Lumifer comments on An overall schema for the friendly AI problems: self-referential convergence criteria - Less Wrong

17 Post author: Stuart_Armstrong 13 July 2015 03:34PM

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Comment author: Lumifer 27 July 2015 06:39:29PM 2 points [-]

Because the things that people would do if they believed in and acted as though they believe in life after death are profoundly weird, and we don't see any of that around.

I don't see why they need to be "profoundly weird". Remember, this subthread started with "honoring ancestors". The Chinese culture is probably the most obvious one where honoring ancestors is a big thing. What "profoundly weird" things does it involve?

Comment author: [deleted] 28 July 2015 12:30:52AM 0 points [-]

What "profoundly weird" things does it involve?

Given that this is the Chinese we're talking about, expecting one's ancestors to improve investment returns in return for a good sacrifice.

Comment author: Jiro 27 July 2015 06:53:25PM 0 points [-]

Sorry, I don't know enough about Chinese culture to answer. But I'd guess that either they do have weird beliefs (that I'm not familiar with so I can't name them), or they don't and honoring ancestors is an isolated thing they do as a ritual. (The answer may be different for different people, of course.)

Comment author: Lumifer 27 July 2015 06:55:33PM 1 point [-]

Speaking of "profoundly weird" things, does the veneration of saints in Catholicism qualify? :-)

Comment author: [deleted] 28 July 2015 12:31:50AM -1 points [-]

Insofar as anyone expects saints to perform the function of demigods and intervene causally with miracles on behalf of the person praying, yes, it is "profoundly weird" magical thinking.

Why do you ask a site full of atheists if they think religion is irrational?

Comment author: Lumifer 28 July 2015 01:03:17AM 1 point [-]

"Irrational" and "weird" are quite different adjectives.