> ----------
> From: Brett Lane Robertson[SMTP:unameit@tctc.com]
> Sent: Wednesday, October 15, 1997 8:10 PM
> To: virus@lucifer.com
> Subject: Re: The story-telling ape (was virus: Logic)
> Sodom
> MODOS spelled backwards
>
> >> i can imagine that to people with an extreme case of
> depression could easily
> >> prefer death, especially if they were religious and had
> reason to hope
> >> for a continued "happy" existence.
>
> Brett
>
> >Yea, OK...but i don't think you'll find statistics that show
> religious
> >people commit suicide more often than less religious people.
>
> I notice that Nateman has self-destructed .... at least
> partially because he felt guilty about not staying within the bounds
> of
> discussion on the list. I think the group .... and especially the
> oldest members of the group ... like you Brett ... are more
> responsible
> for keeping the group on track then the newer members like Nateman or
> Sodom. How could you fail to point out that any Meme that has a happy
>
> life after death component must also have a strong anti-suicide
> component in order to survive? Two cases that come to mind are 1) an
> encyclical from the medieval church that made self-abnegation
> difficult
> because too many people were dieing from it and 2) the Shakers here in
>
> America who didn't believe in members having sex. I believe the last
> couple of Shakers died in the eighties. I guess a third instance
> would
> be Jihad - where you can choose to die early for Allah and get a seat
> on
> the floor of paradise or live a miserable Muslim life and get a seat
> in
> the bleachers. I leave it up to someone else to let me know where the
>
> other sons of Abraham go, much less the infidels.
A note, there are 6 shakirs left, belive it or not, they were on
"this old house" or a similar show discussing their building techniques.
It was impressive.
But I don't think a strong meme requires an anti-suicide component, at
least not after it's own reproduction. I suppose before replication
though, an anti-suicide component would be vital.
Sodom