[ExI] The Manifesto of Italian Transhumanists

[Giu1i0 Pri5c0]

On Fri, Feb 29, 2008 at 11:23 AM, estropico <estropico at gmail.com> wrote:

>  What I actually said (and I'm not responsible for what others that
>  Campa might consider "extropians" might have said) is that
>  confrontation with the catholics is not necessarily the only available
>  tactic (tactic, not strategy). I also quoted an Italian author (Carlo
>  Pelanda) who in article wrote of the risk of a "war" between science
>  and religion that could backfire, undermining public support (and
>  funding) for the coming "biorevolution". The response to my comments
>  was a torrent of rather surreal accusations of clericalism and of
>  being "pro-Vatican"...

I agree that, if the option is available, it is better to avoid the
"risk of a "war" between science and religion that could backfire,
undermining public support (and funding) for the coming
"biorevolution". That is why I support most initiatives aimed at
establishing a dialogue between science and religion, and believe
atheists should not be fundamentalist and openly confrontational when
discussing with believers. As always, please feel free to believe in
your god and I feel free to believe in mine, or not to believe in any.

But some issues are non negotiable. Of course I am talking of stem
cell research and civil rights such as abortion and gay marriage, but
also of the general principle that no religious order of cult should
ever be allowed to interfere in public policy making. In Italy the
xian church has claimed and still claims the right to make policy, and
we are just against it.

>  Italy (like any other country) is unique. Part of its "uniqueness" is
>  the presence of the Vatican and the power of catholic institutions. Is
>  this an obstacle to the transhumanist project? Often it is (embryonic
>  stem cells), sometimes it isn't (genetically modified crops). So,
>  which is the best approach? I don't claim to know, but I see that all
>  mainstream parties, on both the left and right, are always very
>  cautious not to upset the "catholic vote", and I see that the most
>  anti-catholic (in the political sense) parties are the small ones. I
>  also see that Italians have a healty tendency to take the Vatican's
>  pronouncements with a pinch of salt. How else to explain Italy's
>  birthrates (among the lowest in the world), given the Vatican stance
>  on contraception? Am I the only one to think that twenty years from
>  now Italians will take the same pragmatic approach to life-extension
>  therapies?
>
>  Cheers,
>  Fabio
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