BODIES...The Exhibition?

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Hey, folks.

This exhibit is visiting Columbus. At first, I thought I’d be interested in visiting it (despite my wife’s lack of interest), but after more thought, I think it may be immoral to attend the exhibition.

If the people donated their bodies to the exhibit, I’m not sure how that would fair; but in this particular case, the bodies were donated by the Chinese government when no next-of-kin claimed them.

What’s everyone else’s opinion on this?

Thanks,
Jeremy
 
jemfinch said:
Hey, folks.

This exhibit is visiting Columbus. At first, I thought I’d be interested in visiting it (despite my wife’s lack of interest), but after more thought, I think it may be immoral to attend the exhibition.

If the people donated their bodies to the exhibit, I’m not sure how that would fair; but in this particular case, the bodies were donated by the Chinese government when no next-of-kin claimed them.

What’s everyone else’s opinion on this?

Thanks,
Jeremy
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It is crude voyeurism. There is no dignity in abusing a corpse for profit. :twocents:

The Church teaches that the bodies of the dead must be treated respectfully.
usccb.org/catechism/text/pt3sect2chpt2art5.htm#2300
 
I think that’s fascinating, and would love to go.
Unfortunately, it’s nowhere near me…
 
If it’s done in the interest of medical science then I say it’s ok? If people are genuinely interested but don’t have an opportunity to examine a cadaver? I have a hard time thinking that most people would approach this with that kind of mindset?
 
iamscifimike said:
If it’s done in the interest of medical science then I say it’s ok? If people are genuinely interested but don’t have an opportunity to examine a cadaver? I have a hard time thinking that most people would approach this with that kind of mindset?
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How many medical professionals drive slow by a horrible car crash for “continuing medical education?”:confused: “…if you classify us properly as an entertainment event…” - Arnie Geller discussing BODIES…the Exhibition.
The provenance of the bodies is unclear, they may be executed prisoners etc…
 
1holycatholic said:
It is crude voyeurism. There is no dignity in abusing a corpse for profit. :twocents:

The Church teaches that the bodies of the dead must be treated respectfully.
usccb.org/catechism/text/pt3sect2chpt2art5.htm#2300
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It was here in Portland recently. Despite the claims that these bodies were displayed with dignity, it just seemed…creepy. I didn’t go but saw some of the bodies in the TV ads - it was so sad to see the children, and then the bodies that were posed in “extreme sports” situations were, wll, less than dignified IMHO.
 
Just another view.

My precious but confused daughter in law, who was fence sitting on the abortion issue, was pushed to the pro-life camp after viewing this exhibit. She was unequivocally convinced by the display of the 8 week old fetus in the womb.
 
blessedtoo said:
Just another view.

My precious but confused daughter in law, who was fence sitting on the abortion issue, was pushed to the pro-life camp after viewing this exhibit. She was unequivocally convinced by the display of the 8 week old fetus in the womb.
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Then, for this one person, the whole of the exhibit was worth it! How many others have been convinced?

As someone in the medical profession, I would like to see something like this.

And as for the post made “how many medical professionals would drive slow by a horrible car crash for continuing medical education”… A christian medical professional would stop at a horrible car crash and see if they could help. We are acustom to seeing things like this and they do not “horrify” us, they may just peek our interest.
 
Then, for this one person, the whole of the exhibit was worth it! How many others have been convinced?
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For her, for me, for my son and for my future grandchildren! After years of trying to convince her of the evil of abortion, God used this controversial exhibit to touch her heart. He is amazing!
 
pyropam said:
Then, for this one person, the whole of the exhibit was worth it! How many others have been convinced?

As someone in the medical profession, I would like to see something like this.

And as for the post made “how many medical professionals would drive slow by a horrible car crash for continuing medical education”… A christian medical professional would stop at a horrible car crash and see if they could help. We are acustom to seeing things like this and they do not “horrify” us, they may just peek our interest.
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It shouldn’t matter if one is Christian (or even a medical professional) when deciding to stop and render aid to the injured at an accident scene. This thread is about corpses. AFAIK the dead do not benefit from roadside medical assistance. Modern medicine does have limits.😃

Good ends never justify immoral means.

Remeber thes bodies came from China. What you are seeing on display may be the bodies of persecuted Christians and fetal remains from a forced abortion.:eek:
 
I think it is extremely creepy…But --I am just thrilled about the young lady for whom this was a wake-up call on the subject of abortion. (Isn’t God just ❤️ ***terrific ***that way? What seems ghoulish to me, He :gopray: uses for good!! ).

I guess that my own main fear, is that I :nope: wouldn’t find it either ghoulish, or offensive, or anything like that…because I would most likely think it was so fascinating that I would be in:crying: danger of forgetting about what I was looking at…
 
The Detroit Science Center has the other body exhibition, “Our Body: The Universe Within” detroitsciencecenter.org/events/OurBody_exhibit.htm

I would recommend this exhibit to any adult and teenager. The “creepiness” factor I expected was instead one of more reverence and awe.

Imagine that, something we humans do that naturally leads people (regardless of their backgrounds) to view human bodies with reverence and awe!

I didn’t see anything voyeuristic about the displays. The posing of the bodies in sports mode lets you see how the body works in ways that textbooks and videos can’t capture.

Two thumbs up!
 
HamtramckSteve said:
The Detroit Science Center has the other body exhibition, “Our Body: The Universe Within” detroitsciencecenter.org/events/OurBody_exhibit.htm

I would recommend this exhibit to any adult and teenager. The “creepiness” factor I expected was instead one of more reverence and awe.

Imagine that, something we humans do that naturally leads people (regardless of their backgrounds) to view human bodies with reverence and awe!

I didn’t see anything voyeuristic about the displays. The posing of the bodies in sports mode lets you see how the body works in ways that textbooks and videos can’t capture.

Two thumbs up!
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This is me, too–though I’ve not seen the exhibit first-hand, I have seen parts of it online and am in, like you said, reverence and awe at the amazing God-breathed creation that is the human body. 👍 👍
 
It’s nice that a lot of people enjoyed the exhibit, but that’s not really what I’m asking 🙂

Is it moral? The Church has determined, for instance, that scattering the ashes of a cremated relative is not moral, either for the relative to ask nor for a person to do. Even ashes must be given a proper burial to show respect for the body. How much more should these bodies be given a proper burial, and not paraded around for profit?

At least with the cadavers used in medical school, it’s a non-profit institution using their bodies solely for medical education, prior to giving them a proper burial at the end of the semester or year. But this is an entertainment exhibit, not an educational one: the goal is to make money, not to make people who are capable of saving and repairing bodies in the future. It would seem to me that such a motive, as well as the indefinite delay of the bodies’ interment, would render attendance at such an exhibit immoral.

Does anyone have a counterargument that takes into account those issues? Even if good is accomplished through the exhibit, it wouldn’t affect the exhibit’s morality; through Pharaoh’s obstinance God achieved much good, yet Pharaoh’s hard heart was still immoral and sinful. Has anyone made or heard a good, orthodox argument that attending such an exhibit would not be immoral?

Thanks,
Jeremy
 
“But this is an entertainment exhibit, not an educational one”

I don’t agree. I think it’s an educational exhibit.

I guess I wasn’t clear enough in my post, but I do not see anything immoral about it. It treats the human body with respect.
 
I believe that this exhibit is absolute exploitation of the human body rather than educational. anything can be interpreted to be “educational”. The guise of education has been used many times throughout modern history to justify scientific or educational gains. For instance, the Tuskegee Study in the early period of the 20th century in the united state where Black Americans were subjected to unethical and cruel treatment for the advancement of science.

I agree with some that human bodies such as mummies etc who have actual historical value can be properly displayed. My biggest discrepancy with this particular exhibit is that the cadavers came from CHINA where the government has an extensive history of human rights abuses and a clear disregard for human life. This has EVERYTHING to do with the ethical nature of whether Catholics should in good conscience attend this event. In terms of medical professionals interested in seeing the bodies: Doctors, nurses etc work in depth with real bodies all the time while in school! they see more bodies that the ordinary person ever does. they certainly will not gain much in terms of education from this exhibit that they didn’t already know before. they might be amused by the diverse poses that they put the bodies in. thats all from me
 
HamtramckSteve said:
“But this is an entertainment exhibit, not an educational one”

I don’t agree. I think it’s an educational exhibit.

I guess I wasn’t clear enough in my post, but I do not see anything immoral about it. It treats the human body with respect.
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Would you object if one of the bodies was one of your grandparents displayed without their consent?
 
1holycatholic said:
Would you object if one of the bodies was one of your grandparents displayed without their consent?
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From what I understand - at least in the exhibit that was in Portland, Body Worlds? I think, from Germany?? - all people gave consent to have their bodies used in this specific way.

I don’t know if that is the case with what I’m gathering are separate displays of the same kind of genre.

That being said, I still question the morality of these events. But am glad to hear as well that it did change a hardened heart. Praise be to God who can make good from evil 🙂
 
jemfinch said:
It’s nice that a lot of people enjoyed the exhibit, but that’s not really what I’m asking 🙂

Is it moral? The Church has determined, for instance, that scattering the ashes of a cremated relative is not moral, either for the relative to ask nor for a person to do. Even ashes must be given a proper burial to show respect for the body. How much more should these bodies be given a proper burial, and not paraded around for profit?

At least with the cadavers used in medical school, it’s a non-profit institution using their bodies solely for medical education, prior to giving them a proper burial at the end of the semester or year. But this is an entertainment exhibit, not an educational one: the goal is to make money, not to make people who are capable of saving and repairing bodies in the future. It would seem to me that such a motive, as well as the indefinite delay of the bodies’ interment, would render attendance at such an exhibit immoral.

Does anyone have a counterargument that takes into account those issues? Even if good is accomplished through the exhibit, it wouldn’t affect the exhibit’s morality; through Pharaoh’s obstinance God achieved much good, yet Pharaoh’s hard heart was still immoral and sinful. Has anyone made or heard a good, orthodox argument that attending such an exhibit would not be immoral?

Thanks,
Jeremy
Click to expand...
Jeremy,

When this exhibit came to Houston a while back, I was absolutely horrified. All other sub-issues aside, there was a major issue that I absolutely could not ignore: the Church expressly forbids what is being done to these human bodies. How these people died remains a mystery, but from the time of death, the remains should have been treated with all the respect and dignity we give to our closest and dearest loved ones.

This outrageous display, regardless of whatever positive ends it may have achieved, is the ultimate example of human objectification. They have made man an object, and put him on display, without his consent and against the teachings of God. Can this be justified for any reason? No.

I ask all of you voting in favor of the display: What if it were** your wife and baby**, dead and naked and split into pieces behind a glass casing, creating wealth for someone? What if it were **your mother and father? **
 
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