Cannibalism

[Stephen Daidalus]

I am surprised this topic has received so little attention in these forums.

Hopefully we can have a civilized debate on this very controversial subject.

 

[xsneakyxsimx]

As in real life? I've never thought of ever trying to be a cannibal. It's not something that I'd ever consider doing...

 

[OrexxerO]

I am surprised this topic has received so little attention in these forums.

Hopefully we can have a civilized debate on this very controversial subject.

Controversial in what ways? In pretty much all of developed western society it is taboo and illegal....and our societies have gone past the point of such desperation as eating ones own species (which humans, being social, tend to only do in such situations I would think).

I did watch a documentary of a man who went to Papua New Guinea though to meet with tribes who till recently had actually practiced cannibalism. And basically what he found was they either killed someone out of revenge or vengeance or whatever reason, and then chose to eat the body rather then have it go to waste....as they lived on the land and they didn't waste anything. The only other occasion was, they would go "witch hunting" and eat the witches body as part of their hunt. Other then that, I don't think they ate humans just to eat them.

But I don't see any precedence for any western type country, especially developed nations, to approve of it, there is no reason to at the very least.

 

[Benthos]

Only to survive, nobody has to know what you must do. There's been a sweep of debate over certain events in history where people were stranded for days - weeks, they eventually turned to cannibalism by eating those who have died, it's not something you would WANT to do but in order to survive, sometimes you must do what you wouldn't normally in order to survive. Same thing when you're starving to death where even a lump of moldy, smelly cheese will look very appetizing. We're living in comfort where we don't have to take in consideration of the sort but we must understand that some actions will need to be taken if we hope to survive in certain situations.

 

[Two Bears]

Obligatory.

 

[Doctor Langstrom]

 

[OrexxerO]

Only to survive, nobody has to know what you must do. There's been a sweep of debate over certain events in history where people were stranded for days - weeks, they eventually turned to cannibalism by eating those who have died, it's not something you would WANT to do but in order to survive, sometimes you must do what you wouldn't normally in order to survive. Same thing when you're starving to death where even a lump of moldy, smelly cheese will look very appetizing. We're living in comfort where we don't have to take in consideration of the sort but we must understand that some actions will need to be taken if we hope to survive in certain situations.

I can imagine none of us here has really had to deal with "real" hunger on the level it would take to eat a dead corpse.....I know I have been very, very hungry a few times though, where I eat food so fast I wonder where it went and still don't feel "full" afterwords either. But those times have been far and few between.

 

[Monolith]

Let me put it this way.. if you were stranded on a desert island with me and the food ran out.. you'd want to swim to the nearest island. I'd eat you sooner or later

 

[OrexxerO]

Not if I ate you first.

 

[Clau]

I have read about cannibalism done as a ritual for religious practices. From my mother's travels in India, one of her sojourn contained written accounts of a taboo Hindu sect known as the Devanagari aka Aghori sect. In the Hindu custom, the dead would be laid to rest via a funeral boat pyre that is to be set sailed in the Ganges River.

The Devanagari does adhere to this funeral rite, but they conduct it at night. Charred flesh of the dead would be consumed by family members in accordance with their Tantric practices.

Here is a fascinating read:
http://www.enewsbuilder.net/tusker/e_article002109245.cfm?x=b11,0,w

 

[sticky runes]

Does it count as cannibalism if you don't swallow?

 

[Anouck]

 

[Doctor Langstrom]

Wow, no one got the Soylet Green joke? Damn, I must be old.

 

[Mighty Pecan Pie]

Wow, no one got the Soylet Green joke? Damn, I must be old.

Referring to zombies perhaps?

 

[The Phoenician]

Wow, no one got the Soylet Green joke? Damn, I must be old.

No everyone else is either to young or uncultured

 

[OrexxerO]

I must be too young. Or in a part of the world that this joke has not reached, until now!

 

[Irish]

I'd only participate on cannibalism if I absolutely had to, like if a group of people and I were stranded somewhere without ample provisions or access to wildlife/edible plants. And don't think for a second that I wouldn't eat any of you should you pass before I do in a hypothetical situation such as that! *gets the spitfire ready and licks lips*

 

[Dagmar]

I am surprised this topic has received so little attention in these forums.

Are you talking about cannibalism for survival or ritualistic cannibalism? (I'm assuming you're not talking about psychopathic homicidal cannibalism a la Hannibal Lecter.)

 

[Medea]

Wow, no one got the Soylet Green joke? Damn, I must be old.

"Soylent Green is people......PEOPLE!!!!!!!"

 

[sticky runes]

Wow, no one got the Soylet Green joke? Damn, I must be old.

Soylent Green is PEOPLE (I only know that from the scene in Drop Dead Gorgeous where the girl does a dramatic reading)

OT: for some reason, the pic of the cereal box made me think of this...