[extropy-chat] Bill Moyers' Comments - Global Environment CitizenAward

[Samantha Atkins]

Adrian Tymes wrote:

>--- Damien Broderick <thespike at satx.rr.com> wrote:
>  
>
>>It is NOT the same event. A convergent technological
>>singularity is just 
>>what is expected to happen when specific
>>technologies attain a certain 
>>degree of complexity, power and speed. `Rapture' is
>>a mythical state of 
>>spiritual transcendence rising from a Christian
>>belief system that includes 
>>a world 6000 years old, the physical return of Jesus
>>to judge the just and 
>>the damnable, and other literalist fundamentalist
>>foolishness. DON'T GET 
>>THESE MEMETIC WIRES CROSSED, OR YOU'LL SHORT-CIRCUIT
>>THE UNIVERSE!!
>>    
>>
>
>It's not the universe I want to short-circuit.  It's
>the anti-technology ideas.
>
>Besides, who says that the two actually have to be the
>same?  I'm just suggesting convincing some Christians
>that they are the same, to get them on our side.  What
>happens after that...well, once they are on our side,
>they might be willing to interpret the Singularity (if
>and when it happens) as Rapture even if they don't
>actually have any evidence of the religious trappings
>occurring, no?
>  
>
That would be lying.   Why do that when the case is already quite strong 
for all who are honest?   On the technological side we have the real 
possibility of cures for all disease including aging itself, 
indefinitely long lifespans, abundance undreamt of for all and most any 
other "milk and honey" in the sweet by-and-by stuff that most western 
religions say awaits you after death.   For all the Christians and other 
believers who really are filled with compassion for humanity and caring 
for their own it is obvious that this "great gift" must be welcomed with 
both hands and with songs of praise on their lips. 

If they wanted to dress things up as something like "God has heard our 
prayers and sent the answer in the form of sufficient intelligence to 
build technology to meet every need and dry every tear" or whatever then 
let them do that, not us.   If they want to pretend that the second 
coming of Christ is the coming of an FAI or whatever then I am sure they 
will do so.   If the "new heaven and new earth" is what happens after 
Singularity, upload or whatever in their minds then great.  But we have 
no business claiming this is so and it muddies up our thinking and 
understanding to fool around that way.    At least it muddied up mine 
when I toyed with such. 

I disagree with Damien on the entire fundamentalist package deal being 
essential to what Rapture means though.   Christians are infinitely 
flexible in finding "other interpretations" thatn Biblical inerrancy, a 
6000 year old earth and other such pure nut-case idiocy.

- samantha