X-Message-Number: 14279 Date: Wed, 9 Aug 2000 16:02:38 -0400 (EDT) From: Ruthanna R Gordon <> Subject: Re: CryoNet #14113 - #14118 < wrote> > Good luck on your Phd and book. We look forward to your continued if > occasional participation and postings. As demonstrated here. I'm only just now catching up on the last 3 weeks of cryonet... <On Tue, 18 Jul 2000 Thomas Donaldson wrote> > You've given a good and interesting summary of the current state of Wicca. > Those who have written on the history of religion would say that Wicca > is an invention of the 20th Century, with few resemblances to the older > version --- but that's OK. After all, we're going through lots of changes, > and have been through more, and it's quite unreal to suppose that a > religion viable in the 10th Century AD will much resemble one viable > in the 20th. I agree. If I wanted a religion with doctrines that made sense hundreds of years ago, I'd save myself some effort and stick with a mainstream one. Most people are aware that the connection between modern and ancient Wicca is just an origin myth--the modern version draws its real roots in Aleister Crowley and the feminist and environmental movements (and has of course branched and changed much since even those). > The one thing your summary lacked was some references to books etc where > those interested could find out more. I ask this not because I'm personally > interested in such books, but because others on Cryonet might be. I think I may have posted something along these lines later, but it may have been in a private follow-up. I would recommend The Spiral Dance, by Starhawk, as a good introduction and overview. I would also recommend When, Why, If, by Robin Wood, as a more intense discussion of Wiccan ethics. > As for my own religious lenings, I was raised as an Episcopalian (one > branch of Christianity) but have come to believe that religions are > irrelevant, not just for cryonicists but generally. We cannot really > transfer responsibility for our actions to ANY other institution or > "person"; we have to take responsibility ourselves, and act as WE think > best. Not to do that is merely to fool oneself. Even if there is a God > or Goddess who claims to be in charge of the Universe, we still must > make our own decisions ... we just have a powerful being that makes > various (false) claims about how he or she will happily decide "for us". That just about exactly matches my feelings on ethics and responsibility. One of the reasons I am a Wiccan is that, while I do believe in a Divine, I don't believe in handing off my personal responsibility to It or someone who claims to speak for It. I would characterize my relationship with the Divine as less authoritarian/subordinate and more familial. > And I hope that you sign up (with or without your husband or lover) > ASAP. At a minimum, get the insurance you'll need. The problem is that > even if you don't DIE in a few years, you could well find out that you > suffer from a disease which makes you uninsurable ... which will come > close to putting an end to your ideas about cryonics. I say this as > someone who suffered (and survived) a brain tumor, but took out lots > of life insurance before I ever knew I would have that problem. Yes, > I recovered, though it did cause damage to my thinking (mostly my > physical coordination). There are lots of people aged in their 20's > or 30's who find out they have conditions which make them hard or > impossible to insure. Hopefully within the next six months. I've been talking about doing this for six years now, and now that I have the financial wherewithal I need to make it real. Thanks all for your welcomes, Ruthanna Gordon Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=14279