From: Scott Badger (wbadger@psyberlink.net)
Date: Fri Apr 09 1999 - 22:27:53 MDT
> > On 4/4/99, Mike Lorrey wrote:
> >
> > > In an effort to stamp out or co-op the holidays of the old religions,
I
> > > want to wish all here a happy Cryogenic Reanimation Day. The official
> > > animal of Reanimation Day is the teddy bear, due to the bear's
> > > hybernation abilities.
> >
> > How about establishing and holding this holiday on Bob Ettinger's
birthday
> > instead of Easter? It would be a nice tribute to the father of cryonics
> > before he deanimates.
>
> Well, while the sentiment is well placed, it doesn't do what I'd like it
> to do:
>
> a) expropriate the jesus resurrection myth and the alleged date of its
> occurence, which is the foremost western mythical instance of
> resurrection.
Yes, this sentiment is also well-placed. What I did on Easter Sunday was
attend a service provided by the North Texas Church of Freethought <
http://church.freethought.org/ >, a group of atheists who meet on a regular
basis for fellowship. They're the largest group of their kind in the
nation. The guest speaker that day was a previous Lutheran minister,
author, and atheist named Art Ides (That's right. I met Mr. Ides in March
:^) )
Anyway, his presentation focused on the specific biblical discrepencies
relating to the resurrection and the similarity between the resurrection
myth and other earlier myths. I ordered and am eagerly looking forward to
receiving his most recent book on the subject.
The regular speaker and co-founder of the "un-church" also gave about a
10-15 minute presentation and I was quite pleased to hear him address the
human desire to preserve one's identity and the problems with that concept.
He even mentioned cryonics! Lordy! I asked our "pastor" after the service
how I might go about identifying those in the congregation that might be
interested in transhumanistic memes, and establishing a discussion group
which could meet after the regular service. He seemed open-minded and I'm
in the process of writing up a sort of proposal for him to look over.
> b) this is about reanimation, not one person being born. If you want an
> Ettinger holiday, call it Ettimas or some such.
Hmm, doesn't quite have the right ring. But you're right, I wasn't trying
to connect Ettinger with the Easter holiday.
> c) this is about memetic social engineering in the general populace, not
> within the cryo community.
Right.
> d) it makes the connection of jesus' death and resurrection with current
> day issues like right to die (jesus knew what was gonna happen and he
> let it happen, he refused to avoid it), and a theological basis for
> crygenic suspension.
Huh? OK, but that's a bit of a stretch in my mind. There is a definite
connection between cryonic (not cryogenic) suspension and the right to die,
though. If I were to get Alzheimers or some other degenerative brain
disorder, I would most certainly like to have the right to take a cruise on
the S.S. Euthanasia with Cap'n Otter and his merry crew. As for a
"theological basis" for cryonics . . . who needs it? We cryonicists are
more interested in divorcing the movement from any theological issues,
prefering to take the position that there is no substantive conflict between
religion and cryonics.
Long life,
Scott
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