[extropy-chat] Census Declaration - Transhumanism as a Religion?

[Darthmencken at aol.com]

In a message dated 8/7/2006 4:26:46 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,  
bret at bonfireproductions.com writes:

Personally, I don't think you should, even though the modern  context  
and use of the word "religion" could be interpreted in that  manner.

Seeing that the Latin prefix of religion is rooted somehow  in  
"supernatural" and "superstition".

It's like lumping  Atheism into religion. People that want to keep  
clear of a certain  mess through choice are simply redefined by mess- 
participants as another  form of mess. Then the meme-pool needs cleaning.

Ultimately, I'm sure  that there are people that view it as such, it  
is a personal  choice.

Philosophy? Yes. Religion? No.
    Agreed. Humanists, at one time or another, declared  their beliefs/belief 
system to be a "religion." Number one, it isn't. Number  two, all this 
assertion has done for them is serve as a lightning rod for  criticism and rhetoric 
from fundamentalists in the US.
    Something is a "religion" only if, among other  things, it deals 
explicitly with the supernatural, asserts the existence and  reality of such (Whether 
this is actually true or not is beside the point),  endeavors to make at least 
*some* specific statements about such (There is a  "God," or this many gods, 
this is what It/She/He/They are like, what they like,  what they don't, what 
they've done in the past, present, and future, how  "Heaven" or whatever is set 
up, and what kinds of subordinate beings they have  under them and what these 
are like), and claims that its (the alleged  religion's) beliefs, tenets, 
doctrines, etc. emanate from and are determined by  such.
    Transhumanism, like atheism, Humanism, and also  communism, democracy, 
capitalism, etc. does none of these things.




Cheers,
Bret


Darth Mencken, Dark Lord of Iconoclasm
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