X-Message-Number: 10503 From: "Scott Badger" <> Subject: Re: CryoNet #10497 - #10501 Date: Thu, 1 Oct 1998 07:49:42 -0500 In Message #10500 George Smith wrote: >What I failed to clearly express was a question. The question is what will we do if a religious >movement suddenly decides that cryonics is the fulfillment of their religious prophesies? What >if the next "L. Ron Hubbard" DOES seize cryonics as an important part of a growing religious >movement? What is in our best policy? > >I would submit that it be total tolerance. "You do your thing religiously. If you want to use >our services, fine. We are open to all." Perhaps that is already the way things are. Total tolerance for *all* may not be the best policy due to a variety of legal concerns, but discrimination on the basis of religion would certainly not be wise or ethical in my view. I personally still have a hard time imagining exactly why any religion would embrace cryonics. How might cryonics further the cause of any religion's agenda? I suppose a group seeking physical immortality would find cryonics a potential portal to a future time when aging had been eliminated, but how would a god-figure enter into the equation? I'm saying it's possible but doesn't sound very likely. Again, if immortalism is the religious goal, then the holy grail for these folks will be the anti-aging formula and their main focus will be on some biotechnology firm. Cryonics would only be a vehicle, not the destination. >Yet I wonder about this as there seems to be not a little judgement being rendered as to whether >cryonic suspension should be offered if the participant sees it an article of faith, rather than >a technological gamble. If you feel that a person is choosing cryonics because he or she was >"conned" by a religion into making that choice, are you going to say that person will not be >accepted into your program? Again, will you allow someone to be "conned" to save their life? I believe I can assume that it is the explicit policy of all cryonics firms that they have no religious affiliation. It is also policy to fully inform prospective members that cryonics is a technological gamble. Given that disclosure, prospective members can make an informed decision, and their choice is their own responsibility. It is not our place to tell them that they are being "conned" or not by someone else, as long as we give them an accurate and realistic assessment of what cryonics is about from our perspective. >This situation may never happen. I hope it never does. I am, however, surprised that it hasn't >in view of the wide range of behaviors human beings pursue in the name of religion. I strongly >suspect that sooner or later this issue will be in our faces. Perhaps a little forethought now >is in order. > >-George Smith >-The IRS want you to live forever. Don't try and disappoint them. Getting the IRS to support the cryonics movement? Now that's the best idea you've had in a while, George. ;) Let's offer the entire IRS staff a deep discount if they all agree to immediate crypopreservation! Best regards and long life, Scott Badger Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=10503