From: E. Shaun Russell (e_shaun@extropy.org)
Date: Sun Apr 22 2001 - 20:03:00 MDT
Randy Smith wrote:
>Although the Timeship would not be as good for cryonics as $100 M pumped
>into research, it might do the trick anyway. These people are very much
>interested in making cryonics work, and one way is as good as another. So if
>we can get the funding, I say let's build the temple, and develop a pseudo
>religion, if need be; and the money from dues will come in, and we can spend
>that on research.
I think there is a fundamental difference in viewpoints here. First of all,
let me say that I don't think that TimeShip is doing this. That said, the
notion of "one way is as good as another" is quite contemptable to me.
There is, and should be, a certain level of integrity which should be
maintained when dealing with the issue of cryonics. While it is true that
making it a "religious temple" would popularize the field as well as bring
in more money, it would sacrifice far more in the capital of integrity and
morality than it would gain in monetary returns. In any business dealing I
have had so far I have found it immensely important to maintain a level of
integrity and credibility. In my current venture, that remains true.
Though I cannot truly emphasize in words how deeply the concept of "selling
out for the sake of progress" bothers me (and this isn't a condemnation of
anyone, but a notion I have observed countless times in the past and
present), suffice it to say that I would rather see all cryonics
organizations go belly-up (and the same is true of any technology) than see
them compromise their integrity and credibility for the sake of gaining new
members or even furthering the science itself. The idea is to market
cryonics effectively *without* trying to make it something it isn't.
What it is is a possible alternative to death; one which presents a chance
for extended life that is by no means certain. The only faith involved is
the faith (or rather, hope) that technology will advance to such a point as
to molecularly reconstruct damaged neural (and in some cases, visceral)
matter. To put it across as anything else would be deceitful, and though
"morality" is a subjective concept, it would generally be immoral as well.
If we can't present something for what it is, then why should we pretend it
is something it isn't?
Sincerely,
-E. Shaun Russell
____________________________________________________________________
E. Shaun Russell Operations Officer, Extropy Institute
e_shaun@extropy.org http://www.extropy.org
COO and Director, Kryos, Inc.
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