From: G.P. (gdotpdot@newsguy.com)
Date: Tue Dec 18 2001 - 00:26:08 MST
On Sat, 15 Dec 2001 10:30:56 -0600, "Barbara Lamar"
<altamira@texas.net> wrote:
>I grieve with you, G.P. My father died last month. Over the past two years
>cancer robbed him of his curiosity, strength and love of life.
Thanks Barbara, and I also grieve with you. This is exactly what
happened with my mother, two years of gradually going away followed by
a fast fall.
> But I fear our society is riddled with insane beliefs that
>will impede progress. ... About a year ago, I tentatively mentioned the possibility
>of cryonics to my mother. ... going against God's will.
This is unfortunately the reaction of most people to cryonics and
overcoming "natural" limits in general. At the same time I believe
there have been Christian thinkers (Theilard?) promoting the idea that
whatever humans can do with their intelligence (given by God) is also
God's will. Now if I were a Christian I would certainly subscribe to
this view.
>There has been discussion from time to time about whether "Extropianism" is a sort of
>religion. While one would certainly not want to encourage unthinking
>adherence to extropian principles, the fellowship aspects of religion are
>somewhat appealing. People seem to have a hard-wired need to belong to a
>group.
Well this is a good point. Another thing that pushes people to
religious thinking is the wish to believe in an afterlife, especially
strong when a loved one dies. Extropianism as I see it is "only"
belief in boudless improvement of human condition through science,
technology and rational thinking, so I do not think it should ever
evolve in a sort of religion. At the same time there may be religious
views of the world much more compatible with extropian thinking than
the conventional Christian view (Theilard again, omega point theories,
...).
--- G.P. gdotpdot@newsguy.com
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