Friday, June 17, 2005

When memes collide: Christian Transhumanism.

4 comments:

W.M. Bear said...

Interesting. I always thought part of the idea of Christian burial (vrs. Hindu cremation, for example) was that you were supposed to get your original body back, only turbocharged with immortal youth and vitality. But clearly this would have to be some sort of simulacrum and not the original atoms, etc., which actually makes nonsense of the idea of preserving the physical body by burial -- unless, of course, the idea is to take the DNA PATTERN off whatever's left and basically produce some kind of clone.

Mac said...

Here's my list of instructions for when I deanimate (in order of preferance):

1.) Cryonic suspension
2.) Organ/tissue donation
3.) Cremation

I think we have a morbid preoccupation with burial. I wonder how much land area is wasted on cemetaries.

Ken Younos said...

"I always thought part of the idea of Christian burial (vrs. Hindu cremation, for example) was that you were supposed to get your original body back, only turbocharged with immortal youth and vitality."

Yeah, I think this WAS the original idea. The early Christians looked forward to their own bodily resurrection because they believed they somehow participated in the (already accomplished) resurrection of Christ. I'm not sure where Christian transhumanists are going with this one, since it is obvious that Christ's supposed resurrection had nothing to do with any technological means (i.e., "uploading").

Mac said...

"I'm not sure where Christian transhumanists are going with this one"

I'm not at all sure I know where the Christian Transhumanists are going with *any* of this...