Making an informed decision is one of the more difficult tasks a person will encounter in life, especially if it is an informed decision about death, since that appears to be where the choices cease to happen.
I would like to purpose a thought experiment.
The world is maddeningly filled with Religions to believe in:
Abrahamic, Indian, Iranic, Taoic/Far Eastern/East Asain, African diasporic, “Pagan” Historical Polytheism/Indigenous/Traditional, Nonsectarian and Trans-sectarian, Spiritual movements, each with its own fascinating and dubious history and each including a considerable variety of subcategories to choose from.
In addition to the traditional religions we have the new religious movements to consider as well.
At this point I think it’s safe to say we have established the entire spiritual catalog, each with its own thick tome to sift through and aide in the decision making process.
One difficulty with making a decision on a religion is that it seems so final, you only get to choose one.
Except for the Jubu who have combined two major religions into one amalgamation of what was previously thought to be conflicting faiths (and they are not the only ones).
This brings us around to the final series of questions in the thought experiment.
Some of the religions listed in the “new religious movements” are the result of combining separate belief systems. How many religions do you suppose one can combine before there are too many structural conflicts?
The dictionary defines faith as: A belief that is not based on evidence.
Without evidence every possibility becomes an option therefore one's beliefs becomes limitless.
Would it then be possible, with all the conflicting beliefs found in each individual religion, to have faith in them all at the same time (including atheism and agnosticism)?
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Hobson's Choice
After very little consideration on what I thought to be my only two choices in the matter, I had decided on cremation over burial. The deciding factor was an effort to not take up any more space and resources than I have already (plus movies make the spreading of my ashes look like cathartic fun for family and friends).
I have now changed my mind and will instead help further scientific research.
A friend, knowing my interests in what I suppose could be categorized under morbid, loaned me the book “Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers,” by Mary Roach.
Absolutely fascinating read, it brought to light the many options one has upon meeting up with the indisputably inevitable. For some reason I had overlooked donating my body to science as an option.
You could save the life of a patient by helping future surgeons study anatomy, or you could help solve a murder by assisting the ORNL study rates of decay, or you could become a crash-test-cadaver and come to the aid of everyone who will ride in a car after you have departed.
It baffles me that I could have easily died and become a costly burden without benefiting anyone or anything.
I know, I know, call me frugal.
Some institutions will even cremate your remains at their expense and give your ashes back to your loved ones… after the body has been studied of course.
They may use "tissue digestion" or "water reduction" as an alternative to cremating the remains, since it is more environmentally friendly.
Should I never achieve anything in life, make no considerable contribution to the progress of information or science, I can at least rest assured that my corpse will (unless I'm so unlucky that my body falls off the cadaver truck or something equally silly).
I have now changed my mind and will instead help further scientific research.
A friend, knowing my interests in what I suppose could be categorized under morbid, loaned me the book “Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers,” by Mary Roach.
Absolutely fascinating read, it brought to light the many options one has upon meeting up with the indisputably inevitable. For some reason I had overlooked donating my body to science as an option.
You could save the life of a patient by helping future surgeons study anatomy, or you could help solve a murder by assisting the ORNL study rates of decay, or you could become a crash-test-cadaver and come to the aid of everyone who will ride in a car after you have departed.
It baffles me that I could have easily died and become a costly burden without benefiting anyone or anything.
I know, I know, call me frugal.
Some institutions will even cremate your remains at their expense and give your ashes back to your loved ones… after the body has been studied of course.
They may use "tissue digestion" or "water reduction" as an alternative to cremating the remains, since it is more environmentally friendly.
Should I never achieve anything in life, make no considerable contribution to the progress of information or science, I can at least rest assured that my corpse will (unless I'm so unlucky that my body falls off the cadaver truck or something equally silly).
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