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From: Charles Packer <mailbox@cpacker.org>
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.fandom
Subject: Re: Longest plan
Date: Fri, 22 Nov 2024 11:33:18 -0000 (UTC)
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On Thu, 21 Nov 2024 12:36 +0000 (GMT Standard Time), John Dallman wrote:

> In article <pan$ce513$2c747ec2$c6f179bc$d78adf54@cpacker.org>,
> mailbox@cpacker.org (Charles Packer) wrote:
> 
>> The most likely place to find really long-range plans is probably in
>> the realm of religion, perhaps the literal realization of religious
>> prophecy.
> 
> Setting a date beyond the plausible lifespan of the would-be prophet
> _does_ reduce the amount of negative feedback he gets. All one can say
> about prophecy is that it doesn't seem to have worked yet.
> 
> Religious institutions do seem to be the longest-lived organisations,
> but finding the actual oldest one is hard.
> 
>> In fact, we are talking cathedrals -- but metaphorical ones -- say,
>> like the creation of a world religion to succeed Christianity.
>> In fact, I've been researching that subject for several years.
> 
> There have been many attempts, but no successes.
> 
>> I think in terms of the probability that such a project is ongoing and
>> when it began. If there is such a project, I think the most likely
>> origination would have been the late 19th century, when visionaries
>> could have tapped into the most highly concentrated wealth in history.
> 
> It seems deeply implausible that such a project would still be going on
> in secret.


But it might have left behind detritus that eventually will have
to be reckoned with. That's the essence of my working hypothesis.
SF stories, typically from the golden age of SF, I've noticed,
sometimes incorporate something like that idea into their plots.