# Does your religion endorse "survival cannibalism"? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 11, 2010, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-religion-endorse-survival-cannibalism/549978 "2010-08-11T21:01:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2010, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-religion-endorse-survival-cannibalism/549978/21 "2010-08-13T13:24:45Z")
I have no idea, but I’m new to this Buddhist thing, so I e-mailed Cybermonk. I’ll tell you what they say. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Rushgeekgirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rushgeekgirl/32/3715_2.png) [@Rushgeekgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rushgeekgirl)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2010, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-religion-endorse-survival-cannibalism/549978/22 "2010-08-13T15:01:25Z")
Zsofia what is Cybermonk? Because I have LOADS of questions. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2010, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-religion-endorse-survival-cannibalism/549978/23 "2010-08-13T15:59:15Z")
The Zen Mountain Monastery people run it -[link](http://www.mro.org/zmm/teachings/index.php#cybermonk). This is actually the first thing I’ve asked them, so if I get blacklisted from a whole order of Zen Buddhists it’s you guys’ fault. ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2010, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-religion-endorse-survival-cannibalism/549978/24 "2010-08-13T16:08:51Z")
Interesting side-note: the survivors of the Uruguayan rugby team plane crash in the Andes mountains, some of whom resorted to cannibalism, asked their priest for absolutions. Their priest refused to perform an absolution, on the grounds that they had done nothing sinful. ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2010, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-religion-endorse-survival-cannibalism/549978/25 "2010-08-13T23:55:09Z")
> [@Fried\_Dough\_Ho](#): > > I own a “very special” cookbook for such things. Notably, it suggests that when making Cowboy Stew, it is best to know how much and what kind of tobacco said cowboy might have been chewing as that would inherently dictate how you, as the chef, should spice the concoction. > > Oh yes and because the cowboy has spent so much time on his horse, the rump roast is probably too sinewy and tough so extra braising time is in order. I also have a copy of Mr Wurf’s book. It’s signed. I’ve also been in his kitchen. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2010, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-religion-endorse-survival-cannibalism/549978/26 "2010-08-14T02:01:20Z")
Only if my travel companion is Jesus. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2010, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-religion-endorse-survival-cannibalism/549978/27 "2010-08-26T16:59:02Z")
I finally got an answer from the nice people at the Zen Mountain Monastery - it’s really bullshit, though. (I bet they sat around the dinner table for a while with it.) “Key thing to remember in this that there is no Buddhist ultimate stand point on much of anything as Buddhism is not a doctrinal religion. The morality in Buddhism is a set of guidelines that are based on careful study of one’s life and deep appreciation of causality. Meaning, that each one of us needs to stay awake and take heed of the situation, taking full responsibility for the consequences that arise from our choices. Hopefully , through practice, those choices will be based in clear seeing and selflessness. Take care” I think that means that hell yeah you can eat people. ---
**Author:** ![Todderbob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47774/32.png) [@Todderbob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Todderbob)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2010, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-religion-endorse-survival-cannibalism/549978/28 "2010-08-26T17:06:27Z")
> [@Zsofia](#): > > I think that means that hell yeah you can eat people. That’s what it sounded like to me, nom nom nom. ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2010, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-religion-endorse-survival-cannibalism/549978/29 "2010-08-26T20:14:58Z")
At our Unitarian Universalist “Building your own theology” workshops, the issue comes up with great regularity, and the idea is always endorsed with the greatest enthusiasm. In fact, we are encouraged to not let ourselves become too hungry, because when you are weak it is harder to saw through the bones. The above was facetious, but I promise to bring it up with our minister at the nearest opportunity. ---
**Author:** ![Serenata67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/serenata67/32/10646_2.png) [@Serenata67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Serenata67)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2010, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-religion-endorse-survival-cannibalism/549978/30 "2010-08-26T20:15:36Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > Endorse, no; it’s the only source of food specifically forbidden under “gluttony” (or at least it was under the specific brand of Catholicism I was taught, I don’t know whether the current Catechism makes that point). But in cases such as the one described it’s forgivable so long as nobody got murdered (cf. the Andes plane incident). That’s how I see it. But if I needed to in order to survive, and the person was already dead, I would… and as soon as I was rescued, I’d need some serious confession… and a cheeseburger… ---
**Author:** ![3trew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/3/13edae/32.png) [@3trew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/3trew)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2010, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-religion-endorse-survival-cannibalism/549978/31 "2010-08-27T04:56:59Z")
Strangely enough, only if the deceased was a vegetarian. ---
**Author:** ![drastic\_quench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e36b37/32.png) [@drastic\_quench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drastic_quench)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2010, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-religion-endorse-survival-cannibalism/549978/32 "2010-08-27T15:00:45Z")
Being agnostic, I can’t say for sure. ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2010, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-religion-endorse-survival-cannibalism/549978/33 "2010-08-27T15:04:07Z")
> [@drastic\_quench](#): > > Being agnostic, I can’t say for sure. That post is just a thing of beauty. ---
**Author:** ![greengreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c5a1d2/32.png) [@greengreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/greengreen)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2010, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-religion-endorse-survival-cannibalism/549978/34 "2010-11-04T01:37:06Z")
Speaking of christains, canabalism, and cults. Does anyone know a good fiction book on cults out there? This just seemed like the thread to ask… ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2010, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-religion-endorse-survival-cannibalism/549978/35 "2010-11-04T12:19:24Z")
I would say _The Da Vinci Code_, but you specified “good”, so … Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2010, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-religion-endorse-survival-cannibalism/549978/36 "2010-11-04T13:35:35Z")
Stuck in an elevator - need answer fast. ---
**Author:** ![LouisB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@LouisB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LouisB)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2010, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-religion-endorse-survival-cannibalism/549978/37 "2010-11-04T13:48:19Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > Somehow the question never came up. > > Regards, > Shodan The question wouldn’t even arise. ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2010, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-religion-endorse-survival-cannibalism/549978/38 "2010-11-04T14:49:09Z")
> [@tr0psn4j](#): > > I’m an atheist so I have no morals to get in the way. 🙂 I was just thinking this morning that my ass would make a nice rump roast. ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2010, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-religion-endorse-survival-cannibalism/549978/39 "2010-11-04T15:00:45Z")
> [@Shirley\_Ujest](#): > > I was just thinking this morning that my ass would make a nice rump roast. Any humans we were forced to eat for survival would probably be starved themselves, and so not at their tastiest … ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2010, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-religion-endorse-survival-cannibalism/549978/40 "2010-11-04T15:46:47Z")
> [@HeyHomie](#): > > Interesting side-note: the survivors of the Uruguayan rugby team plane crash in the Andes mountains, some of whom resorted to cannibalism, asked their priest for absolutions. Their priest refused to perform an absolution, on the grounds that they had done nothing sinful. Just to clarify the above, they were Catholics. And I think all the survivors resorted to cannibalism, not just some. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-religion-endorse-survival-cannibalism/549978.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-your-religion-endorse-survival-cannibalism/549978.md?page=3)