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Richard Sosis is an anthropologist. He studies cooperation, utopian societies, and the behavioral ecology of religion. In an article titled "The Adaptive Value of Religious Ritual" (American Scientist, March-April, 2004) he asked, "Why do religious beliefs, practices and institutions continue to be an essential component of human social life?"
During his pursuit of an answer to this question he studied Israeli communal societies called kibbutzim. He found that religiously oriented kibbutzim were more successful than secular kibbutzim. He attributes this relative success to "the ability of ritual to promote trust, commitment and cooperation."
After reading his article, I wondered whether these lessons can be applied to the Mars movement. Perhaps the Bylaws of the Mars Society should be amended to include a ritual that promotes trust, commitment and cooperation. For example, the Bylaws might be amended to provide that during the annual meeting of the Society each Voting Member shall deliver $1,000 to the Treasurer of the Society. After this ritual is completed, the Secretary of the Society should issue ballots to the Voting Members, who would then nominate and elect several people to the Society's Board of Directors. The Board might be composed of 12 Directors, each serving 3 year terms, so each year 4 Directors would be elected. The expenses that Directors incur in the performance of their duties will be paid by the Society but each Director would have to submit expense receipts to obtain reimbursement and individual Directors will NOT be reimbursed for their first $1,000 in expenses. By the operation of these rules, the Voting Members and the Directors will be publicly demonstrating their strong commitment to the Society and to its goals. This public demonstration would prompt other people to make the same commitment, and that would help to fill the Society's treasury and to make it easier for the Society to achieve its goals.
"Analysis, whether economic or other, never yields more that a statement about the tendencies present in an observable pattern." Joseph A. Schumpeter; Capitalism, Socialism and Democracy, 1942
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Or you could before each meeting hold an sacifes of an animal to Mars the god of war. That way every one would feel apart of the faith, or mars society. Also hold prays before each meeting, or beat drums and chant secerted song jupitor.
I dont realy now, what fits the bill, but making up your own religion is fun. Maybe the mars society could get tax exenp and become a church. Thats what those star terk people did.
I love plants!
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Naw. Keep with the ideas, and to heck with financing woes and the hiring of those money types who tend to take over from the happy nerds and geeks that (in my opinion) we are. The present flow of ideas, just now (when nothing is known yet about Mars for certain, and just about any kind type of notion valid) is quite phenomenonal--even (ugh) Earthfirst's.
Start another branch, you money mongers, for that kind of boring stuff.
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Yeah who wants to be a banker any ways, it is much more fun to come up with silly ideas. On mars they just might work, besides on mars there will be no money at first so why worry about the bills.
I dont want to be high the perist but as long as I get to walk around suburbern neighborhoods on sunday morning, wacking people up to tell them how they can be saved by joing are faith I am in. Just like those Mormons, and other group that I dont rember now. Now thats fun, Praise Mars and the profit Zubren.
Just kidding, for those who take everthing so serously, have some fun!
I love plants!
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Cast out the money lenders from the temple!
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So, I've been thinking... little Mars-an ritual...
Dance of Fireflight
Every Mars-an New Year, during the Midnight pause, many neo-traditionalists gather for the Dance of Fireflight. It is a deeply solemn occasion, and many Mars-an's go to great lengths to prepare their finery, employing as many exotic colors and clothing's as can be found on Mars. Then, at the appropriate time, all gather to the Cave of Fireflight, an ancient hollowed out lava tube whose walls have been hand painted with various symbols of man, earth, mars, the sun, and the human species history and journey to the stars. It resembles something of an ancient cave-man dwelling and is considered to be a rather sacred monument.
Once the Midnight Pause begins, all who have gathered begin the Dance of Fireflight, which only ends upon the beginning of the New Mars-an Year. During the Dance, the same chant is recited, beginning from a hushed tone, to a near yelling frenzied crescendo!
Chant of the Dance of Fireflight
round we sit the fire,
fire;
up it burns,
higher, higher;
round we stand the fire,
fire;
up we lift,
higher, higher;
round we dance the fire,
fire;
up we jump,
higher, higher;
round we leave the fire,
fire;
up we fly,
higher, higher.
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We better be careful...if the Feds are monitoring us, this might end up like Waco. :bars:
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