diff src/about.html @ 33:75c09b297e83 default tip

about page
author Franklin Schmidt <fschmidt@gmail.com>
date Sat, 28 Feb 2026 23:56:13 -0700
parents 88738155592e
children
line wrap: on
line diff
--- a/src/about.html	Sat Feb 28 21:46:38 2026 -0700
+++ b/src/about.html	Sat Feb 28 23:56:13 2026 -0700
@@ -193,33 +193,59 @@
 	arkian: {
 		title: 'The Arkian Solution',
 		content: `\
-<blockquote>
-<p>Be fruitful and multiply</p>
-</blockquote>
-<cite>Genesis 1:28</cite>
-
+<p>The Arkian solution to escaping from human decay is to try to protect one's descendants by trying to make them Arkian.  The <a href="/requirements.html">membership requirements</a> will encourage them to differ from the degenerate mainstream.  In particular, we want them to understand traditional religious morals and to be intelligent and persistent with critical thinking.  I will explain the reasoning for the requirements.</p>
+`		,
+		subs: {
+			ot: {
+				title: 'The Arkian Religion',
+				content: `\
 <blockquote>
 <p>Hate evil and love good, and establish judgement in the gate.</p>
 </blockquote>
 <cite>Amos 5:15</cite>
 
-<p>The Arkian solution to escaping from human decay is to try to protect one's descendants by trying to make them Arkian.  The <a href="/requirements.html">membership requirements</a> will encourage them to differ from the degenerate mainstream.  In particular, we want them to understand traditional religious morals and to be intelligent and persistent with critical thinking.  I will explain the reasoning for the requirements.</p>
-`		,
-		subs: {
-			scripture: {
-				title: 'Old Testament Test',
+<p>The Arkian goal is to save individual families, and this is best done through a family religion.  The Arkian religion is the religion of the Old Testament.  The Old Testament religon began as the family religion of Abraham.  This is the only Western religion that has been decribed as serving as a family religion.</p>
+
+<p>The Old Testament is unique among scriptures in focusing on the historical rise and fall of cultures.  This is very relevant to the Arkian goal of understanding the evil of modern culture and avoiding it.</p>
+
+<p>In the East, people belong to multiple religion.  In the West, this isn't the case because each religion claims to have the exclusive truth.  But since the Old Testament is part of the Christian Bible, there is no reason why a Christian couldn't also say that his religion includes the Arkian religion of the Old Testament.  The core of the Arkian religion is to take the Old Testament seriously regardless of what other religious beliefs one has.</p>
+
+<p>Some (like me) may choose for the Arkian religion to be their only religion.  In this case, I recommend reading <a href="/mikraite/Truth_and_Alternatives.html">Truth and Alternatives</a> and the book recommended there <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0096BCVPG/">The Philosophy of Hebrew Scripture</a>.</p>
+
+<p>The Old Testament religion is not a religion of faith, so you can believe whatever you want.  It is a religion of ethics and values.  If you are atheist, read <a href="/mikraite/God_for_Atheists.html">God for Atheists</a>.</p>
+
+<p>The purpose of religion is to convey values.  Read the Old Testament with your children and use this to convey Arkian values to them.</p>
+
+<p>The <a href="/test.html">Old Testament test</a> makes sure that Arkians at least know the basic stories in the Old Testament.</p>
+`				,
+			},
+			path: {
+				title: 'The Arkian Path',
 				content: `\
-<p>The first requirement is passing an <a href="/test.html">Old Testament test</a>.  The Old Testament is a fundamental religious text of western culture.  Knowledge of the Old Testament shows at least willingness to learn religion, but quite possibly is a result of some commitment to religion.</p>
+<blockquote>
+<p>Be fruitful and multiply</p>
+</blockquote>
+<cite>Genesis 1:28</cite>
+
+<p>Since the Arkian purpose is to be a family ark, the first step is to form a family.  This is particularly difficult for men who aren't psychopaths.  So I will describe the 3 categories of countries/cultures for finding a wife.</p>
 
-<p>Note that this is a test of knowledge, not of faith.  Since Arkians are not a religion, there should be no requirements of belief.  Passing this test just proves that one isn't ignorant of religion.  But what conclusions one reaches from one's religious knowledge is a personal matter.</p>
+<ol>
+<li><p>Poor - Good for finding a wife, bad for living.  In poor countries, women actually value a reliable provider.  Psychopaths aren't reliable, so they lose value in these countries.  And women have a motive not to be sluts in order to increase their value to providers.</p></li>
+
+<li><p>Rich, low illegitimacy rate - Good for living, wife options vary.  Low illegitimacy rate means responsible people who value quality, and it means no dysgenics.  It also means no psychopathic reproduction, so psychopaths don't have a significant sexual advantage.  These are the only suitable places to live.  But women don't need a provider, so whether a country/culture works for finding a wife just depends on whether you appeal to the local women.</p></li>
 
-<p>One may argue that an immoral person can pass this test by studying.  But why would he bother?  What motivation would an immoral person have to go through all this trouble to become Arkian?  A moral religious person would probably already have most of the knowledge needed for him to pass, and he should have more of a reason to become Arkian, so I think this test is an effective means of selecting for religious morality.</p>
+<li><p>Rich, high illegitimacy rate - Only good for psychopaths, bad for everyone else.  All women are sluts seeking psychopaths.</p></li>
+</ol>
+
+<p>Once you find a wife, the next step is to settle in a suitable place for raising a family.  A suitable place means a place not dominated by modern culture.  This can be judged by the illegitimacy rate.  So settle in a place with a low illegitimacy rate.  Japan and Mennonite communities are obvious choices.  There may be others like Korea that I haven't personally seen, so I can't judge them.</p>
+
+<p>Once you have settled down, if you aren't already Arkian, then become Arkian.  This puts you in a position to pass Arkian values to your descendants.  If you have settled in a country like Japan, this will give your children a distinct identity from the Japanese.  While I personally like living in Japan, I would not want my descendants to become Japanese because Japanese values are too different from mine.  For Arkians who join the Mennonites, the Arkian religion is serves as a backup plan in case any of your children want to leave the Mennonites but still want to retain good values.</p>
 `				,
 			},
 			go: {
 				title: 'Go Test',
 				content: `\
-<p>The second requirement is passing a <a href="/go.html">Go</a> test.  I was a fairly good chess player and I know most traditional games of skill, and Go is by far the best.  Go tests for intelligence, judgement, perseverance to build a skill, and ability to prioritize.  The typical modern person will not have the self-discipline to develop skill in Go, so this test eliminates such people.</p>
+<p>The second test is the <a href="/go.html">Go</a> test.  I was a fairly good chess player and I know most traditional games of skill, and Go is by far the best.  Go tests for intelligence, judgement, perseverance to build a skill, and ability to prioritize.  The typical modern person will not have the self-discipline to develop skill in Go, so this test eliminates such people.</p>
 
 <p>But Go is about more than intelligence.  For critical thinking, intelligence is not enough.  One must learn to be critical of all ideas including one's own ideas.  This is only developed by experiencing the failure of ideas.  Things like math and puzzles don't provide this.  But competitive games are optimal for providing negative feedback for bad ideas, through losing the game.  This forces skepticism of ideas which is required for critical thinking.  Here is evidence to support Go:</p>
 
@@ -234,7 +260,7 @@
 
 <p>For learning Go, one can also read books to learn strategies.  And playing games allows one to learn how to apply what one reads.  This is another critical skill, learning how to apply what one learns passively in an active environment.</p>
 
-<p>While this isn't a requirement, I would hope that Arkian parents teach their children Go.  Video games generally destroy children's ability to concentrate while Go increases the ability to concentrate.  I think Go is the best mental exercise for children, and would result in more intelligent adults.</p>
+<p>Arkian parents should teach their children Go.  Video games generally destroy children's ability to concentrate while Go increases the ability to concentrate.  I think Go is the best mental exercise for children, and would result in more intelligent adults.</p>
 
 <p>In the Old Testament, Amos 5:15 says "Hate evil and love good, and establish judgement in the gate.".  Hating evil and loving good are not enough.  One needs to have the judgement to distinguish between the two.  The game of Go is fundamentally about developing judgement using analysis, experience, and study.  The reason that children play games is to develop skills, and the skill that Go teaches is the skill of developing judgement.  I believe that judgement is critical for correctly understanding and applying religion, so children who play Go will have a better understanding of their religion as adults.</p>
 
@@ -274,7 +300,6 @@
 		<script> header() </script>
 		<div content>
 			<h1><a href="about.html">Arkian - A Family Ark</a></h1>
-			<p>Under construction...</p>
 			<hr>
 			<h2>Contents</h2>
 			<div toc>