Is looting a dead body stealing?

[warpus]

What if there is no will? Let's say he's just a random guy you find on some far-off beach.

Would it be wrong if he was sleeping?

At what point does the age change things?

If you're looking for a magical formula, I'm afraid there is none. Real life does not work like that

This is OT, we can be as inane as we want in our thread subjects. Besides, it was a question I just asked myself because of above-stated movie, and I wanted to see how other people felt about it.

I'm totally stealing all your stuff when you die.

 

[Cheezy the Wiz]

Taking things off a body or grave who has been dead for hundreds, thousands of years is grave/artifact robbery. Doing it to someone who recently died is simple theft.

Basically it doesn't matter how long the guy is dead.

Does that include archaeologists? What if I dig up an old Indian grave with a bunch of turquoise in my backyard, am I obliged to leave it there, even though he's been dead for hundreds of years? Do you think God considers it stealing? Why is it stealing to take objects on a dead body? Technically they no longer exist, and seeing as a man's enumerated posessions pass to whom he has named, a dead man cannot own property, so why is it stealing? These questions are not directed at you specifically, but your remark prompted them.

 

[bigdog5994]

Yea all you atheists should be all for grave robbing

 

[Cheezy the Wiz]

Would it be wrong if he was sleeping?

Yes, beacuse he is still alive. But alive and dead are obviously not the same thing.

If you're looking for a magical formula, I'm afraid there is none. Real life does not work like that

So how did you make that distinction? How should we make that distinction between okay to take and not okay to take?

I'm totally stealing all your stuff when you die.

Gotta find me first.

 

[Cheezy the Wiz]

Its all stealing.

So should we be lobbying museums to put their exhibits back in the ground?

 

[bigdog5994]

So should we be lobbying museums to put their exhibits back in the ground?

i think people actually do

 

[MobBoss]

So should we be lobbying museums to put their exhibits back in the ground?

No...it may still be stealing, but not all stealing is equal.

For example, if am lost out in the wilderness and I find a body that has tools that I can use, I am still going to take them.

As for archeology, yeah, its still looting/stealing, but doing so to preserve history. I dont have a problem with that.

 

[Cheezy the Wiz]

i think people actually do

I know they lobby to have objects returned to their country of origin (like gold boullion taken from sunken Spanish galleons), but do they simply lobby to put King Tut back in the ground, too?

 

[scy12]

So should we be lobbying museums to put their exhibits back in the ground?

Well Museums are supposed to be " a public good" There exhibitions are owned by noone but everyone ,etc ,etc. But i consider it stealing when let's say The national museum of France has special objects from Egypt that they took by buying them from people who did not own them when their was no law against stealing archaeological findings in Egypt. I do think that is stealing and i would have no problems if they where returned in their rightful places.

 

[Cheezy the Wiz]

No...it may still be stealing, but not all stealing is equal.

For example, if am lost out in the wilderness and I find a body that has tools that I can use, I am still going to take them.

As for archeology, yeah, its still looting/stealing, but doing so to preserve history. I dont have a problem with that.

Okay, what about self-preservation? Like, for instance, let's say I'm dirt poor, nothing more than the clothes I have on me, and I come across an empty carriage in the wilderness (to use the origin of this question: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly), and those dead men have watches and money and things that I could sell in town, so I can have enough money to buy food or lodging or whatever I need (not want), is that okay?

And you missed the most important part of my question: does this change with time the body has been dead?

 

[scy12]

And you missed the most important part of my question: does this change with time the body has been dead?

(all of our definitions) It changes with what is the practical use of something.

 

[bigdog5994]

as far as fresh bodies go..

-if you kill someone for his stuff your a scumbag
-if you find a dead body and take his stuff for keeps your a scumbag
-if you take something from a dead body to survive your ok

 

[Bugfatty300]

Does that include archaeologists?

Archaeologists are sanctioned!

What if I dig up an old Indian grave with a bunch of turquoise in my backyard, am I obliged to leave it there, even though he's been dead for hundreds of years?

So now the dead man is in your backyard!? How much will you shift scenarios to fit your view! What's next? Is it sealing if you take stuff from a dead man if he has left them to you in his notarized will?

Shame on you mister!

 

[bender19]

The property belongs to his heirs. The only time I would consider it alright if you were in a war or disaster zone and it was unlikely his heirs could reclaim the property and you needed it yourself.

So in normal circumstances its stealing.

 

[Shylock]

I wouldn't want a dead man's effects unless they were bequeathed to me (and even then).

Even if he can't use it his family can.

In war it's a different story. Although if I were in a war situation I would only take what was given to him as part of fighting or surviving (uniforms, ammo, food, equipment). If he had a watch or something he can keep it, though I'm sure some jerk will come along and take it but that's for him to hash out with himself.

 

[Perfection]

No...it may still be stealing, but not all stealing is equal.

For example, if am lost out in the wilderness and I find a body that has tools that I can use, I am still going to take them.

As for archeology, yeah, its still looting/stealing, but doing so to preserve history. I dont have a problem with that.

I wouldn't consider that looting/stealing. The reason is, that you've got a damn good moral reason to do it. Much lin the way killing is different from murder, I'd say taking is different from stealing.

 

[CaptainF]

Yes, it's stealing.

 

[Mise]

So how did you make that distinction? How should we make that distinction between okay to take and not okay to take?

Fine, you want a number? 200 years.

Next!

 

[soul_warrior]

NO.

as i see it, there are a few scenarios:

1- you see living/sleeping man. you take his stuff - thats bad, not to mention very impolite.
2- you find a corpse (fresh) that has stuff you want/need. A-OK.
3- you find a skeleton grade remains. near it are a few things. A-OK.

if its antique stuff, by all means take it, but stay within the law.
if its "protected" deliver it to a museum.
if its just a souvenier - keep this excellent conversation piece!

if its taken off a corpse, its either in combat (in which case you can probably use everything off it) or accident (in the wild? id guess you would be able to use stuff)

im presuming none here will have problems with taking "survival gear", but i claim that the dead WONT BE USING THE WATCH they wore!
see how much good it did them?

what i WOULD do, is look for IDENTIFICATION.
if i find any, i will try and find the relatives. they might want these artefacts.
if i DONT FIND ANY ID, this is just like finding a watch while taking a stroll.
as was earlier stated.... Finders Keepers.

 

[GinandTonic]

Does that include archaeologists? What if I dig up an old Indian grave with a bunch of turquoise in my backyard, am I obliged to leave it there, even though he's been dead for hundreds of years? Do you think God considers it stealing? Why is it stealing to take objects on a dead body? Technically they no longer exist, and seeing as a man's enumerated posessions pass to whom he has named, a dead man cannot own property, so why is it stealing? These questions are not directed at you specifically, but your remark prompted them.

Your house is built on an old indian burial site? Oh you're screwed buddy. You'll be needing a midgit psychic at least. Perhaps a little girl and a really tall indian fella to be on the safe side.