(editors note: ok enough about sending me complaints, t.net is about looking at all transhumanist topics as long as they are not offensive and some what logical and Christian transhumanist material is reasonable, if you want to see other topics stop complaining and starting writing them and sending them to me.)
Recently, at each of our church’s worship services, I asked the members of the congregation I serve to indicate, by a show of hands, how many of them believe that they will not die. Not a single person answered in the affirmative. I would venture to guess that my congregation’s response to this question is typical among the vast majority of Christians across the world today. Even so, the eschatological hope of avoiding death that was prevalent in the early of days of Christianity may soon return to the church universal via a seemingly unlikely source – mainly – human technological advancement.
Early Christians understood that death is the enemy of humankind. Many early Christians actively maintained the hope, throughout their lives, that they would never have to die. The Apostle Paul, for instance, was hopefully optimistic that Christ might return in his lifetime to transition his existence from his mortal body to his immortal one.
And while the early Christians refused to live in fear of their mortality, their hope was to avoid it, if possible, without compromising the integrity of their faith. Over time though, due to experiencing generations of death, this eschatological hope has slowly faded among Christians. That is until recently when the technological world has made popular the concept of the technological Singularity.
In simple terms, the Singularity, it is a projected future point in history when humans will be able to develop artificial intelligence that is smarter than the most intelligent human being. The concept logically follows that such strong AI then would be capable of recursive self-improvement. This subsequently could produce unending iterations of increasingly more intelligent and advanced AI that could result in super-intelligent beings unfathomable to current human understanding.
So how does the Singularity potentially impact Christians? Well, one concept is that human beings will continue to technologically modify and improve themselves as these exponential technological advances take place. One possible result of such modification is that humans may be able to one day develop immortal bodies that ultimately free them from death.
While this may sound like extreme science fiction, it is important to consider that human beings have long been physically maintaining and improving themselves using technology. Today, vast numbers of people have hip, knee, and dental implant replacements regularly. LASIK eye surgery allows individuals to have 20/15, better than perfect, vision. Pacemakers stimulate persons’ hearts. Cochlear implants provide human hearing. More than this, the list of developing technologies aimed at improving the human physical condition is ever increasing.
As we continue to advance technologically, it is rational for us to to expect that such progress in only going to increase in speed and complexity. Anti-aging technologies are going to be invented. Radical life extension is going to become a reality. It is possible too that, by way of the Singularity, technological immortality may even be achieved.
These advancements should provide hope for Christians because, in a very tangible way, they represent the reality of the Christian belief that God, through Christ, has begun the process of redeeming humanity and all of Creation. Now, as we share in Christ’s invitation to aid in this renewal and restoration of humanity and the world, we too potentially have the privilege of assisting God in bringing this new deathless reality to fruition as well. As such, Christians should begin to be intent in aiding and empowering technologists with the formational tools that will encourage their work to be for the good of all humanity. In so doing – one day – Christians may be able to fully realize the early church’s hope of never having to face death.
* hero image used from http://starfindings.com/ebay/eastern-steampunk
June 22, 2015 at 5:19 pm
I love it. We basically agree on the point that transhumanism is a series of stories we tell ourselves. Like Christianity. The use of strong declaratives with little evidence is consistent with other pieces here.
As the editor noted, we can talk about tranhumanism if we are some what logical. Like somewhat pregnant, or mostly dead. It’s a lot easier to maintain that suspension of disbelief that classic Transhumanism and Christianity both require.
I agree that more people should post. But let’s post something legitimate. Post about the work being done. And use the comments sections. Emails to the editor undermine the open discourse that makes the internet so great. If you believe something, you should be able to say it out loud, not sneak it in a private email.
I would write about transhumanism, but it is fiction and speculation. I wrote my piece on grinding and that was all I could offer. There is nothing more to be said that isn’t eschatology crammed through a science filter. I thought about making this reply a post, but we don’t need any more doom and gloom and a rallying call to action just isn’t cutting it these days.
Which is sad. Transhumanism still hasn’t made that step into action. I guess we shouldn’t be too surprised. Most philosophies are just that. Talk. All this time and we’re still just waving our hands in the air. We should be learning more, growing and developing. Instead we are trading mythologies, hot swapping stories to stop us from fearing the future. Now we’ve started co opting (or being co opted by?) other story lines in a bid for legitimacy and sticking power. I am consistently impressed the the church’s historical record of success. I just didn’t think that we were going to try to make friends with the biggest kid on the block because we can’t actually kick the ball ourselves.
If someone else thinks this needs to be said, feel free to copy and paste this comment into a post, or post yourself. Or we can all just, yknow, kumbaya ourselves to death here.
June 24, 2015 at 3:15 pm
Gabriel, I would are argue that not all of transhumanism is just talk. Our organization in Seattle is working hard on un-talked about projects and taking action trying to make things work in the real world. Even the decision to purchase T.net is just a secondary extension of that. Most transhumanists are all talk which is frustrating but there is a small group out there trying to take action in the real world.
August 15, 2015 at 1:43 pm
So, where does Christ fit in here? From a biblical perspective, we are not to fear death. We have nothing to fear because Christ already defeated death on the cross for those who believe. Truthfully, I can’t wait for the day that I am with my savior, whether that comes through my natural death or through His second coming. Is it the judgement that comes after death what you are trying to avoid? Repent and put your trust in Christ, not in men. (Btw, I work as a nurse with the sickest of the sick. We do everything we can to save people’s hearts…… For example there is currently *very* little that we can do even to just fix the ventricle of a heart. Your hope is so misplaced.)
August 15, 2015 at 5:41 pm
how does it not? how do you know that Christ and be extension God the Father’s idea of is letting us cure death and the resurrection is just everyone being reborn into bodies? not say its true but it is as possible as anything else in wide array of Christian beliefs. To your point specifically how Christopher thinks about this lets look at the end there, “These advancements should provide hope for Christians because, in a very tangible way, they represent the reality of the Christian belief that God, through Christ, has begun the process of redeeming humanity and all of Creation. Now, as we share in Christ’s invitation to aid in this renewal and restoration of humanity and the world, we too potentially have the privilege of assisting God in bringing this new deathless reality to fruition as well.” in this way Christ fits into any interpretation of Christianity easily enough. Personally I believe that we are children of God and it doesn’t even matter of God exists as if he does we must work to be come like him a God as any child becomes like their children we should also become gods through science which is really the power of God for the Glory of God is intelligence and Knowledge… and yet of God doesn’t exist it is the idea of God we should aspire to and work to become Gods for the same reason for the Glory of God is intelligence and knowledge and without these things there is no point to existence. Therefore it matters not. Christ can still be the guide for ones life and example to live as one works as Christ said to be Perfect even as your Father in heaven is which means to work towards becoming a God…