Hi!
At 11:20 29-08-1999 -0700, you wrote:
>Believing as you do, that freedom should hold a lower priority than
>education, do you still consider yourself to be an extropian? How do
>you reconcile your beliefs with the Extropian principals of Open
>Society and Self Direction? Under your system of government, no one
>would be allowed to act in a manner which the government disagrees with
>("so should they be FORCED to learn evolution").
>
>If you're not familiar with our principles, please take a look at:
>http://www.extropy.com/extprn3.htm
>
>If you don't consider yourself and extropian, and were just giving us
>another perspective, then I welcome your input, although I disagree.
>Reiterating, freedom and open, dynamic societies allow ideas to compete
>with one another. Those of us who hold that rational thinking is
>superior to irrational religious thinking will compete more effectively
>against those who don't, and eventually there will be fewer and fewer
>religious people and finally none at all.
>
>Your use of force is simply a way of closing society to alternative
>inputs. Eventually your technocratic government will overlook a
>possible excellent solution or answer to a problem because it doesn't
>fall into the One Best Way.
I'm sure you'll agree that certain "alternative inputs" need to be suppressed by the government. For example, children can be removed from their parents if they are violent to them because violence is considered a "bad" thing -- and yet History shows us that violent behaviors were the most successful throughout most of human existence. Diversity is good but there must always be some ideas society discards with the support of the government and the use of force; I simply draw the line a bit more radically than you. Another example, what do you think about teaching Satanism and Nazi ideals to young children (I assume you disagree, but do you think it should be forbidden by law)?
Bye.