X-Message-Number: 44 From: Kevin Q. Brown Subject: Venturist Monthly News Date: 13 Dec 1988 The "Society for Venturism, Inc." is the new, more accurate, name for the "Church of Venturism, Inc.", based at: The Venturists, 1355 E. Peoria Ave., Phoenix, AZ 85020. [ See message #13 for my earlier description of Venturism. ] Even though the name has changed, the goals and commitments of the Venturists are unchanged: "the worldwide conquest of death through technological means." The Society does not have any cryonic suspension facilities, but does require a person to be signed up for cryonic suspension with some cryonics organization to be a full member. Full membership also requires a commitment: "(1) to do what is right, and (2) to advocate and promote the worldwide conquest of death through technological means." Admittedly, tenet (1) is rather vague, but usually one can tell the difference between a person who is acting decently and one who is being a jerk, so it has a rough, heuristic value. The Dec. 1988 Prototype Issue #0 of Venturist Monthly News had several items of interest: The quarterly publication Venturist Voice is being replaced by Venturist Monthly News. Subscriptions (made payable to The Venturists) cost $8.00/year U.S.A., $10.00 Canada, and $15.00 overseas. (I had previously reported that Venturist Voice was free, but that contributions were welcome. Contributions are still welcome, but the official Venturist publication now has an official subscription price.) Any full member of the Society for Venturism is invited to promote cryonics on a radio talk show. Dave Pizer, President of the Venturists, will make the arrangements for a radio show host to call you (long distance) and conduct a live, on-the-air interview! "Typical issues covered are how cryonic suspension is done, your personal expectations, how you got involved, costs, problems (technical, legal, social, philosophical, etc.), and how cryonics compares and contrasts with religion." You do not have to be a cryonics expert to qualify; you can be interviewed as an "average" person who is signed up for cryonics. For more information, write to Dave Pizer (at the address above) or call him at (602) 843-7284. [Being interviewed on a live talk-show sounds scary to me, but I probably will do it anyway.] A $10.00 check (made payable to The Venturists and sent to their address above) will buy you a videotape of interviews of several of the cryonicists at the May, 1988 Life Against Death conference in Ontario, CA. The Venturists are soliciting for comment an improved "Certificate of Religious Belief" for opposing dissection, autopsies, etc. that would prevent a member's timely cryonic suspension (after declaration of legal death). [The certificate is too long for me to reproduce in this message, however.] Once the exact wording has been settled, the Venturists plan to keep on file a signed and witnessed copy of the certificate for each Venturist full member, which would, I think, make one's declaration more credible. - Kevin Q. Brown ...{att|clyde|cuae2}!ho4cad!kqb PS: The Venturist organization qualifies (according to the IRS) "as an educational, religious and scientific organization" (but not as a church) and is thus legally nonprofit and tax-exempt. Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=44