Cannibalism
Food for Thought?
Q. What if you were in a plane crash and your only means to survive would be cannibalizing those who had died in the crash? Would that be a sin? Just a little food for thought…(J.M.)
Answer:
“Food for thought?”…Funny…good pun, J.M.!
Enduring Hard Times
Thankfully, Christians don’t need to worry about things like this. Why? Because the Bible tells us that God will not allow a temptation to be more than we can stand. Besides, when we are tempted we will be given a way out so that we can endure it (1 Corinthians 10:13).
No Chance or Fate
We don’t believe in “chance” or “fate” in the Christian’s life, either. Random events causing us to have to make agonizing decisions like the one you posit are unlikely. Instead, we trust that nothing happens to us apart from God’s knowledge or will. There are several Bible passages that speak to this. One is from the book of Lamentations 3:38:
“Is it not from the mouth of the most High that both calamities and good things come?” (NIV).
Always on the Winning Side
We can rest assured that neither malicious behaviors nor human mistakes can hinder God’s purposes for us. No one can stop God from carrying out His will for each one of us – including plane crashes or car crashes if that is part of His agenda.
“There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the Lord” (Proverbs 21:30).
Nothing Separates Us From His Love
If God is on our side who can plot evil against us in a way that truly succeeds?
No one. Nothing.
The Bible puts it this way: “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31).
The apostle Paul reminds us that there is nothing that can separate us from God’s love – not trouble, calamity, persecutions, hunger, poverty, danger or even death (Romans 8:35).
The Wisdom to Make Good Choices
So that means if a Christian finds himself or herself in a compromising position, God would continue to love His child regardless of the circumstances. Still, He has given us wisdom to make good choices if we have studied his Word, and He has given us direct access to His Throne through prayer. He has given many of us life experiences and educational training as well that we can use in making difficult decisions.
New Zealand Tribes
For example, many of us already know that Mad Cow’s Disease began among tribes in New Zealand who had cannibalized other humans. Therefore, it probably wouldn’t be wise to eat one’s own species.
Post Flood Food
When Noah and his family departed from the Ark after the flood God said, “Every moving thing that is alive shall be food for you” (Genesis 9:3). I don’t think the Lord permitted Noah to munch on his wife, however. He specified, “only you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood (v.4)…”Whoever sheds man’s blood, by man his blood shall be shed…” (v. 6).
Levitical Dietary Laws
Additionally, we know that Levitical dietary laws prohibit eating many unclean foods – several that modern doctors affirm are unhealthy, too (see Leviticus chapter 11). So we can base our dietary decisions on facts found in the Bible and in modern medicine as well.
No Fear of Death
So while theoretically a situation could arise such as the one you mention, nothing could happen accidentally to the Christian for which there are no answers or solutions. We don’t even have to fear death itself.
Besides, earthly survival is not the ultimate goal for a Christian – eternal survival is! So the threat of dying of hunger if we refuse to cannibalize humans is not the “end” for us. Remember, death is not a “lasting” decision for a Christian. The apostle Paul makes this point firmly:
“For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21).
We can’t lose!
Awesome…