Cannibalism

[Urban Ranger]

Cannibalism seems to be taboo, but there is no reason for this. Of course I am not talking about killing another human being and then eating the flesh. That involves more than cannibalism.

We humans are omnivores, so we eat dead bodies all the time, just not those of humans.

The only thing I can think of is cannibalism reminds a person of his own mortality. Or perhaps some kind of deep-seated wish of "remaining whole" after you are dead, even though you know this is not going to happen. We will all end up as bug food.

What do you think?

[Zkribbler]

I can't explain it....but I'm cognisant that some people who've been forced to turn to canniblism (e.g the survivors of the Essex sinking or the Donner Party) have had mental breakdowns afterwards.

[Blake]

Well it's not really wise. Humans are top of the food chain, long lived, and eat a lot of crap, this surely leads to toxin buildups.
I can think of much healthier things to eat than dead humans.

Babies and small children are probably okay though.

[Nacht]

Are you from this world?

[MrFun]

Originally posted by Blake

I can think of much healthier things to eat than dead humans.

Girl Scout cookies

[Asher]

Cannibalism seems to be taboo, but there is no reason for this.

[KrazyHorse]

Yeah, other than prion diseases and a much larger array of human-infectious diseases than any other meat source...

[Blake]

It was funny in my Social Studies class at high school, we did this mock court case thing (in a real court!), the scenario being 3 sailors on a life raft, who ran out of food, the prosecution claims that 2 of them killed and ate the 3rd.

I was called up by the defense as an expert in Cannibalism and used the "Toxin buildups would cause insanity if they consumed human flesh" argument.

The jury found the defendants innocent of cannibalism, but guilty of sodomizing a corpse.
Teenage males .

[Imran Siddiqui]

Originally posted by Blake
It was funny in my Social Studies class at high school, we did this mock court case thing (in a real court!), the scenario being 3 sailors on a life raft, who ran out of food, the prosecution claims that 2 of them killed and ate the 3rd.

Based on a real English case, btw .

[Asher]

And featured in an episode of CSI: Miami.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Originally posted by Blake
Babies and small children are probably okay though.

Babies are much too fatty for anyone on a health-conscious diet, but small children -- esepcially those from the suburbs who don't exercise much -- are indeed excellent.

[Winston]

-What's the matter with Johnson, sir?
-Well, he's not kosher.
-That depends on how we kill him, sir.
-Yes, that's true. But to be perfectly frank I...I like my meat a little more lean. I'd rather eat Hodges.
-Oh well, all right.
-I still prefer Johnson.
-I wish you'd all stop bickering and eat me.

[Urban Ranger]

Toxin buildups and diseases are good reasons. These are scientific reasons, though, not moral/ethical ones.

[Japher]

eating people is nasty

immoral? amoral?

I don't care

it's more of the gaminess of the meat that even pomigranate juice can't over come... Come On! You can't even brine human flesh to tendorness... possibly youngins who don't move much, but adults? Too tough

[Apocalypse]

In pretty much all cannibal cultures, there weren't enough larger animals around for the protein.