On: Ancestry.com Acquired for $1.6 Billion

[tzs]

> There is a religious obligation in Mormonism to proxy baptize one's non-Mormon ancestors so they can get into heaven.

That bugs me. I'm afraid of it going down like this. I die, and the Valkyries select me for Valhalla. As I enjoy the afterlife there, knocking back flagons of mead and knocking up wenches, while trading tall tales of valor with the other chosen, there comes a knock at the door. A maiden answers, and then goes to Odin and whispers something.

Odin frowns, and whispers something back to her. Now all eyes are on the maiden as she walks back to the door, and invites in two Mormons. She leads them to Odin, and they hand him some paperwork.

Odin summons me, and tells me that they are from Mormon Heaven. He tells me that my half great great great great great grand niece has converted to Mormonism, found me in their ancestry records, and baptized me into the Mormon Church--and that I must leave Valhalla and move to Mormon Heaven. No more mead and wenches for me. :-(

[sambeau → tzs]

If you haven't already, you must watch "The Saga of Biorn", it is surprisingly relevant:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MV5w262XvCU

[danielweber → tzs]

Starting with the assumption of an afterlife, this would be a pretty crazy way for it to work. Can another descendant get you transferred back to Valhalla?

I understand the offense you can feel at finding out a loved one got baptized post-mortem into a religion they didn't believe in, but if the living could get the dead kicked out of any sort of heaven it would be essentially not be an afterlife.

[andyjohnson0 → danielweber]

I suspect that @tzs was not being entirely serious

[hkmurakami → andyjohnson0]

But this is how child custody works... =\

[pyre → hkmurakami]

If I baptize a child in 'my' religion, then I get custody? Then my ex-spouse baptizes into his/her religion, and custody again changes hands?

[hkmurakami → pyre]

I was referring more to the paperwork :P

[nazgulnarsil → tzs]

AFAIK in mormon heaven you get to be god of your own universe so you should just be able to recreate whatever you want.

[lotharbot → nazgulnarsil]

you only get a planet.

[danpalmer → tzs]

From Mormons I have spoken to, although you can be posthumously baptised, if you don't want to be, it won't have any affect.

I made the point that its my decision an I don't want someone making it for me after I die. Apparently that wouldn't work, so I'm 'safe'.

[hef19898 → tzs]

Hopefully this doesn't work like this! Eventually I risk being thrown out Bavarian Heaven, meaning no more auto-beer replenishments! AAHHHHH!!!

But I think some heaven simply don't extradite residents... ;-)