X-Message-Number: 26488
From: 
Date: Sun, 3 Jul 2005 12:52:37 EDT
Subject: (no subject)

It is my opinion that Dave Pizer's target ( organized religion) is  

incorrectly chosen. The real problem is not what organized religion may say or

promise, but the manner in which individual peoples think about what is  said or
promised. The great majority of people are concerned with and  deal with the 

difficult idea of one's personal death by ( take your pick):  preoccupation with
other earthly matters that seem more understandable and  controllable; genuine 
belief that they do not actually want more life here on  earth than the 
approximately 80 years given to them ( it is the "human life is  too much of a 
struggle and a losing proposition" concept; laziness; preference  to have easy 
answers given them by others; have the wishing will make it so  philosophy; 

preferring to leave such difficult concerns to the minds of (  perceived) 
superior 
thinking others; ( something that many cryonicists  themselves are guilty of , 

believing that all they have to do is sign up and  all will be ok) an inherited
belief system they never challenged; lack  the will or courage to fight the 
majority; lack the will or courage to be a  minority; possibly an undiscovered 
biological death drive; or simply feel good  believing in a promised afterlife 
(among other reasons I  undoubtably am unaware of),  and therefore, accept 

the  tenets of organized religion, rather than apply their mind and effort to  a
scientifically based alternative or supplement. The answer is in  education 
of our fellow humans in the value of alternative ideas, and  encouraging more 

active personal thought. When you fight the beliefs of  organized religion, you
really fight the billions of peoples that support it,  and they are one's to 
be convinced. Suing organized religion at worst will  mobilize the faithful 
into retaliative law suits or simply convince them even  further that they are 
right due to the reflex thinking of the human mind to  reject processes that 
threaten them. Joe Waynick, Alcor's CEO, for example, is  an educated but 

vigorously religious person who understands the value of  having alternatives at
his 
disposal.


 


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