X-Message-Number: 28501
From: 
Date: Mon, 25 Sep 2006 12:04:30 EDT
Subject: zealotry and sales

I think there is considerable misunderstanding about religion(s) and its  
(their) appeal.
 
First, there is little important difference between religions and  

"non-religious" ideologies.  The prime example of a religion  ostensibly 
non-religious 

is communism. In a way, it is a much purer religion  than (say) Christianity or
Islam because it does not promise an afterlife, and  yet has been very 

successful in recruiting martyrs willing to sacrifice  themsleve--either 
gradually 
by being worked to death, or quickly in  war--merely for the State or 

Posterity. This is (at first glance) pure  sacrifice for an idea or ideal, 
whereas in 
Christianity or Islam no real  sacrifice is involved, except temporary 
discomfort. If you really believe in an  eternity of heaven vs. an eternity of 
hellfire, pure self-interest will  dictate piety--but that is only theory.
 
In practice, the choice of martyrdom or zealotry is mostly the same,  
regardless of the name. The glow or rapture of zealotry is mostly a matter of  

group-think and slogans and habits or customs, including potential sanctions by

police or neighbors. Many people can get a high just by doing scutwork for the
campaign of a political candidate, and almost everybody is afraid of being  
thought bad or queer.
 
Stained glass windows and hymns evoke wonderful feelings. So do drums and  
trumpets, many drugs, some kinds of self-abuse, mob approval, etc. For some  
people, so do mathematical equations or geometrical figures. The analysis of  
feel-good is so far barely primitive.
 
How can we compete in this arena? We probably don't have to, because the  
obvious advance of science cannot be resisted, barring calamities. We are  

gaining, and the rate of accelereation will improve. But it would be  
helpful--and 

in some scenarios essential--to speed things up and be seen as more  attractive.
 
One way to do it is the transhumanist path. It is interesting that there  are 
many more transhumanists than cryonicists. Since so many transhumanists are  
not cryonicists, it seems clear that they are just masturbating, to put it  
bluntly. (They aren't as bad as the  science fiction crowd, which  is much 
larger and much more obviously just looking for entertainment.) The  appeal of 

transhumanism is partly that it has trappings of idealism, a better  future for
humanity.
 
One tactic might be to press some of the transhumanists directly. They  ought 
to be somewhat better candidates for recruitment than the general public.  
They have at least one web site, and somebody could make a project of  that.
 
Another nexus might be the physicians and scientists who favor cryonics,  and 
may even be signed up, but stay in the closet for fear of professional  

reprisal. Many of us know some of these. Try to persuade them that their fears  
are 
overblown and they should show a little backbone.
 
As for providing some of the standard incentives, e.g. fellowship and  

slogans and personal support, this is more difficult. We mostly don't  have a 
zealot 
or group or fraternal mentality, and even have sharp  political differences. 
But we could nibble around the edges of this, and try  harder and more often 
to help others, both members and potential recruits. If  they LIKE YOU it is 
much easier to recruit them. Many politicians are elected  not because of a 

platform, but sometimes even in spite of it--just for personal  likability. And 
if 
we're not already likable, as many of us are not, this can be  improved by 
some simple conscious effort.
 
R.E.
 


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