Cannibalism.

An ICCDBB Sermon by Dr. Bob Benchoff March 1, 2003.

In faith we are nourished by the Word of God. Being not only of word but also of action, we are nourished by the work of God to supply our every need.

We eat of God's provisions, provided by the source: God. We eat of God when we consume food, breathe air, hear communication, and drink of life.

As civilization advances, these truths remain the same. When you feel depressed and lack warmth and food, these truths remain the same.

God provides for us that which we automatically consume, such as water absorption through the skin. God also provides for us that which we may choose to consume.

God gives freely for us to consume, and God let's us choose to not waste what God provides. That includes not partaking of more than needed. This point is so important to God, that God does not want us to even give blessed sacramental bread & wine to non-Christian strangers.

The reason is that such power excess would be devastating to that person's soul. Compare, for example, a stranger mistakenly being given a parachute and going with a group of missionary parachutists into a plane and jumping out without the substance of instruction. While the jump could be otherwise routine, the stranger might not survive.

Similarly, a sick person might feel better having taken a pill, so they may want to take the whole bottle of pills.

A missionary visited a tribe in the Amazon. Simple survival was a real problem, until, as she explained to me, she did not according to her own human thinking, but according to the Bible and the Christian education she had received (for details, click here).

According to God's love, a husband can rightly give sperm to his wife, and a mother can give milk to her child. These acts done righteously, are good and pure and are not called cannibalism. Righteous acts are done for someone else, not for the selfish benefit.

You can choose to do something righteous. If you see that choice, yet choose to do unrighteously, you can expect to have problems and jeopardize your future. As Christians freely choose to do righteously, survival becomes less of a problem.

Young people and/or those of underdeveloped reasoning skills may wrongly think of people as so many body parts. In general, as Christian doctors know, each person is a blessing from God, and body parts serve the greater good. In other words, body parts have a greater purpose. That purpose is proper unity, not separate pieces; except that properly controlled surgery and pieces are involved in the greater selfless pursuit.

Such righteous pursuit is built-on the agreed work of other experts in the field, not for their own benefit, but for the benefit of others, with proof, not experimentation; except if experimentation is involved in the careful planning, then such research involves greater proofs and substantiations open to review by other expert(s) with activity awareness and with authority to hold accountable any such involved person.

Very rarely, a situation may arise where a person must rely on their own reasoning skills relative to cannibalism. To kill someone to eat them is never permitted. Similarly, to eat someone already otherwise dead is not to be done; although this becomes a matter of conditions and degrees (see Abortion sermon for similar discussion).

If a tribe kills someone and invites you to eat, that is just wrong if you know someone was killed and your eating of that body reinforces the tribes cannibalistic beliefs.

Similarly, if stranded in a wasteland and hungry, it is wrong to encourage someone to commit suicide for your own sake.

Part of a television show was about a detached dead finger used by customers as if to season drinks: that's just wrong, it's lunacy. All involved should be at least temporarily removed from society, detained, and treatment administered, such as Christian psycological services.

Experts' work (for others, for life) involving with dead bodies is one matter, but non-expert involvement is another.

If a chef accidentally loses a finger, that finger is not food. If the finger is accidentally ground-in with food and accidentally eaten, then many conditions need to be considered, such as neglect, mental harm, and so on.

So we see the complexities increase due to circumstances. Cosmonauts recycle urine and we find it socially acceptable. On earth water can theoretically go through dozens of people on it's journey down a river.

As your work for Jesus Christ increases, there necessarily is a decrease for death. As your interest and work for Jesus Christ increases, your work to preach only of life and similar increases: you increasingly want to dwell in life and goodness. Yet it is needful at times to discuss comparative values, and so we reinforce the firmament between heaven and earth, unless we continue to honor Jesus Christ throughout, with Christ's boundless glory. Yet this is not to be interpreted as an excuse for choosing the wrong direction.

Some things in your life are relatively permanent. You can think many thoughts, in favor of this, or in favor of that. But some things just don't change for you regardless of your opinion. For instance, your parents created you (and/or for future discussion, you were created).

Another thing that stays relatively permanent with you are certain memories of strange events. You just can't erase them (save Jesus Christ), as they are a part of you and help form that mental map that is your mind. You live with those memories, and if those memories are horrific, you may find yourself stuck with them, particularly if you chose to do something horrible and haven't repented.

Cannibalism, even the discussion of it isn't something I'm anxious to do. I figure I have better things to do than discuss cannibalism. Just discussing it can cause problems for others and/or me. But there are just too many people out there that need this sermon's help, in a matter of dire consequences.

Doing something bad is only part of the involvement with an event. Living with those memories can be far worse. Aside from guilt, having done something wrong can cause shyness or an urge to hide from God.

Lawbreakers flee from the police. Rather fear him who has power to permanently cast into hell.

Christ said destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it. Christ was speaking of the body, and that which is more important. You don't get to that which is more important by seeking the opposite, the body: cannibalism.

Cannibalism doesn't erase poverty; were the last cannibalistic tribes rich? Cannibalism works to prevent people from thinking clearly for the rest of their lives, making their lives halt.

Cannibalism doesn't erase hunger; hunger comes from within, man does not live by bread alone, but by every word of God. If you are starving, do not seek cannibalism; cannibalism works to create a horrible cycle (Reference: How to come out of a coma.). If a starving person eats someone today, won't they eat someone the next time they're hungry? Instead of eating someone, rise to better thoughts of greater possibilities.

Instead of choosing to mentally torture yourself, choose to mentally challenge yourself. Would God more likely help you if you are a quitter, or if you give it your all, trying, working, even exhausting yourself and giving it all you've got, and then some. Because you're not in it alone. You are in it with Christ, and Christ died for you. Christ paid the penalty for you to go and sin no more.

People have been mentally tortured throughout the ages, you are no exception. Everyone goes through seemingly relentless, rough and tough times. It is up to you to be alert and endure longsuffering, work hard, and be better than you were when you were born. That means helping others.

Do you want to flee a wasteland to survive, or do you want to leave the wasteland to help others? Even so, and perhaps far less likely, can you help others better by staying in the wasteland? John the Baptist chose to dwell in desolate areas. God sent his followers manna from heaven. And you may find amazing discoveries for others by thinking of the wasteland in new advanced ways.

People having great thirst have walked miles on flat desert ground in search of an oasis. Yet less than a foot beneath their feet was a water table. Governments have spent millions on cold ice cap survival techniques, yet Eskimos prefer to live there, with skins on their backs.

A situation for one person may be a hunger panic event, while another person may see the same situation as a feast banquet, and they may say look at that pattern of sand, or feel the direction of that slight breeze, or look at that opportunity for others.

There is another part to cannibalism. Jesus said leave the dead to bury the dead. Clearly Jesus was not merely talking about dead bodies, but something far more profound. It is something far more intrinsic to a person's soul, it is about life, and seeking only life and more abundantly.

It is about choice. Where do you want to be? Do you want to try to cheat your way into abundant life? Must you have a bite of meat to survive? A bite of meat has little to do wiht saving your life. It might temporarily change your mindset, but that IS NOT enough.

Submission and following Christ's glory IS enough. Christ is honest and fair. If Christ wants you to have a bushel full of corn and a tree full of fruit, Christ will give those to you.

If Christ does not provide food for you when you want food, you need not ask yourself what you did wrong. All you need is to ask Christ what you should do.

Some preachers say you should pray, and listen a long time. That is good, do that, and also I say as you are able, do more. If you are able, seek. If you are able, build. If you are able, create. If you are able, give.

If starving, shall we draw straws to see who we'll eat?...no, if there is any other chance.

For example, there is a story of two men in the snow starving. Instead of eating one or the other, one cut away some of his own skin and used it as bait and they caught many fish.

This is just one example of higher reasoning. There is a multitude more. Use your situation to survive, and better yet, use your situation to your advantage.

Should you eat human meat already dead?...no if there is any other chance.

There is much to be said for planning ahead. Keeping focus on God's Word, for the greater glory of Jesus Christ, consider how you will plan ahead. Decide righteously how you might help churches, governments, and other groups.

Build on what others have accomplished. Some feed the hungry, some build roadside emergency phones, some write legislation, some use the global positioning system, some use education,...you can use all of these.

You may want to promote psychology, sociology, evangelism, and civic awareness skills. You may want to invest in related water purification (it's been said a sixth of the global population has drinking water problems), transportation options, and emergency services. You may want to work to ensure hunger and mental suffering is reduced, such as working with the World Health Organization (no affiliation unless otherwise stated).

There are good things you can do. Remember that, and remember Christ.

__________________________________________________________________

To visit the Main Site of the Internet Church of Christ founded by Dr. Bob Benchoff, click here.

To visit the second page of sermons of the Internet Church of Christ founded by Dr. Bob Benchoff, click here.