TKC MUST READ!!! KANSAS CITY BISHOPS EXPRESS 'ETHICAL CONCERN' OVER UPCOMING AND CONTROVERSIAL UNION STATION 'BODY WORLDS' EXHIBIT!!!
A question of human dignity in death confronts Kansas City.
To wit . . .
IN A DEFINITIVE STATEMENT ON A MACABRE EVENT MAKING ITS WAY BACK TO UNION STATION . . . LEADERS OF KANSAS CITY'S CATHOLIC COMMUNITY EXPLAIN THEIR OPPOSITION AS THEY HAVE DEEMED THE DISPLAY INAPPROPRIATE FOR STUDENTS IN THE FAITH!!!
Real talk . . . The "Body Worlds' exhibit confronts the same questions posed to other displays about the consent involved obtaining cadavers.
Daily Mail: 'Bodies' exhibition accused of putting executed Chinese prisoners on show
Moreover, there has been wrist slap against the exhibitors in some notable instances . . .
The Guardian: Von Hagens forced to return controversial corpses to China
Now, as this exhibit makes its way to Kansas City . . . One of the metro's largest faith communities is speaking out on this issue . . .
Here's a recently released statement that should have earned wider reporting but now makes an appropriate opinion for our TKC blog community to consider this Sunday . . .
Kansas City bishops’ statement on Body Worlds exhibit
Following is a joint statement by Kansas City in Kansas Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann and Kansas City – St. Joseph Bishop James V. Johnston, Jr., on an upcoming exhibit at Union Station:
Recently, Union Station in Kansas City announced plans to bring The Cycle of Life exhibit by Body Worlds to Kansas City. The exhibit contains dissected human specimens that have undergone a preservation process known as “plastination.” We are grateful to the leadership of Union Station for sharing with us, in advance, their plans for the upcoming exhibit and we are appreciative of the efforts made by Union Station to explore how Body Worlds obtains the specimens for display. However, there remain ethical concerns about this exhibit that we find troubling.
The Catholic Church supports the pursuit of scientific knowledge and recognizes the value of using human specimens to train doctors and scientists in order to help them treat the sick and support human health. However, the artful public display of posed human remains, while certainly fascinating, calls into question the proper respect being afforded to these human remains. The exhibit amounts to a kind of “human taxidermy” that is inconsistent with the dignity due a deceased human body. As to the educational value, one must ask: Could not the educational value be achieved with models rather than using actual human remains?
While Body Worlds claims that proper informed consent has been obtained and even cites a favorable ethical study, there remain concerns about consent. We are troubled by lingering questions raised by investigative journalists and human rights groups regarding whether proper informed consent has been obtained for all of the bodies and specimens on display here.
The Catholic Tradition supports the pursuit of knowledge, truth, and beauty – and thus we, the local Catholic bishops, appreciate the general work of Union Station in bringing educational opportunities to the Kansas City area. Nonetheless, because of our ethical concerns we do not believe that this exhibit is an appropriate destination for field trips for Catholic schools or youth groups.
###############
You decide . . .
Remember that last time union station did this kind of thing their next three exhibits tanked. A risky move to go back to this kind of display.
ReplyDeleteAre selfies allowed?
ReplyDeleteKC and our mayor to take selfies!
Let's speak out and point fingers at an educational exhibit but when a Catholic Priest rapes a child the Catholic Church gets all quiet and acts like nothing happened.Hypocritical assholes.
ReplyDeleteHere we go again.
ReplyDeleteLOL
It's all about the money
ReplyDeleteTwo ways to enjoy this marvelous event. If you don't have a car get on the Streetcar!!! It's FREE!
ReplyDeleteIf you have a car, or two, or three, drive to Union Station and enjoy the luxury and convenience of our ample parking!!!
Fun for the whole family!
We’re a modern, hip, cool, energetic, arty place!!!!
ReplyDeleteAnd vibrant too!
ReplyDeleteTried the toy train. Yuck! Delays, waits, packed in like sardines. Just thinking about who's touched things phew! Just imagine all the germs and transmittable diseases on the kiosks!
ReplyDeleteCatholic Tradition supports the pursuit of knowledge, truth, and beauty
ReplyDeleteLOL he said that with a straight face?
These bodies were created from people who were dead from some other reason not executed for plastication. When you're dead you're dead, that body isn't doing anything and is of no value.
ReplyDeleteExcept to people that think it could miraculously jump back to life three days later OR people that would charge you everything you are worth to treat pour Aunt Agnes with the "dignity" and "respect" that she deserved by jamming a hollow tool into her every cavity, mixing up the innards and sucking them out, replacing that with stuffing and pumping her veins full of incredibly toxic chemicals, then shoving her into a box worth a couple hundred bucks but which you'll spend thousands, then shoving that box into the ground somewhere and charging to MORE money and taking up valuable real estate that could be used to grow crops, build a school, move the hell away from the ghetto where you or you're children will be turned into more corpses at an increased rate.
No these people died, they were posed, plasticised and sent on display to show you the human machine that hauls this lump of brain material around. The brain material responsible for dreaming up all of the above nonsense.
And the day a Catholic pedophile tells me whats moral just will NEVER come around.
More PC Bull Shit from an organization led by a rich Liberal Socialist who lives behind walls, guarded by mercenaries, who wants us all to live in a "Borderless" world.
ReplyDeleteAt least back when guys like the Borgia's were popes, they were brazenly self aggrandizing power mongers who reveled in money, sex and sybaritic sensuality with no apologies.
Bring back the Medeci. Fuck the South American Socialist (How is it going in Venezuela your eminence?) pope who thinks we should all kiss his ring and his ass while we eat cake.
This amazing attraction is going to help increase density! So we'll need tons of market rate apartments for all the people who will flock from all over to live here!
ReplyDeleteProvide the entertainment and they will come!
Whats the problem man! People need to make a buck!
ReplyDeleteExecution victims or not, this is a perverted and disgusting exhibition of pickled naked dead people.
ReplyDeleteThis is the kind of "scientific" and "educational" sideshow invented by marketing people these days for hick towns like Kansas City, where there is a vast audience of rubes willing to shell out high admission prices to ooh and ahhhh over displays of dead human meat.
This is so trashy and disgusting.
See! Union Station is Hip, Cool, and Vibrant!
ReplyDeleteYep, the rubes and clods will be trucking in from Gardner and Lone Jack to get their fill of the big city experience -- and just ooh and ahh over those sliced and diced Chinamen.
ReplyDeleteParis of the Plains?
Why yes, it's a regular Champs Elysses down there.
I heard that as an ingenious marketing tie-in with the exhibit Peregrine Honig will be outfitting the models with the latest transgender panties which will be available for purchase in the gift shop.
ReplyDeleteForcing people living outside the city to pay E Tax is ten times worse than this.
ReplyDeleteThere is going to washboard and kazoo playing bearded hipsters greeting people at the entrance to the exhibit!
ReplyDeleteWe should bus the mayor and council down there so they can see what transparency looks like.
ReplyDeleteYou don't need to go! According to our dynamic local TV weather teams you should roast marshmallows!
ReplyDelete"Who's turning on the heat tonight? More importantly, who wants to roast marshmallows with me over a nice bonfire? The cool air is settling in for several days!"
ReplyDeleteI will be doing a report on the penis exhibit.
It ain't naked little boys, so it's not okay.
ReplyDelete9:47 FTW!!
ReplyDeleteYou know it's true.
Anything happening today?
ReplyDeleteNope Typical Comatose Sunday
ReplyDeleteRE: "A question of human dignity in death confronts Kansas City."
ReplyDeleteThank you for this important posting. And, as a reminder, when gathering to mourn the death of a loved one, and honoring the spirit of life in general, what better way to say "I Care" than to light a candle at the vigil, from Mind Your Own Beeswax Candle Company, Incorporated.
Keep the spirit of your loved one alive with an eternal flame slow-burning perpetual candle.
Light a wick and heal the sick, with our aromatherapy incense-infused therapeutic candles.
We also now have a patented Transgender candle (you can hold it from either end, or switch back and forth) we're calling the "Bruce Caitlyn Bipolar."
For TKC readers only, we have a limited edition of Cum Guy tapered 10" candles! When firmly grasped at the base, upon seeing an attractive woman which "lights your fire" the Cum Guy candle involuntarily erupts with a short splash of hot wax.
(This has been a public service announcement from the Mind Your Own Beeswax Candle Company, Incorporated. Spokeswoman, Cera Alba)
Sure is dead around here today.
ReplyDelete12:46 good side splittin' stuff!
ReplyDeleteWhat's all the roman collar fuss? Crucifixes, rosaries, holy cards, pieta statues, stained glass, t-shirts and tats have a nearly naked and blood dripping Jesus corpse on display.
I understand why clergy rape children. Thanks for the clarification.
ReplyDeleteThe Catholics hide child molesters, why does their opinion mean anything?
ReplyDeleteDisrespectful and ghoulish. Won't waste my money on this. It's amazing Union Station can have an amazing exhibit like DaVinci and then bring in something like this. Ugh.
ReplyDeleteSaw it before. Interesting. If the thought of it offends you, just don't go!
ReplyDeleteThe Chinese Mass murderers have an officially atheistic government.
ReplyDeleteThe Haters at Kansas City Atheist Coalition should make an event of this.
Its right up there ally.
Contact there President Joshooa Hyde and make the suggestion. He is very approachable.