Hey, I think so. The stuff about some of the Bodies bodies coming from political prisoners does squick me. But me, I don’t think I have such respect for corpses. Once they’re dead, it’s not like it’s going to bother them to be put in wacky poses. Personally, I want to go to science when I’m gone. Or, maybe I can dance “Dance of the Dead” style, like in that Matheson short story, for all eternity! 
GEORGE CARLIN: . . . But, I don’t want to be buried. . . . I don’t want to be cremated either. I want to be blown up! BOOM! “There he goes, God love 'im!”
Right. The NOVA episode also went into some the extreme actions on the part of the priests to protect these bodies. It was pretty clear that the ancient Egyptians would not be happy about the display of their corpses.
Lucy was not a member of the homo sapiens species. Maybe that does not matter to you, but we do not know if someone in her culture (if there was a culture) would care about the treatment of her corpse. This is not true for the ancient Egyptians. We know they cared a great deal.
Also, it is unnecessary to display these corpses (including Lucy). Does anyone here think that a layman could tell―from the observations possible in a museum―the difference between a real mummy and a high quality fake? How about with Lucy?
If the onlooker cannot tell the real corpse from a fake, then what is the point of using a fake? If it degrades the onlooker to view a corpse, the degradation is equal in either case; and the deceased is beyond caring.
Yeah, but they’re all kinda dead now. They’re not around to be offended.
Did the special talk about how living Egyptians feel about things? 'Cause I think that’s a bit more relevant. I would understand if they were upset about what is basically institutionalized theft of their property to be put on display, and it’s my understanding that current thinking and activity in anthropology is very different than the “Indiana Jones” days of basically educated tomb robbing. There’s a greater emphasis on returning cultural artifacts to their country of origin - if such a place exists and if they have the facilities to keep the things safe from thieves and decay themselves. I’m not sure I’d be excited about sending priceless Ottoman artifacts back to Iraq right now, for instance, seeing as they’d be fairly likely to be damaged whatwith there being a war on and all.
Sure, but it’s also unnecessary to not display them. You haven’t shown it’s hurting anyone.
Who cares what they think? They are a completely different culture than the ancient Egyptians. We know how the ancient Egyptians would feel. We should respect that culture to the extent that doing so has basically zero costs to us.
What is lost by not displaying the corpses?
Does your respect extend any farther than not displaying the mummies? After all, I doubt the Egyptians would have wanted anyone poking around their burial sites regardless of the reasons. Should we then abandon all efforts to study tombs and other burial sites? Should we refrain from displaying artifacts from tombs because the Egyptians believed they need those objects in the after life?
Why should we respect a culture that doesn’t exist any longer?
Marc
I care what they think because these things came from their land. And they’re still alive to care. The gold and artifacts belong to them. The mummies are their relatives. It’s actually a more practical application of the question you tried to ask: these are their great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandmothers. So how do THEY feel about exhibiting their bodies? Doesn’t matter what anyone else feels, really.
I don’t care what the Ancient Egyptians thought because, as I’ve said repeatedly, they’re dead. They’re not hurt by anything anymore.
Where am I supposed to fap?
We do respect it – by paying attention to it. Ancient Egyptian culture would be all but forgotten if we had simply left all its artifacts in the ground.
Our ability to experience a piece of their culture firsthand.
Do you really think that’s what I meant by respect? Ok, I’ll rephrase it.
Why should we respect (i.e. honor) the beliefs held by the Kemetians? They’re dead. While I certainly care what they believed I don’t necessarily worry all that much about treating the artifacts or the remains of their people they left behind in a manner that they would disapprove of.
Hell, we don’t even all them by their proper names! That’s some respect for ya.
Marc
In fact, the modern, Arabic-speaking Egyptians call their country “Masr.” Their ancient ancestors, as you note, called it “Khemet.” (“Egypt” derives from the Greek “Aigyptos.”)