Emlyn O'Regan wrote:
>
> Well, I don't think you do it with rational arguments and science. Probably
> you need to use a purpose built dogmatic doctrine, designed to basically
> keep these people feel calm and comfortable. A purpose built religion would
> do a good job, although we are not really in the business of religion.
> Better to create a startup venture, new economy style, by partnering with an
> established religion; maybe one of the older versions of Xtianity which is
> suffering declining numbers. We could work with some mainstream religious
> scholars to put a high-tech twist on Jesus' better stuff, and turn
> armageddon into a singularity in messianic clothing. It could possibly go a
> long way, and I bet you'd get some funding (corporate?) to help build such
> an institution.
>
I certainly hear that. This is something I've thought about more than a
little myself. If you could take that religious bent in human beings
and that need for answers and turn it to science and technology you
might have a cultural force that would more than counter-balance the
Neo-Luddites. After all science and technology can actually deliver on
most of the promises that religion has made such as immortality, perfect
health, healing of all ailments, esoterica like creating things just by
thinking, flying through the air apparently unaided, practical telepathy
and on and on. Why buy into sloppy promises of such things when you can
have and even help create the actuality? Why not a religous movement
with churches that preach the freedom to recreate the world based on
science/technology and the abundance that could be ours? Hell, collect
offerings and use them to fund high-tech R&D and startups. Holy venture
capital! I even fantasized a name for that movement - "The Church of
the Holy Nanite". :-)
The utility of this thing doesn't end with those not reachable by
reason. It could also be a place to weave visions of what kind of world
we want to build as we gather more and more means to shape the world to
our own wishes. It could be even a place for weaving new ethics and
vision that unifies not just the unwashed and semi-literate but the very
people who are building the future.
> Or else we could just bolster the general morass of PR/marketing/advertising
> telling everyone that it's all OK, just buy stuff and be happy, because
> everyone's rich (even the people who aren't). The best bet is to
> pacify/neutralise those who would otherwise oppose, and work on gaining the
> support of the people who are likely to be helpful. There's a big
> libertarian sentiment & technophilic sentiment on the net; possibly that
> could be manipulated into a huge extro sentiment.
>
Well, if we are going to do the "everyone's rich" thing we need some way
for people to get a piece of the pie and some modicum of respect with it
even if they don't have a fulltime job. Fulltime jobs are likely to
become more and more scarce for mere mortals. Some folks would be much
more in favor of the Singularity and stuff leading up to it if they were
less anxious about being able to continue having the means to take care
of themselves and their family along the way.
As an aside, you might be able to buy off a lot of people with
super-touchy-feelie VR where they could do what ever the hell they
wanted to with no long term repurcussions. That would go a long way in
many people's book.
> I think the religion is a goer myself. All this marketting guff is not
> specific enough; people want something solid to believe, something which
> tells them what clothes to wear when they get out of bed in the morning, the
> best way to brush their teeth, what side of the street to walk on. A manual
> of the right way to live your life. It's doable.
>
> Emlyn
> (I hate myself. Aargh. But this is, like, a joke, you know?)
Is it? Much wierder things have been done and have worked throughout
history. You could do a religion modality based on science and
technology. That is not necessarily a bad thing. It would also serve
to unify to powerful forces in human society and perhaps get them to
pull together for once.
- samantha
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Mon Oct 02 2000 - 17:37:55 MDT