Those who follow the great almighty George Takei may have already seen his post on facebook, sharing this article raising the ethical dilemma of displaying mummies in a museum. I thought it's an interesting debate and decided to raise it here.
What's your stance on relieving the dead from their not-so-final resting place? Do you believe in the sanctity of the grave? Do you see no problem with digging them up as long as it's for the greater good? Would you want to be dug up and put on display?
To pitch in myself; I'm a registered donor. They may literally strip me naked; every usable organ including skin. Whether it is to save someone in need or for research. Since I don't believe in anything after death, I don't see why I would need to remain intact and think my body would be put to better use if it was used for science.
As for digging other people up; I'm slightly torn. Although I really don't think you can get upset about anything when you're already dead, when my mother dies I wouldn't go running around screaming 'Lol she's dead now, let's have a corpse party'. I'd respect her wishes and carry out her funeral as best as she would've liked. Why should I treat others - 2000 year dead Egyptians, for example - any different? Why should I scathe their tombs because I think my beliefs are superior to theirs? If I don't believe in an afterlife, why would I care about theirs? I honestly don't know. I'm just an illogical human being.
So, what are your thoughts?