X-Message-Number: 493
From att!ruc.dk!david Sat Oct  5 20:03:40 +0100 1991Wremote from whscad1
Date: Sat, 5 Oct 91 20:03:40 +0100
From:  (David Stodolsky)
Subject: CRYONICS: More on Humanism/cryonics

Thomas Donaldson < said:
>>>>>>>>
At least one Unitarian minister was drummed out
of his church (!!! by Unitarians !!!) for advocacy of cryonics.
<<<<<<<

This still seems to me a better situation then the thoughtless acceptance of
cryonics by a few persons from a religious group that totally believes in an
after life achieved through prayer. In the case of Unitarians it is at least
possible to get a serious discussion going. 

It seems to me a lot of free publicity could be obtained by presentation of the
idea of cryonics in the Unitarian community. This obviously would result in
extensive discussion and people seriously thinking about cryonics, which is a
first step toward recruitment. It is better (in the long run) for people to see
cryonics as relevant, even as a threat, then as irrelevant. 

The possibility of converting an institutional position as opposed to a single
individual's position exists. While the Unitarian church is not one of the
largest, it is many times (thousands, millions?) the size of the cryonic's
movements home grown version (Venturism). An official acceptance of cryonics by
the Unitarian church would be an unparalleled victory for the cryonics
movement.

A positive institutional position could probably more easily be achieved among
Humanists, since they agree that consciousness has only a physical basis. The
ambiguity towards this question, and the refusal to take an official position,
makes Unitarians more difficult to convert (institutionally) to a position
supporting cryonics.

David S. Stodolsky                Messages: + 45 46 75 77 11 x 24 41
Department of Computer Science                 Tel: + 45 31 95 92 82
Bldg. 20.1, Roskilde University Center        Internet: 
Post Box 260, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark        Fax: + 45 46 75 42 01

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