236 Some Problems with Immortalism to excessive risk by his desire to ‘confront death’. Concern for immediate safety should be the highest priority. Another important problem with immortalism is that it is an affront to religion. It is not an affront to religion to speak of an extended life span of 100 years or even 1,000 years. After all, Methuselah reportedly lived 969 years. To say that a 1,000 year life span is an affront to God would be to insult God (if such exists). What is 1,000 years – or even one million years – to Eternity? If  human  beings  were  free  of  disease  and  senescence  the only causes of death would be accident, suicide and homicide. Under such conditions it is estimated that from a popula- tion of one billion, a 12-year-old would have a median life span of 1,200 years and a maximum life span of 25,000 years (i.e., one-in-a-billion would live the maximum 25,000 years). Thus, I can say that my goal is to live to one thousand. That does not mean I wouldn’t like to live longer, but I will remain focused on my goal. It also means that both cryonics and anti- aging science are simply extensions of medicine, rather than a challenge to religion (cryonics patients have not died, they have deanimated). In practical terms, someone who claims to be trying to extend his or her life span may be less likely to be snuffed-out by a fundamentalist physician than a would-be immortalist who is seen as a blasphemist. The more cryonicists can present themselves as life-exten- sionists rather than immortalists, the better the chance cryonics has of being accepted (or, at least, tolerated) by medicine, by religion and by society. The more cryonics is accepted, the better is the chance that cryonics and cryonicists can survive. Some  question  that  immortality  may  not  be  achievable because of such things as extinction of the sun, heat death of the universe, and proton decay. I find it difficult to even take a theoretical interest in these questions. The most immediate issues for our survival are staying alive as long as possible, the