I'M AGAINST THE PRACTICE OF PREDATORY CANNIBALISM

An ordinary cannibal is defined simply in the dictionary as "a person who eats human flesh." I make no judgment against him. I do protest however when the human animal is made to suffer unnecessarily or is treated unmercifully by predators. ‘Predatory cannibalism’ may be aptly defined by citing the following authoritative comments.

Remarks On Backbiting

The dictionary definition of backbiting (backbite, bit, bitten, biting) is 1. "to attack the character or reputation of a person who is not present." 2. "to slander an absent person."

"For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ But if you bite and devour one another, take care lest you be consumed by one another." Gal. 5:13-15.

The Testimony of Jesus Says that Backbiting is Cannibalism

"My brethren, clear your souls before God. Cease your criticizing and fault-finding. Satan will keep you at this till the Lord comes, if he can. He knows that thus he can most effectually hinder the Lord’s work. Backbiting is cannibalism. God calls upon His people to have nothing to do with it, but to come to Him, that they may have light and life and salvation. We need the wisdom that comes from above. Pure, this wisdom is, ‘peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated.’ If it were not, the love of the Father would not have been so constantly exercised toward us." GCB 04-02-03.

Cannibalism, With Special Reference to the Delight of the Flesh and the Thrill of the Hunt

"There will ever be some who take delight in dwelling upon the real or supposed faults and failures of others, and who employ their time in seeing, hearing, or reporting something that will destroy confidence in the person criticized. Few are without visible faults; in most persons careful scrutiny will reveal some defect of character; and upon these defects in others, some professed Christians delight to dwell. The habit strengthens with indulgence, and a love for gossip becomes their ruling passion. They gather together the tid-bits of reports,—all of them, it may be, utterly devoid of truth,—and feast upon the scandal, and share it with others as a rare delicacy.

"A writer asks, Who ever heard of a dove rending the heart of a robin, or of a lamb sucking the blood of a kid? This is the work of hawks and tigers. The true followers of Christ will not be found biting and devouring one another. ‘This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.’

"Envy and jealousy loose the blood-hounds of suspicion, and minds that love the sport join in hunting down the fair fame of Christ’s ambassadors. An unjust insinuation is started, a conjecture is set afloat; and it gathers strength as it passes from one to another of those who desire it to be true. These evil reports are received with great satisfaction by some who have been reproved for heinous sins or grave defects of character. They smarted under the reproof, and yet did not reform. Now their consciences are eased; they learn that the reprover cannot be trusted; somebody has circulated a damaging report; somebody has brought an accusation. They leave the distasteful work of caring for their own souls and repenting of their own sins, and climb upon the judgment seat to condemn another." RH 08-28-83.

According to Revelation 22:15, Dogs are Outside of the Kingdom.

What Are They Doing Inside The Adventist Church?

"Among some species of animals, if one of their number is wounded, and falls, he is at once set upon and torn in pieces by his fellows. The same cruel spirit is indulged by men and women who bear the name of Christians. They manifest a Pharisaical zeal to stone others less guilty than themselves. There are some who point to other’s faults and failures to divert attention from their own, or to gain credit for great zeal for God and the church." PH117, p. 36.

How Painful Is Cannibalism?

"We think with horror of the cannibal who feasts on the still warm and trembling flesh of his victim; but are the results of even this practice more terrible than are the agony and ruin caused by misrepresenting motive, blackening reputation, dissecting character?" ST 03-01-05.

Is Backbiting All That Bad?

What Are The Qualifications For Citizenship In Zion?

"In the Scriptures, backbiters are classed with the haters of God, ‘with inventors of evil things,’ with those who are ‘without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful,’ ‘full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity.’ It is ‘the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death.’ He whom God accounts a citizen of Zion is he that ‘speaketh the truth in his heart;’ ‘that backbiteth not with his tongue,’ ‘nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbor.’ " ST 03-01-05.

These Are The Qualifications For Church Membership

"Lord, who may dwell in your sanctuary? Who may live on your holy hill? He whose walk is blameless and who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from his heart and has no slander on his tongue, who does his neighbor no wrong and casts no slur on his fellow man, who despises a vile man but honors those who fear the Lord, who keeps his oath even when it hurts." Psalm 15: 1-4. N.I.V.

If You Are A Witness To Cannibalism And Go On As If Nothing Unusual Is Happening, Then You Are A Cannibal Also

"A person who will allow any degree of suspicion or censure to rest upon his fellow workers, while he neither rebukes the complainers nor faithfully presents the matter before the one condemned, is doing the work of the enemy. He is watering seeds of discord and of strife, the fruit of which he will have to meet in the day of God. He is backbiting; he is taking up a reproach against his neighbor; he is doing a work that will separate very friends. He is striking directly at the reputation of his brother; and envy, jealousy, and evil surmisings are awakened, which endanger the soul’s salvation. He is hedging up his brother’s way, binding his influence; and God will hold him accountable for this work. 
"This disrespect for others, this disregard for right and justice, is not a rare thing. It is found to a greater or less extent in all our institutions. If one makes a mistake, there are some who make it their business to talk about it until it grows to large proportions. Instead of this, there should be in all engaged in our institutions a sacred principle to guard the interest and reputation of every one with whom they are associated, even as they would wish their own reputation guarded. May the Lord impress this upon the minds and hearts of all our workers." PH066, 26.

Conclusion

The analogy between cannibalism and these savage acts, commonly committed by those who profess to believe the Lord, is decidedly Biblical. I cite the book of Galatians.

If some misunderstand Galatians and the apostle Paul when he said, "serve one another", then they need to meditate on the true meaning of this simple phrase. In the New Testament Scriptures, we are called to serve one another in love. It is not an opportunity to serve and to eat human flesh. Listen carefully. — Predatory cannibalism is the serving of the flesh, which we are not entitled to do. Paul says this explicitly.