CNN’s quest for ratings has officially gone too far as they have now, quite literally, pushed the boundaries of civilization, and stooped to eating human flesh.
In a new show called Believers, so-called religious expert Reza Aslan traveled to India to observe (and apparently participate in) the execution of the religious traditions of the Aghoris people.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wISwlWj7rW8
The Aghoris people may have many non-traditional traits, but you cannot call them wasteful. Along with eating human brains, they are known for using the bones from human corpses for crafting kapalas (skullcups which Shiva and other Hindu deities are often iconically depicted holding or using) and jewelry.
There are so many legal and ethical issues with this display of disregard for not only human life, but culture and civilization that it’s hard to know where to begin. I can think of a few logistical questions about how the brains were obtained. Obviously one would hope they didn’t kill their dinner themselves, but if they didn’t, was he found recently dead? Do they have a deal with the local morgue to let them know about the recently deceased? Also, if that’s the case, what kind of deaths are considered edible? Obviously someone who went of blunt force trauma would probably be fair game, but what about appendicitis? If I were still acclimating to the local cuisine, I think I would need to know that.
It’s unclear what CNN is trying to portray with this particular episode of their new series since cannibalism is not only frowned upon, but in most places outright illegal.They may have been trying to lend legitimacy to their “religious expert” who is known for writing books such as No god but God: The Origins, Evolution, and Future of Islam and Beyond Fundamentalism: Confronting Religious Extremism in the Age of Globalization. Unfortunately, all they have done is to push a not so subtle metaphor about what CNN thinks brains should be used for.
I don’t know how this can be seen as anything other than a desperate, flailing attempt to grab the attention of an American audience that has begun to see them for what they are: pushy, biased and generally unfit for TV. I’m afraid this was a swing and a miss though if they were hoping to win back the conservatives. See, we like to actually try to use our brains, not eat them.
(Source: Youtube)