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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> extropy-chat [mailto:extropy-chat-bounces@lists.extropy.org] <b>On Behalf Of </b>Stathis Papaioannou<br><b>Sent:</b> Monday, February 02, 2015 5:20 PM<br><b>To:</b> ExI chat list<br><b>Subject:</b> Re: [ExI] taxonomy for fermi paradox fans:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><br><br>On Saturday, January 31, 2015, John Clark <<a href="mailto:johnkclark@gmail.com">johnkclark@gmail.com</a>> wrote:<o:p></o:p></p><div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>>>…</span> And after you turn it a little bit and see how much better you feel why not turn it again, perhaps a little more this time<span style='color:#1F497D'>… John<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div></div></div></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>>…</span>You could always turn the knob that makes you seek out hard work and good deeds and makes you avoid the mindless happiness knob. Having said that, however, I can think of worse things that eternal bliss.<span style='color:#1F497D'> </span>Stathis Papaioannou<span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>All of Religion Inc, every brand and every variation, is all about eternal bliss. As far as I know, none of it carries any notion of long-term actually accomplishing anything. It is all about making sure the flock keeps dropping money into the offering plate in exchange for assurances they will achieve the eternal bliss.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>I am reluctant to admit it, but this supports John’s notion of stagnation being universal as soon as any intelligent species achieves eternal bliss.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Gaaaaahd Daaaaaaam! {8-[<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Hey, there’s an idea: invent a religion with a couple of cool variations on the usual tired old theme. In this one, you aren’t required to believe in it. Belief isn’t an inherent virtue; only actual virtue is an inherent virtue. Imagine that. Second, the eternal bliss isn’t perfect and it is not perfectly pointless: there is work to be done and things to build.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>spike<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div></body></html>