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[ChairmanPoo]

My ass it cant. We are discussing it right now. What if I like the taste?

[Urist is dead tome]

we don't believe eating somebody's heart will give us their courage

That's not true. It's obvious you get your foe's courage by eating their heart. It's well documented too!

And besides we may seem civilized now but it is very possible cannibalism will resurface.

[MetalSlimeHunt]

It was never really "surfaced" at any time. A species that practices widespread and unrestricted cannibalism will quickly go extinct. Some insects can get away with restricted cannibalism, and they breed by the hundreds. Humans are mostly only born one at a time, and we're mammals.

[ChairmanPoo]

 At one time cannibalism was quite widespread and helped human survival. Look at archeological findings in Europe, homo antecesor, and all that lot.

[Dakk]

Canibalism was actualy rather common is several parts of the world during history. It even happened in certain so called "civilized" areas and times. As far as I know the latest "cannibalism drive" happened in russian territory during world war 2. There are several records of canibalism being practiced by soldiers and families during the harsh winter due to the extreme lack of provisions, and historians speculated the number of incidents to be far larger then the ones that they actualy have an official record of, there are even pictures of human skins hanged to dry in russia, rather famous ones too.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

And I have to admit I'd eat another human if I really had to. I don't think I'd kill anyone though, probably just eat someone who died before me. But I'm talking about last last resort, when even insects are out of the equation.

[Kryten]

Burial and cremation always seemed like a waste of perfectly good meat to me.

I've always preferred the idea of processing human corpses into sterilised fertiliser myself.

[ChairmanPoo]

As far as I know the latest "cannibalism drive" happened in russian territory during world war 2.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

[Oakenshield]

During the European famines of the 13th and 14th century cannibalism was quite common. They had no choice, it was either kill someone and eat them, or die.

A few records and documents from the period indicate that people were able to receive absolution for doing it, which in those days meant 'priest waves a magic wand and says some words, poof, you aren't a criminal anymore'.

Cannibalism also happened during the Holodomor in the Ukraine, 1930s I think. Stalin decided that due to basic incompatibilities with the government and due to the fact that there were just to many of them to control, he froze ALL food and drink shipments of ALL kinds, both into, and out of, the Ukraine, with military officials having a monopoly on the food that remained there and given quite clear instructions not to give their food to ANY one on pain of either A, death by hanging, or B, life sentences in the gulags.

The soldiery's general behavior is summed up in the next sentence.

'Ehhh they'll be dead in a few hours anyway, its best we just go ahead and kill them. But remember Comrades, use your bayonets and hanging ropes, -don't waste bullets-.'

When the census numbers came back later that year Stalin eventually decided to end the blockade on all food and drink and allowed life to return to normality. I personally believe he did it to show them he could do anything he wanted to anyone any time he wanted to.

Cannibalism abounds in world literature as well. An example that immediately comes to mind is Ugolino and Ruggeri, in circle 9, canto thirty..... one, I think. Might be 30, dante's inferno.

[lordcooper]

I'm vegetarian and have to admit that I don't really see much difference between chowing down on some beef, or someones leg.

In a survival situation: fruit and veg > people I particularly dislike > random animals > people I don't really know > people I know and like.

Survival of the fittest and all that.

[Urist is dead tome]

Really? You don't see much difference in eating beef as opposed to man?

[lordcooper]

Really? You don't see much difference in eating beef as opposed to man?

Morally, no.  I wouldn't do either unless the alternative is starve to death.
Hygienically (sp?) kinda.  I know diseases are far more easily caught from other humans.

As far as I'm concerned there are two forms of life on earth, plants and animals.  I really don't see how people manage to convince themselves that humans are a step above.

[Urist is dead tome]

I really don't see how people manage to convince themselves that humans are a step above.

Christians and Jews have a reason to believe so. A passage in Genesis (?) said humans have dominion over animals.

[ed boy]

yup, it was just after the bit about noah and the flood.

[lordcooper]

I really don't see how people manage to convince themselves that humans are a step above.

Christians and Jews have a reason to believe so. A passage in Genesis (?) said humans have dominion over animals.

Quote from http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2147/were-adam-and-eve-vegetarians

In the creation story, God creates people (male and female) and says to them (Genesis 1:29), "See, I give you every seed-bearing plant that is upon the earth, and every tree that has seed-bearing fruit, they shall be yours for food. And to all the animals on land, to all the birds of the sky, and to everything that creeps on earth, in which there is the breath of life, [I give] all the green plants for food."

Biblically, the Christian God only permitted the eating of meat after the flood.

Still, I'm far from being a Christian myself.  Therefore I don't feel particularly beholden to the Bible.

[Sir Pseudonymous]

Humans are apex predators. Specifically, the apex predators, towering above all other creatures on this planet. There is no more reason to feel... whatever the fuck it is vegetarians feel, towards cows than there is to feel [whatever it is] towards a particularly tasty leaf. Objects are only as valuable as the use we may derive from them.

Most animals have an aversion (to some degree or another) to eating their own kind, as preying on your own species is generally counterproductive to propagating your genes. Humans, being apex predators, make a rather poor source of food, unless you ascribe a particular religious significance to the act, or are implementing it as a terror tactic against your enemies.