Re: Creating Religions for Dummies in 12 Steps

From: GBurch1@aol.com
Date: Sat Jan 08 2000 - 06:05:24 MST


In a message dated 1/7/00 6:02:41 PM Central Standard Time,
rowen@technologist.com writes:

> "[2] As a question for the Legal Department: Suppose "Extropianism"
> were redefined as a "religion"; what protections and advantages would
> this afford (at the price of some hypocrisy and double-think)?"

I wouldn't call myself any sort of "Legal Department", but I'll venture an
answer (pun intended). There is such a thing, called the "Church of
Venturism", if memory serves. It's been associated with the cryonics
movement for some time. I really don't know that much about it, but a web
search should turn up some info.

My short answer is that calling ourselves a "religion" wouldn't yield any
legal benefits significantly more attractive than what Extropy Institute
already enjoys as a "501(c)(3)" corporation under the Tax Code. Beyond that,
it does seem that we'd suffer mightily from the "hypocrisy and souble-think"
you identify.

      Greg Burch <GBurch1@aol.com>----<gburch@lockeliddell.com>
      Attorney ::: Vice President, Extropy Institute ::: Wilderness Guide
      http://users.aol.com/gburch1 -or- http://members.aol.com/gburch1
        "We never stop investigating. We are never satisfied that we know
        enough to get by. Every question we answer leads on to another
       question. This has become the greatest survival trick of our species."
                                                -- Desmond Morris



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