From: Emlyn (emlyn@one.net.au)
Date: Mon Apr 30 2001 - 03:53:28 MDT
Samantha Atkins wrote:
> Nope. Almost every religion claims that death is not the end and that
> death will lose its sting. If dead becomes simply an interlude to being
> revived to new life (cryonics) or one does not die but simply
> periodically transforms or assumes forms when needed (uploads.
> simulation), then there is nothing about that that is incompatible.
> None of the holy books say precisely how resurrection, or translation to
> "heaven" (sounds like VR space a lot), or transmigration of souls
> (transference of backup individuality) or reincarnation (serial
> assumption of different life scenarios) take place. Creating workable
> means to accomplish some of these things should be applauded by
> religious folks. We can even show how gods can come about in reality.
> Hallelujah! What a revelation! Surely God, aka the Power, aka the
> Sysop has smiled upon us!
I will add, that very few people involved in >H, extropianism, purely
cryonics, or whatever your flavour, would seriously suggest that any of us
will live for *all eternity*. While we might be shooting for close (my
joke), the maths alone says we must come a cropper some time before forever.
So, any life-extension techniques are merely temporary. If there's a God, or
otherwise an afterlife, it will get us in the end, afterall. God's meant to
be immortal, eternal, etc etc... surely multiplying our lifespans by a few
orders of magnitude couldn't really matter in the greater scheme of
things...
Just remember, as the heat death of the universe approaches, deathbed
conversion is still an option...
Emlyn
(not that I believe in that stuff, mind you)
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