tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4660643955928428945.post898606968465794314..comments2012-05-03T11:06:49.213-07:00Comments on Mormon Transhumanist Association Response: What difference does it make?Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4660643955928428945.post-1569090613704382472010-05-27T23:10:44.366-07:002010-05-27T23:10:44.366-07:00Does one aesthetic fit all?
VBlogger, from my per...Does one aesthetic fit all?<br /><br />VBlogger, from my perspective it seems that both you and Lincoln are talking about the same beings. You call them God, Lincoln may call them posthumans. I take comfort in a faith that these beings are there, whether I call them God or whether I call them posthumans. I also see value in both labels. God means something special to me, as does the idea that God, who once "dwelt on an earth" and now "sits enthroned in yonder heavens", "found himself in the midst of spirits and glory, and because he was greater, he saw proper to institute laws whereby the rest could have the privilege of advancing like himself".<br /><br />I love the mystery of God, the mystery of Godliness, and the sheer immensity of them. I am grateful that God has given us the capacity to grow, to understand, and to advance like unto himself. For me, logic, philosophy and scientific explanation is vital to my religious experience, and is as inextricably tied to the spiritual feelings I experience in my life as is my church attendance and participation.Bryanthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16060152533681515365noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4660643955928428945.post-80267431260201335612010-05-26T22:42:53.437-07:002010-05-26T22:42:53.437-07:00I should add an additional thought. Our simple and...I should add an additional thought. Our simple and beautiful religious words, inherited from our ancestors, are NOT on their own sufficient for our salvation, no matter how good they make us feel. For example, we would not be able to discuss this matter, sharing our feelings and attempting to persuade each other toward that which we feel is important, as we are doing now, without many other kinds of words of a highly technical sort, such as HTML and Javascript. We might not be aware of them, and we might not like to think about them, but they enable us. Likewise, it may detract from some of our moments of peace, but we still ought to improve our understanding of science and technology, which are essential to the contemporary work of God (and which we should expect to have increasingly substantial impact on that work, given present trends).Lincoln Cannonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08009185417814627678noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4660643955928428945.post-5150202140138938832010-05-26T22:35:29.938-07:002010-05-26T22:35:29.938-07:00Vblogger, it is possible to focus too much on emot...Vblogger, it is possible to focus too much on emotionality, as it is possible to focus too much on rationality. The peaceful and loving feelings we have are good to the extent they do not dissuade us from doing the hard work of making this world better. There is a time for meditation and service, as there is a time for research and experimentation. We have a moral obligation toward both. Most Mormons do a good job of emphasizing the former, while giving the latter too little attention, which is among the reasons for the existence of the MTA. The MTA would be superfluous if all Mormons were sufficiently supportive of science and technology. Until that happens, we have a moral obligation to encourage improvement. I've written more about this here:<br /><br />http://docs.google.com/View?id=dfzwxpjb_465cpmgkxcqLincoln Cannonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08009185417814627678noreply@blogger.com