Re: Extropians: The Un-Cult

Michael Lorrey (retroman@tpk.net)
Tue, 17 Jun 1997 17:42:15 -0400


> Max wrote:
>
> > Seeing all these messages with "extropian cult" in them bothers me.
> > Reporters sometimes join the list for a while, and many people look at the
> > archives, without reading all the posts. Just seeing this titles appear
> > numerous times could easily add fuel to this false fire for cursory
> readers.
> >
> > I'm *not* suggesting that this topic not be discussed. I'm just suggesting
> > that it be retitled to avoid this effect. The more smoke that is visible,
> > the more some people may believe there must be a fire.
> >
> > The fact that you will all ignore my request will prove that this is not a
> > cult!
> >

According to the definition of "cult" in one popular internet book I
looked at at the book store today, the primary feature of a cult is an
autocratic leader who claims a special line of communication with God or
some other supernatural deity or force.

I don't see it here. Of course, we could then market ourselves as the
Un-Cult or Anti-Cult. Considering that most ignoramuses see philosophy
(Max's pidgin) as religion for intellectuals or pretentious theology,
perhaps it would behoove us to angle ExI on a more political line in
order to make plain our strictly non-religious focus.

-- 
TANSTAAFL!!!
			Michael Lorrey
------------------------------------------------------------
mailto:retroman@tpk.net		Inventor of the Lorrey Drive
Agent Lorrey@ThePentagon.com
Silo_1013@ThePentagon.com	http://www.tpk.net/~retroman/

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