>If, as you suggest, a percentage of the human population cannot
>sustain itself without the crutch of a religious meme to lean on then
>do you think for one second that we'll actually be able to shake
>those beliefs? I think no matter what we do those people (if they
>exist) will stick to their faith or find another, equally comforting
>one. If these people exist in sufficient numbers that they affect the
>spread of the CoV meme noticably then we must either make it
>comfortable for them or work on eliminating their need for comfort.
>The former would, I think, compromise the whole point of CoV and the
>latter is a very long term goal (probably spanning generations).
If we want the Church of the Virus to assuage people's anxieties and fill
the same needs that religion fills, then we'll need to build some church
buildings and provide people with a social setting in which to interact
with other people who are on the same developmental path. Sure, the
virus list does that to some extent, but you must admit that reading an
e-mail message doesn't pack the same punch as getting dressed up, going
to an ornate structure with a few hundred like-minded people, singing
songs, and listening to a charismatic and articulate speaker eloquently
extol your virtues and condemn those of the conspiring shadow armies of
heathens, liberals, secular humanists, and media elites who threaten to
lure your children into lives of perversion.
If we don't want to go that route, maybe we should set up some personal
growth seminars to teach people how to avoid being manipulated or having
their brains hijacked by mind viruses. How about producing some videos
to show on public access cable channels, or how about a Church of the
Virus rave? I'm only half kidding here. I get a lot out of this
discussion list even though it bears very little resemblance to a church.
We'd also need a Church of the Virus bible. Before anybody suggests we
set up an alternate list to discuss the CoV bible project, realize that
it would require more than just spending half and hour each day kicking
around ideas via e-mail. Like the Virian Tarot project, it will require
that somebody actually sit down by themselves and devote a large chunk of
their free-time (and I know most people don't perceive any large chunks
of free time in their lives) and produce something. Much easier said
than done.
Take care. -KMO