[monday]

"So hey, consenting adults, who cares, right?"

Who said Brandes consented to be eaten? The cannibal?

Unless Armin has video tape showing Brandes stating his wish to be eaten and a couple of psychiatrists who had examined Brandes and found him to be of sound mind, what Armin says Brandes wanted shouldn't matter.

If he is believed, then every murderer could claim his victim wanted to be killed.

[Wicket]

From what I understand, there was video showing consent, showing the "willing victim" participating in the ceremonies, with details that are too gross to believe.

[Mr. Silverback]

If he is believed, then every murderer could claim his victim wanted to be killed.

Perhaps, but you miss the point, which is in this sentence from the article, stuff in brackets added by me: "By what standard can a modern secularist [or a society running on modern secularist principles] argue that Meiwes did anything wrong?"

The German court found (after viewing a tape of the killing and considering a doctor's testimony) that Meiwes did in fact get permission from his victim. So Colson's question still stands. Got an answer?

[Anitius Severinus Boethius]

Unless Armin has video tape showing Brandes stating his wish to be eaten and a couple of psychiatrists who had examined Brandes and found him to be of sound mind, what Armin says Brandes wanted shouldn't matter.

I believe that was the exact defense used in court. There were several videotapes, several self-declarations of intent to be killed and eaten by Brandes, and the filming of the act itself.

There are people who kill themselves, and have flown to Holland and Switzerland to be assisted in killing themselves, for things such as "chronic depression" and this has been validated as legitmate reason for ending your own life.

Brandes was of clear mind when he answered the ad, was of clear mind when he made his statements on video, and was crystal clear in giving consent. This case is a choice of society deciding what two consenting adults wish to do is not acceptable.

For those who hate society (because they view it as "socialism"), this is an indication that Germany does not share their "What anyone wants to do is OK as long as consenting adults are doing it" idea of Utopia.