On 15-7-2011 7:54, Warp wrote:
> Darren New<dne### [at] sanrrcom>  wrote:
>> It's a rather cool place. Go see it if you're ever in Rome. The whole place
>> is decorated with the bones of many centuries worth of dead monks.
>
>    Isn't that quite disrespectful of the dead?

I don't think it is. As others have remarked, different cultures have 
different ideas about these things.
I think the monks would see it in the same light as I would think about 
leaving my body to science. But even here that meets with various 
responses. Most of the staff, including the people that would prepare 
and dissect my body, think they would honour my last request, some 
however are dead against it.
In 'Stiff' that funny book by the incomparable Mary Roach, she tells 
that there is a university in Italy where they have a display of all the 
heads of the former heads of the anatomy department. That would probably 
match this example in creepiness for many here. Yet, I think it is a 
great custom, to keep the former heads 'alive'. Just as making a 
chandelier from bones of your former congregation members* keeps them 
with you all the time.
Besides, if they hadn't done that, the bones would now be gone. (One 
thing is certain however, these people did not believe in the rapture, 
as it would take some time to find your own bones. Of course they 
didn't, the concept was not invented yet, but that is another story.)

*) from the description in wiki I understand that the bones are not all 
from monks.

-- 
Apparently you can afford your own dictator for less than 10 cents per 
citizen per day.

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