-- each male will breed with almost any female presented to him. Note that the females are horribly inefficient, and will often eat twice their normal food intake, despite their growing fetus' very small size. They may also required difficult-to-attain nutritional supplements, like pickles, raw beef, or tree bark.
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RE: Cannibalism
February 17, 2015 at 8:12 am
MAN. FINALLY.
I should have known you of all people would get it!
^_^
He who loves God cannot endeavour that God should love him in return - Baruch Spinoza
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