X-Message-Number: 17279
Date: Wed, 15 Aug 2001 08:42:16 -0400
From: Thomas Donaldson <>
Subject: CryoNet #17271 - #17277

Hi everyone!

Because Mike Perry generally says decent things I will add a coda to
my message about religious discussion. Yes, it is true that discussion
of religion does have a place in cryonics. This place is when we discuss
our own ideas of death (and life) to those who may be unfamiliar with
them. Especially because such items as Webster's College Dictionary treat
cryonics as a theological question, we'll find a need to discuss
religion.

Should we try to make all cryonicists adopt some kind of general religious
attitude? Absolutely not. Even if you decide that thinking about religious 
issues pertains to your personal approach to cryonics, it is something
you do personally. 

Does our set of ideas about really long life bear on the THEOLOGY of
immortality? Well, theologians have generally not noticed cryonics. Some
cryonicists may (because they were already religious believers) decide
that a cryonics theology would be a good thing. If they want to produce
one, fine with them ... but they should not believe that other cryonicists
will necessarily be interested at all in what they come up with. They
should ESPECIALLY keep in mind that many other cryonicists will not 
feel that cryonics theology has any bearing on their own lives.

So yes, religion does have bearing on cryonics. It remains just as true,
though, that suspension is an act quite unrelated to religion of any 
kind ... just as repairing a tooth is unrelated. 

		Best wishes and long long life to all,

			Thomas Donaldson

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