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Comment by vkou | Hacker News Reader

Because the government is just a proxy for the will of the people, and the people don't like icky things and thoughts. And mishandled corpses are very icky to see and think about.

It's the same reason the government has a history of getting involved in people's bedrooms.

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You referring to the disposal of human bodies as icky makes it clear that you aren’t familiar with the very real public health consequences that can arise from unhygienic disposal

There are very real public health consequences for bedroom activities too.

Do we really need to explain the difference between burning a boatload of corpses and making love?

If your argument is "people should/shouldn't be able to do this thing that's deeply meaningful to them because of/despite the public health risks", yes, you really do need to explain why these cases are different from each other.

The scale of the public health risk is nowhere near the same, for one.

We might also consider that the "deeply meaningful things" phrase is hiding behind superficial similarities. One is a reproductive function and an important part of a well-functioning couple; the other is an ancient burial practice that nobody can truthfully claim is part of their living culture.

You're sea-lawyering. We know you understand the difference.

> One is a reproductive function and an important part of a well-functioning couple

The activities that people want to regulate tend to not fall under either of those (or at least their status as such is disputed).

> You're sea-lawyering. We know you understand the difference.

Nope. I genuinely think it's a legitimate comparison.

I'm well aware of them, I'm providing an additional, cultural (as opposed to scientific) reason for why people feel the need for legislature about body disposal.

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