Re: HISTORY: Franklin and the Fire From Heaven

Kennita Watson (kwatson@netcom.com)
Mon, 1 Sep 1997 13:16:57 -0700


>Mike Schnobrich <hoofenit@ris.net> writes:
>
>> For the most part, Christians and other "main stream" religions are
>> comfortable with scientific reasoning even though they may not always agree
>> with the moral implications of the technology that science makes possible.
>> But there seems to be a strong presents of others on the net that
>> categorize themselves as witches, pagans, and other similar religions that
>> attack not traditional theology issues but scientific thinking its self.
>
And Anders Sandberg <asa@nada.kth.se> responds:
>Well, not all neopagans are anti-science, I have a friend who is a
>practicing pagan priest who is also quite transhumanist and happily
>discuss posthuman bodies and neural interfaces with me. But I think
>you are right in that anti-science memes flourish in the less
>mainstream groups, including non-mainstream christians.
>
As another set of data points, Mensa has a Pagan/Occult/Witchcraft
special interest group, and most of the people I know in it are
computer nerds. Technopagans can be a lot of fun, actually -- the
"To heck with bell, book, and candle -- give me pager, PC, and
(laser) pointer!" crowd. One friend/member whom I know well designed
some of the graphics processing software for the Mars Pathfinder mission,
and spends much of his free time teaching our six-year-old goddaughter
about various sciences using telescopes, microscopes, bug cages, etc.
(I'm glad he does it -- you couldn't get me to touch a praying mantis
with anything shorter than a broom handle.)

Be careful of painting groups with a broad brush. That way lies
prejudice (where have I heard this topic before?).

Kennita

Kennita Watson | The bond that links your true family is not one of blood,
kwatson@netcom.com| but of respect and joy in each other's life. Rarely do
| members of the same family grow up under the same roof.
| -- Richard Bach, _Illusions_