X-Message-Number: 29100 Date: Thu, 08 Feb 2007 00:09:40 -0700 From: Kitty Antonik Wakfer <> Subject: Supporting a Cryonicist in a Problem Situation I and Paul agree with John Krug that CryoNet is not the appropriate forum for discussion of Keith Henson's legal problems with Scientology. Cryonics providers do not need any more problems with legal entities or groups of objectors than they already have. If individual cryonicists or, worse, "the cryonics movement" are seen to be Keith Henson supporters *because* they are cryonicists, this would throw a negative spotlight on an already vulnerable practice that far too many do not understand or do not want to see become widely accepted. (This applies to cryonicists supporting *any* person or issue not related to cryonics, *as* cryonicists.) Any support given Keith Henson IMO properly should only be done by individuals who make it *very* clear that they are doing so as individuals, never using the collective "we", representing themselves as part of some group for which *all* members have not given them authority to act in their name, including cryonics groups formal or informal. Furthermore and even more important is that these individuals *not* volunteer any identification of themselves *as* cryonicists and most important of all *not* stating that they are supporting him *because* he is a fellow cryonicist. The idea that cryonicists should support *anyone* who is a cryonicist (even if longstanding and/or an early promoter) in *any* situation is without merit. Individuals would best make their alignment with others based on the similarity of the values of those others to their own, through assessment of the words and actions of those others. To support and promote those who are opposed to one's own most important values is not in one's own widest view longest range best interest. Simply because someone is a cryonicist does not automatically mean that hir (his/her) other values - including one's more fundamental to optimizing one's lifetime happiness - are the same or even similar, and therefore should be a friend, an associate or even someone to be supported at a distance. To provide such support is an individual determination and an individual action, as all determinations and actions are since humans are not Borg (recall Star Trek 2G?). **Kitty Antonik Wakfer MoreLife for the rational - http://morelife.org Reality based tools for more life in quantity and quality Self-Sovereign Individual Project - http://selfsip.org Rational freedom by self-sovereignty & social contracting Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=29100