Okay, I'm sorry, but Gematria is not Extropic, it is drooling, empty-headed
rationalization. Gematria is on the same level of sheer blank-minded
stupidity as astrology. If you start trying to be tolerant of it, it
indicates that you have become too open-minded and your brains are now
starting to fall out.
There is a place for mysticism in embryo Extropians. I myself dabbled in
mysticism up until the age of fourteen or fifteen or so. However, I expect
mysticism in Those For Whom There Is Still Hope to take the form of
fascination with psychic powers, the teleology of the Universe, exotic
physical theories, mystical interpretations of qualia, reconciliation of
ultratech futures in terms of religious prophecies, and so on. Taking
astrology or Gematria seriously indicates that you are a flat-out idiot.
Respecting people who take astrology seriously does not impress others with
your tolerance. It simply indicates that you do not understand what tolerance
is *for*, and that you are trying to impress others by adherence to the letter
of an ethic whose spirit you do not understand.
Furthermore, please note that the Committee on Un-Extropian Activities will be
investigating all participants in this thread for possible connections to the
Green Party.
-- -- -- -- --
Eliezer S. Yudkowsky http://singinst.org/
Research Fellow, Singularity Institute for Artificial Intelligence
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b30 : Mon May 28 2001 - 09:50:21 MDT