Well, I am a bit annoyed at this moment. I joined this church before they required a contract with a cryonics organization. I am only a supporting member of the Cryonics Institute. Technically, they can be rid of me if they wish. However, if they do so, they deplete their membership by between 20% and/or 12.5%. They are a small group. Political correctness sets in early.
Now, apparently, objections from some Transhumanists--those who do not want "their good name" associated with a religion--has had an impact on this small (but important group) of idealists.
They are debating new names. I don't even want to get into all the details. But I do want to share with you my own feelings about all this..
This is an exchange (in reverse order) of the debate. Enjoy!!
Cloningly yours,
Randy Wicker
"This debate about changing the name of a new church/religion before we even have a dozen disciples is utterly ridiculous.
We are Transhumanists and should not turn tail and run because some hard-hearted militant-atheist Transhumanists don't like the idea that we are transporting their technological beliefs into the arena of moral and religious debates.
Being "religious" Transhumanists would help both of us. They would benefit because there were a group of people claiming the highest moral ground for their belief system.
We would benefit because Transhumanists have defined to the intellectual/political/social world a belief system that essentially "believes in" science.
Cloningly yours,
For eternal life,
Randolfe (Randy) Wicker
Founder, Clone Rights United Front, www.clonerights.com
Spokesperson, Reproductive Cloning Network, www.reproductivecloning.net
Advisor, The Immortality Institute, www.imminst.org
Special Correspondent, www.stemcellsclub.com
email: rhwicker@optonline.net
phone: 201-656-3280
----- Original Message -----
From: mkper9
To: transhumanistchurch@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Thursday, June 03, 2004 1:50 PM
Subject: [transhumanistchurch] Re: Name of our organization
Here I will back down from the acronym-based approach and again look
at words-with-meaning. The word I will suggest is Panaionism. I found
no hits for either this or Panaionist (both entered in lower case to
maximize the matches), and only eight hits for "panaion". One of
these (see
http://www.sbuniv.ed...t3463aa03.html) has this:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
In the foothills southwest of Mount Hermon above Ulatha the Itureans
had a shrine to their god at a location where an underground river
emerged to join the Jordan. This Iturean god was syncretized with the
Greek god Pan so the location was named Panaion. While I have so far
been unable to learn if anybody has a conjecture as to the name of
the deity originally worshipped at Panaion, it certainly was one of
the earthy beings informing and explaining the most basic activities
of human survival in the primitive natural habitat of emerging
agriculture. One indigenous god of that region in King David's day
was Hadad. This god may also have been identified with Edom.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
In all, I think the associations with panaion are minor and, all
things considered, not to be worried over.
"Pan," however, does not just refer to the Greek god. As a prefix it
also means "Of, pertaining to, or including all or the whole of, ..."
(quoting from the Shorter Oxford English Dictionary). Panaionism
would fit our idea of eternal ("aion") life for *all.* So Panaionism,
Panaionist Church (or Church of Panaionism?)would be other
possibilities to consider.
Mike
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