USA Today recently ran this news article:
Pope: Don't pursue immortality medicine
VATICAN CITY March 10, 2008 (AP) — Pope Benedict XVI says an immortality pill might not be such a good thing.
During a homily in a church near St. Peter's Square on Sunday, the pontiff was reflecting on the goals of science and wondering whether a pill against death would be a good discovery.
In the view of the pope, the world would be full of old people and there would be no more space for the young. The 80-year-old pontiff says it's better not to hope for biological life that can be made to last forever.
I commented on the article:
One of the most important goals of the human race is the advancement of knowledge. A person accumulates a vast store of information over their lifetime and when they die, much of that information is lost. Not being able to communicate all you have learned in a lifetime is truly a great tragedy. If we can overcome death, then I beleive we can easily overcome any overcrowding problems we might face. One thing we might do is reduce the birthrate and another is to expand into outer space. Another thing we might do is to allow people to die when they want to.
[this is good] I think the pope is nuts on a lot of veiw points. And I agree with you Dad that people should be allowed to die when they are ready....for example Aunt Em...she is 97 years old and is tired she has no one left she's losing all her teeth can hardly eat and get around by herself and does not want to be a burden to Julie and the kids and Pete. everytime I see her she tells me she is ready to die and hugs me like it's the last time I'll see her.She has started to lose bladder control and it's embarassing, I do not want to live like that and be a burden to my kids and I know how she feels,shes lived a good long life and she is tired. We put dogs to sleep why do we have to let humans live longer than they want to or should,and have tolose their dignity in the process..............I could go on forever about things I don't agree with the pope on...
love you Dad
Trace
Posted by: tracy | 05/02/2008 at 11:14 AM
[this is good] wow! - interesting topic!hmmm - my first thought was that i actually agree with Pope BXVI - Horrors! (for me at least) - i shudder to think what an immortality pill would mean for global sustainability of life - on a more existential as well as a societal level, i don't think we, as humans, are ready for immortality - however, somewhere in the future of our race (if we're still here), if we ever develop space travel (a la Star Trek) and become space explorers, i do think an immortality pill would be practical - if only to send ourselves on decades-long voyages to truly explore and colonize, if it comes to thatummm - yeah - if it seems i may have gone off into la-la land, please know that i write sci-fi and fantasy:) - i'm always thinking a bit "out there"p.s. actually, i'd rather have an immortality pill to give to my dogs or my cat (only if they were healthy) - i would have given anything to have my Scruffy or Shitty Kitty here with me still...
Posted by: paikea | 03/19/2009 at 08:59 PM