[ExI] Fw: Buying Stock in Mormonism (was Re: The Existence of Jesus (FICTION))

[The Avantguardian]

> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: Kelly Anderson <kellycoinguy at gmail.com>
>> To: The Avantguardian <avantguardian2020 at yahoo.com>; ExI chat list 
> <extropy-chat at lists.extropy.org>
>> Cc: 
>> Sent: Tuesday, February 7, 2012 8:22 PM
>> Subject: Buying Stock in Mormonism (was Re: [ExI] The Existence of Jesus 
> (FICTION))
>>   
>> I would also buy stock in Mormonism. Not just for the reasons you
>> give, though they are excellent, but also because the strong
>> hierarchical nature of the church allows for it to adapt rapidly in
>> the face of change. It will be very hard for many religions to decide
>> when a cyborg can be welcomed into the fold and receive the benefits
>> of membership in the kingdom, but this won't be a problem for Mormons.
> 
> If they let people wear bluetooth headsets in church, the cyborgs are are 
> already there. But your point of constant adaptability is well taken.
>  
>> Whatever the prophet says, well, that's what goes. With the changes I
>> see coming over the next few decades, the Jehovah's Witnesses are
>> going to have to adapt their story to "See, we told you there would be
>> a paradise earth! and we're in it." The Mormons will just happily 
> go
>> ahead because of the built in adaptation of having a living prophet
>> give revelation for current events. Other churches have to have
>> schisms, and reorganizations to get radically different belief systems
>> to fit new realities. So yes, I'm bullish on Mormonism. It's going 
> to
>> be around for a long time. Probably longer than Homo Sapiens, if my
>> guess is right.
> 
> Potentially yes. Although why a 10 million year old being would believe in an 
> afterlife is beyond me.
>  
>> There are a lot of here and now benefits to being a member of the
>> church. The church welfare program, for one. The educational system
>> for another. The rich social network that predates Facebook by 150
>> plus years. While the big payoff may be in the next world, it's good
>> to be a Mormon. Except you have to believe a bunch of stuff that is a
>> bit silly. Though not one bit more silly than what any other religious
>> people believe.
> 
> Can I borrow a million dollars? I will pay you back in the next world, when I 
> get my big payoff. I promise. ;-)
>  
>  
>  
>>> That being said, Mormonism is still a mind-virus. God is the 
> unneccessary
>>> hypothesis. To know yourself and to know the universe *is* to know God 
>> because
>>> there is nothing else.
>> 
>> Agreed.
>> 
>> Now, for another point. The US electorate seems bound and determined
>> that their candidates for President will be lilly white and
>> unblemished by significant scandal. The Mormons tend to be able to
>> produce that sort of candidate. Does that mean that we can expect a
>> number of Mormon presidential candidates? I rather think so. And, if
>> Romney gets elected, which I think is in the realm of probability...
>> and he does a really good job... then there is no reason to doubt that
>> we might get another one someday.
>> 
>> I have a pet theory. Succinctly, that all presidential candidates have
>> recently selected a "life insurance" candidate for vice 
> president.
>> Nobody in their right mind would assassinate George Bush Senior in
>> order to get Dan Quayle in the oval office. Gore instead of Clinton?
>> Cheney instead of Jr? Biden instead of Obama? (The last one may be a
>> little stretch, but my theory goes back a while. Of course Biden would
>> be pretty bad.)
>> 
>> So who does Romney have to nominate for vice president so that some
>> lunatic born again christian won't knock him off? How about John
>> Huntsman? LOL. It will be interesting to see who his "life insurance
>> policy" will be.
>> 
> 
> I think are right that in general, Mormons are electable. But please do not 
> construe my story as being some kind of subtle propaganda for Romney. I 
> don't dislike Romney, but Obama has not done a bad enough job or been 
> scandalized to the point I want to fire him. Hell by taking Bin Ladin out the 
> way he did, he accomplished before the end of his first term what the Bush 
> administration could not do in two, in theory that is. I mean were they even 
> trying? And while it can sometimes be annoying, practically every freeway and 
> major thoroughfare in town is under construction. So he is bringing work here to 
> Nevada, which is one of the hardest hit states of the recession and its 
> aftershocks. And often elsewhere, I see little news stories that make me 
> optimistic that the economy is recovering a little bit at a time. He has been 
> good to veterans. Because of him, I will get mostly free healthcare because I 
> served my country even though I was not involved in
> the war du jour.
> 
> And strangely, Obama reminds me of Theodore Roosevelt in that he is a populist 
> that seems to be really good at speaking softly and carrying a big stick.
> 

Stuart LaForge


"When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro." - Hunter S. Thompson