[ExI] CALL: H+ call for papers

[Damien Broderick]

At 10:55 PM 2/18/2009 -0700, John Grigg wrote:

>are there no strong connections/comparisons between
>religion and transhumanism?  And do you feel trying to develop a
>positive dialogue between religionists and transhumanists is bad or at
>least totally unproductive?

About as useful as a "dialogue" between transhumanists and 
astrologers, creation "scientists" or Scientologists.

The point I was making was much more focused than that, though, which 
is that the analyses and aspirations of >H-ism don't spring from 
religion but from the human condition, from human hope and 
intelligence, just as the determination to learn how to fly didn't 
come from hubristically copying angels or demons but from looking at 
birds (also the source of angels, to the extent that these mythic 
beings are supposed to fly--which is really popular sentimental 
mythology rather than theology, but hey). Similarly, the reason 
planes are cruciform has nothing to do with Jesus on the cross and 
everything to do with (a) bird wings, (b) lifting surfaces, and (c) 
in any case they don't if they're helicopters. But I can imagine 
these theoreductionists blathering on as if that's a major and 
meaningful source of inspiration.

Damien Broderick