X-Message-Number: 11755 Date: Sat, 15 May 1999 01:20:42 -0400 (EDT) From: "B. F. Shelton" <> Subject: False Antitheses and True Believers David Pascal's thoughtful post prompted my response to his following remark which I believe attempted to compare cryonicists' respect for the continued life of a deanimated person, with the assumed life of a presumably yet- or maybe-already-animated person (if I am not mistaken, a fetus): "Why? It seems to me that there is an obvious compatibility between the position taken by this one particular Church (at the very least) and the views held by most of the people involved in cryonics. So why isn't it mentioned, much less explored?" I will try not to make this a long posting. On the higher level of religious business organizations, it is clear that it is not in their best financial interest to encourage the continuance of "old people" who do not have a lot of resources to continue to donate, and who, in fact, may indeed elicit "reverse donations." And, of course, they have yet to observe very many "ageless" persons with enormous wealth who theoretically (for whatever unknown reason) might donate to their church for decades on end, and whose continued physical existence they should therefore objectivally promote. In regard to the "masses," as distinct from the "religious business organizations" themselves, one has merely to read the various writings of Eric Hoffer, some entitled with variations of "The True Believer," to simply understand why most folks whose heads are wrapped up in narrow- minded views of reality and the universe(s), are never likely to associate in their minds any relationship between "dead" and "unborn" folks (translate: deanimated/suspended and preanimated/living, folks). Without further comment regarding subsidiary issues to those mentioned, I must simply state that I do not think there is likely to be any strong public support for cryonics/suspended animation and such for a very long time, and we are on our own, and we best get together as best we can. B.F. Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=11755