X-Message-Number: 9413 Date: Mon, 6 Apr 1998 10:34:26 -0400 From: Rafi Haftka <> Subject: religion and immortality Are we shooting ourselves in the foot? I have read with interest, some but not all of the posts on Cryonics and religion, and so I apologize if I am repeating or ignoring someone's argument. One may argue that a key component of religion is to supply believers with prospects of immortality, and so Cryonics fills the role of religion when it focuses on immortality. This focus, therefore, brings us into conflict with most religions. It may be prudent on our part to play down immortality and focus instead on extending life by cryonic suspension. For myself, I find that estimating the prospects of TRUE immortality (say beyond the expected lifespan of the universe) is such a daunting task, that I would rather concentrate on the next thousand years. In a recent interview with the local paper, I focused on the opportunity that Cryonics may provide to be young again and live in some wonderfully interesting future, and conceded that sooner or later I am likely to die. The interview turned out much more friendly than I expected, and the different focus may have contributed. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Raphael(Rafi) T. Haftka < > University of Florida Phone: (352)-392-9595 Department of Aerospace Engineering, Fax: (352)-392-7303 Mechanics and Engineering Science http://www.aero.ufl.edu/~haftka/ Gainesville, FL 32611-6250 (beware, a lot of graphics!) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Check the web page of the International Society of Structural and Multidisciplinary Optimization (ISSMO) at http://www.aero.ufl.edu/~issmo/ for details about the MicroAV competition! Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=9413