tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24761391.post3084461312170648651..comments2023-10-26T22:06:11.166+11:00Comments on Metamagician3000: Transhumanist theologyRussell Blackfordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12431324430596809958noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24761391.post-28004109218427124742008-07-31T01:32:00.000+10:002008-07-31T01:32:00.000+10:00Oops. I rather confusingly wrote, above:This has b...Oops. I rather confusingly wrote, above:<BR/><BR/><I>This has been an admirable, clear, calm, reasoned set of readings, Russell, and I appreciated reading them. It is difficult to respond to most of them with a straight face.</I><BR/><BR/>This could be read as if I'm attacking Russell's commentaries rather than praising them.<BR/><BR/>Of course, I meant "It is difficult to respond with a straight face to most of the essays you discussed."Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24761391.post-32059408319675655982008-07-30T12:19:00.000+10:002008-07-30T12:19:00.000+10:00This has been an admirable, clear, calm, reasoned ...This has been an admirable, clear, calm, reasoned set of readings, Russell, and I appreciated reading them. It is difficult to respond to most of them with a straight face. Take this citation:<BR/><BR/><I>"If a theologian would become critical of a transhumanist... it would be because of a naiveté in thinking that we could accomplish with technology a transformation that can be achieved only by the eschatological act of a gracious and loving God."</I><BR/><BR/>Truly, when people accuse me of naiveté and then wave their invisible bogey at me as evidence of where I've gone wrong in my analysis of the world, I just feel an overwhelming urge to reply, "Look, grow up. Get over it. You might as well be telling me about the naiveté of failing to see that a desirable transformation can be achieved only by the eschatological act of a rapacious and edentulous Tooth Fairy." Transhumanism deserves serious critique, as you note, not more mouthing of Stone Age delusions, even if they do have the support of frozen errors embedded as biases in a genome best adapted to the Stone Age.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24761391.post-77450156768000724372008-07-04T04:43:00.000+10:002008-07-04T04:43:00.000+10:00Although some religious persons reject Transhumani...Although some religious persons reject Transhumanism, some also count themselves among Transhumanists, as exemplified by the Mormon Transhumanist Association.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24761391.post-72052048916082563152008-07-03T15:36:00.000+10:002008-07-03T15:36:00.000+10:00It's a shame that the word transhumanism carries s...It's a shame that the word transhumanism carries so much baggage. I think the movement needs people like Peters to identify himself as a transhumanist, yet still make vocal criticisms of some aspects. (I'm not saying Peters himself, but if we have vocal critics perhaps we can shed the negativity surrounding the term, and get down to meaningful debate.)<BR/><BR/>That being said I say we modify everything and let the street do what it will. ;-)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com