The Society for Venturism is a 501-(c)3, tax-exempt, nonprofit organization incorporated in Arizona. The Venturist Bylaws list, among the primary objectives and purposes of the Society, "To advocate and promote the worldwide conquest of death and the continuation and enhancement of life through technological means, including cryonic suspension ...."
The organization was formally incorporated in 1986. Its original name was the Church of Venturism, changed in 1990 to the Society for Venturism. The name "Venturism" comes from "venture," an adventure with an element of risk. The greatest such venture is life itself, and we Venturists take human life and its potential very seriously.
We recognize that there are limits to our ability to solve the problems of life but also that our ability will improve with our knowledge, our wisdom, and our technology. We believe that death is an imposition on life, and something that can and should be eliminated through technological means. Thus we are really aiming at realizing the human potential by, in the end, becoming much more than human.
Eventually, we expect that aging and now-terminal illnesses will be curable. The body is a vastly complicated mechanism, and we certainly do not fully understand it yet, but we believe that its workings can be completely elucidated through scientific study. Understanding will lead to control: there is reason to think that we will eventually be able to build tiny machines out of individual atoms, that will greatly extend our control of events on the molecular level. Thus it should be possible to send microscopic devices into cells to repair whatever is ailing them, such as diseases and aging, all of which have physical causes. But this, of course, is only part of the problem, since this technology will probably not be developed for some time, and there remains the issue of whether there is any way that those living today can benefit. We think there is, through cryonic suspension, or freezing (or otherwise cryopreserving) the person at clinical death. In this way it should be possible to bring people back to life at a time when their diseases and aging can be cured, whether that is fifty or one hundred or more years from now. Again, we would invoke molecular devices, adapted to perform many specialized functions. Frozen, damaged tissue, for example, might be taken apart and repaired and reassembled, molecule by molecule, or atom by atom, at a low temperature, and put into a more viable form from which it could be rewarmed and revived.
We aim to establish a supportive community of like-minded individuals who are interested cryonics and who, in particular, would benefit from sympathetic support and assistance as their time for suspension draws near. The Venturist organization does not do any actual freezing, though our full members are required to be signed up for cryonic suspension. This is because we feel that cryonics offers by far the best prospect for defeating death if you should die today or any time soon. Thus it becomes a test of sincerity: if you really believe in the human conquest of death and reject mystical approaches and are logical about it, you will sign up. We are open to possible other preservation options too, but would want to see more evidence both of how well they might work and of a stable organization to watch over the preserved patient. You must put your trust in something and, while we do not claim to know with certainty that cryonics will work, we do believe that making cryonic arrangements is the right and best thing to do, and that destructive alternatives such as conventional burial and cremation are mistaken.
Is it reasonable to call Venturism a religion? That question is challenging, in part because different people have different views on what it means to be a "religion." Many believe that a religion must require belief in a supernatural agency or God, but this would overlook such movements as modern Unitarianism and Theravada Buddhism that are usually classed as religious but do not emphasize belief in a supernatural. The courts generally take a broader view. For example, in 1965 the U.S. Supreme court ruled, U.S. v. Seeger, that "a sincere and meaningful belief that occupies a place in the lives of its possessors parallel to that filled by orthodox beliefs in God is, in effect, a religious belief." Some objective grounds for considering Venturism a religion are:
Venturism, in short, addresses the deep problems of life with the assertion that it is up to human beings to solve these problems scientifically, and that there is significant hope, at least, that these problems, even the most difficult, can be solved in this way. We are dedicated to the realization of that hope. The Venturist organization has in fact been recognized by the IRS as a "scientific, religious and educational organization." Whether Venturism is to be regarded as a religion on grounds of "sincere and meaningful belief" and objective criteria is, of course, a matter for the individual to decide. Certainly it can be so regarded, though some will resist thinking of it as a religion, even though their allegiance is sincere and meaningful.
For those able to accept the broader interpretation, the classification of Venturism as a religion has advantages, and in particular, emphasizes the seriousness of our commitment to what is of greatest importance. Today we find, among thoughtful people, a weakening or collapse of mystical beliefs as the scientific evidence makes those beliefs increasingly untenable, coupled with recognition that, nevertheless, there are basic needs religion fulfills. Religion, after all, is the only thing that seriously attempts to address all the deep problems of life, and we need to address these problems now as much as in any previous age, if not more.
Our ethic is based on enlightened self-interest, extrapolated over infinite time. We hope to be immortal. To safely interact with our neighbors and to realize maximum benefit over this vast span of time will require an extraordinary code of conduct, one we expect to evolve even as we ourselves evolve. We cannot imagine what all the complexities of this evolutionary process will be, but we think its success will require extraordinary benevolence. Hatred and hostility, after all, are dangerous habits, even in the brief span of present natural life, and seem all the more inappropriate as we contemplate an open-ended existence. Indifference, while an improvement, still does not seem the safest nor the most beneficial course to follow, but instead a condition of unity and harmony is far better. Accordingly, we advocate the highest moral standards in our dealings with others. We advocate respect and love for others, practicing the Golden Rule, and being willing to defend others against danger. We must be ready to put our lives on the line if necessary (as in the case, for example, of a physical threat to a cryonics patient). This does not mean that people are absolved of responsibility for wrongdoing, but that toleration, mercy and forgiveness must have their important place too.
We also recognize the beauty and value of the natural world, and in fact see ourselves as an important part of nature, broadly interpreted. This interpretation must take account of human nature as well as that portion of nature that is manifest in our surroundings. Humans, alone among earthly life forms, know they are alive, and know they are mortal. The wish for immortality is deeply rooted in human nature, despite the efforts of some to deny it. We are trying to realize that wish, and thus to uphold and nurture that very important facet of our human nature. In so doing we are not advocating violence to "nature" as a whole. This is our world, and we wish to protect and appreciate its beauty for what we hope will be endless tomorrows.