X-Message-Number: 4397 Date: 13 May 95 20:19:09 EDT From: Jim Davidson <> Subject: Christian cryonicists Bob Ettinger recently posted a note about a Christian who is having some conflict with his wife and friends about his interest in cryonics. While not a Christian myself, I've read their "Holy Bible" and would like to offer some thoughts on the subject. Recruiting in the Christian community in America may not be the easiest thing, but when Christians come to cryonics organizations wanting our product, we should be prepared to help them. The Bible doesn't have any specific reference to freezing folks for later restoration. It does have several instances of individuals "brought back to life." These "miracles" are often used to identify especially holy people. Jesus is said to have made the dead rise. But the objective of cryonicists is not to be frozen, but, typically, to live a long, long life. In that regard, the Bible is replete with examples. The entire book of Genesis can be reviewed by a life extension enthusiast with great joy. Methuselah's 900+ life span is recorded here, and many other life spans of great age. If I recall correctly, Adam was said to have lived around 600 years. Clearly, if these "early" humans listed in the Bible lived hundreds of years, God can't have any problem with extended lifespans. It isn't unGodly to want to live hundreds of years. The Bible is also notable in what it doesn't say. It doesn't say that there is a preferred or normal lifespan. It doesn't say that there is a preferred method for treating the remains of the dead. Indeed, the early Christian church was constantly adopting local customs (e.g, Winter Solstice celebrations, evergreens in the house during such celebrations, not circumscising baby boys) in order to gain acceptance for the "Gospel" of Jesus. Had Paul or Peter's minions come across an extremely northern tribe which froze its dead, you would probably have seen such a ceremony discussed in an Epistle. Where local customs did not specifically contravene the Gospel, the early Christians were completely indifferent. Like good salesmen, they adopted the colors of their prospective customers. Preserving the bodies of the dead is considered appropriate for Christians because their Bible tells them that at the Second Coming the dead will rise to face their Creator. Thus, the tradition (which I find no reference to in the Bible, though I welcome input on this matter) is that Christian's are buried with their feet pointing East so they can rise up and face God who will presumably appear from that direction. The Bible is not clear on what constitutes death. Like most folks from early history, the authors of the various parts of the Bible weren't certain themselves. Suggesting that modern medical science is overly specific in what constitutes death, and that modern medical standards aren't supported or refuted by the Bible, is likely to go over well with fundamentalists. (I think Saul Kent makes this point in a recent post.) What it is clear on is that there is something after death. An "eternal life" is the birthright of all humans. Does God care if that eternal life is lived on Earth or in heaven? The Bible doesn't speak to the point. The Bible talks about a "Tree of Life," the fruit of which gives eternal life to the consumer. Thus, in Genesis, it establishes that eternal life on Earth is possible. Having eaten from the "Tree of Knowledge," the original humans are prevented from tasting this other fruit. It is not clear that they need to eat such fruit, since it later turns out that they have eternal life anyway. I'm not saying that one can convince anyone who opposes cryonics on religious grounds by using arguments from the Bible. That isn't the issue, and I wouldn't dream of wasting much time that way. But we will find ourselves in a position to help individuals who come from strongly Christian backgrounds and who want to have their bodies frozen after death. If we can prepare them with arguments that help create doubt among their friends and loved ones about the certitude of their anti-cryonics beliefs, we may succeed in getting the already-inclined Christians signed up. We can also be prepared with these arguments (and other, better ones) when relatives of a Christian suspension member try to prevent the wishes of the deceased from being carried out. Jim Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=4397