X-Message-Number: 31425
From: Mark Plus <>
Subject: Re: A Robert Ettinger quote for our times.
Date: Sun, 1 Mar 2009 10:58:30 -0800

In Cryonet #31412, Mr. Stodolsky writes:
 
>We know that a key variable in the acceptance of cryonics is religiosity. 
 

But "religion" acts as a catch-all term for a lot of disparate beliefs in 
different cultures. Many religions lack beliefs considered essential in the 
Abrahamic traditions, including an eternal afterlife or even eternal gods.
 

Some scholars argue that "religion" at its most basic level starts with only one
idea: The (mistaken) attribution of agency to nonhuman phenomena. That in 
itself doesn't imply any reason to oppose radical life extension through 
technological means. 
 

Jews seem over-represented in cryonics, for example, and I think someone from an
Orthodox Jewish background sits on CI's board of directors. The libertarian 
bioethics writer Ronald Bailey has also noted that Jewish theologians and 
bioethicists have spoken and written much more positively about radical life 
extension than the conservative Christian ones (especially Catholics) at the 
conferences he's attended. 
 

Could modern Judaism's lack of emphasis on the afterlife, despite many Jews' 
"religiosity," make Jews more accepting of the idea of living extra-long lives 
through technological means?
 
In Cryonet #31423, Mr. Stodolsky writes, in reponse to Mr. Ettinger:

>>For the umpteenth time, it is CLEAR that money is a very minor factor in the 
slow growth of cryonics.
 
>Tell that to the billion people who's income is less than a dollar a day.
 

I know this will sound snarky, but for the past generation environmentalists 
have propagandized affluent Westerners to "live lightly upon the earth." 
Shouldn't we celebrate and admire these extremely frugal billion individuals for
doing just that?

Mark Plus



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