THE NEWSLETTER VOLUME 9 OF THE CENTER NUMBER 3 FOR BIOETHICS AND SUMMER 2003 HUMAN DIGNITY Inside:

RemakingHumans:TheNewUtopiansVersusaTrulyHumanFuture1 RemakingHumans:TheNew 1 UtopiansVersusaTrulyHuman C.Ben Mitchell, Ph.D., SeniorFeIIow,TheCenterfor Bioethicsand HumanDignity John F.Kilner, Ph.D., President,TheCenterfor Bioethicsand HumanDignity Future If the nineteenth century was theage of the mentally by making use of reason, science, TheGeneticsofMiceandMen: machine and the twentieth century the infor and technology. In addition, respect for the Can—andShould—We mation age,this century is, by most accounts, rights of the individual and a belief in the 2 Intervene? the age of biotechnology. In this biotech cen power of human ingenuity are important ele tury we may witnessthe invention of curesfor ments of transhumanism. Transhumanists genetically linked diseases, including also repudiate belief in the existenceof super MovieReview natural powers that guide us. These things 4 Alzheimer’s, cancer, and a host of maladies Newsfrom theField that cause tremendous humansuffering. We together representthe coreof our philosophy. may seeamazing developments infood pro The critical and rational approach which duction with genetically modified foods that transhumanistssupport is at theserviceof the 6 BookReview actually carry therapeutic drugs insidethem. desire to improve humankind and humanity in all their facets.” Bioterrorism and high-tech weaponry may 7 CenterResources also be in our future. Some researchersare evensuggestingthat our future might include Again, the idea of improving society through the the species.The is new. the last remaking of human next technology not In fact, most of 8 SaveTheseDates! stageof human evolution, they argue, will be century was spent doing just that. What is CenterNews the post-human stage. new, however, is how the transhumanists intend to usetechnology.They intend to craft The New Utopians their technopia by merging the human with Utopianism—the idea that we can enjoy a per the machine. Since, as they argue, computer fect society of perfect people on a perfect speedand computational power will advance earth—is not new at all. Novelists, play a million fold between now and the year wrights, social engineers,and media moguls 2050 A.D., artificial intelligence will surpass have played with the idea for millennia. The human intelligence.The only way humanscan new utopians, however, are survive is by merging with machines,according to the a breed apart, so to speak. “If the nineteenthcentury They are what we might transhumanists. Do the call “techno-utopians” or wastheageofthemachine movies Al or Bicentennial “technopians.” That is, they Man come to mind? andthe centurythe believe that technology is twentieth the key to achievingthe per informationage,thiscentury Now, before you dismiss fect societyof perfectpeople the transhumanists as just on a perfect earth. is,bymostaccounts,theage another group of space-age wackos, you needto know THE CENTERFOR The new technopians actu- ofbiotechnology.” who some of them are. ally have a name for them One of the brains behind BI~ETHICS AND HUMAN DIGNITY selves: transhumanists. According to the the movement is a philosopher at Yale World Transhumanist Association: University, Nick Bostrom. Bostrom’s website “Trans 2065 Half Day Road sets out his humanism (as the term suggests)is a sort of (www.nickbostrom.com) world- Bannockburn, IL 60015 USA humanism plus. Transhumanists think they view quite clearly. He wants to make better 847.317.8180 (PHONE) can better themselvessocially, physically, and humansthrough technology. 847.317.8101 (FAX) [email protected] (EMAIL) www.cbhd.org (WEB SITE) Continuedonpage5 Another transhumanist is a professor of evolution. But, with all of our human frail people, the church mustmount a massive TheMatrixReloaded:AnAncientMythRevisited NewsfromtheField Xe cyberneticsat the University of Readingin ties, are we going to make ourselvesbetter educational ministry to help Christians Paul van der Biji, CulturalCommentator •~ ~e England. Kevin Warwick deservesthe dis through technology?Sincewe are so limit understand biotechnology from a TheCenterfor Bioethicsand HumanDignity Daniel McConchie tinction of being the first “cyborg.” He ed, error-prone, and bounded, we might Christian worldview perspective. That is Directorof PublicRelations& Public Policy E .~ wearsimplanted computerchips in his arm just destroy ourselves! The problem of to say, since all truth is God’s truth, and TheCenterfor Bioethicsand HumanDignity and wrist. The next stageof human evolu self-extinction worries a few of the since we live in a world that faces the I believethat one of the rolesof film in today’s societyis the sameasthat of -C-) tion, arguesWarwick, is the cyberneticage. Transhumanists,especiallyNick Bostrom. brave new world of biotechnology, myth in ancient societies.Both seekto explain in everydayterms the mean ScientistsHailCompletionofthe As Warwick told Newsweek in January Christians have an obligation to under ings and mysteriesof life and death. Every film in someway doesthis, but ComprehensiveHumanGenome Map 2001, “The potential for humans, if we Robots and computerswill of course never stand how God’s revelation applies to those suchas The Matrix and its recentsequelThe Matrix: Reloadedstand ThedauntinginitiativeknownastheHumanGenome stick to our presentphysicalform, is pretty becomehuman. Why not? Becausebeing those technologies. apart from the rest. In the Journal of Religion and Film (October 2000), Projecthasnowbeencompleted.Thisastoundingachieve limited...The opportunity for me to “one of us” transcendsfunctional biology. JamesFord states,“It is impossibleto know what narratives will becomethe ment—realized2 yearsaheadof schedule—was become a cyborg is extremely exciting. I Human beings are psychosomatic soulish This will meanthat seminarieswill haveto foundation myths of our culture. But epic films like The Matrix arethe mod announcedin mid-AprilbytheInternationalHuman can’t wait to get on with it.” And sohehas. unities made in the image of God. The equip ministers to address the ethics of ern dayequivalent of The Iliad-Odyssey, the epic of Gilgamesh I know image God is located neither in our genetic engineering, gene therapy, trans GenomeSequencingConsortiumandtheUSDepartment of fully it may seempresumptuous to give such honor to a film that has not yet Rodney Brooks, professor of robotics at brain nor our DNA. We, and all who are genics, xenotransplantation, stem cell stood the testof time; however,I do think The Matrix sagaaddressesin an ofEnergy.Thecompletion of“draft” thesequenceof the MIT, believesthat through robotics we are “one of us,” are unique combinations of research,and a growing number of other important way the ancient Christian heresyknown asgnosticism. human genomewasannouncedin2000ataWhiteHouse reshapingwhat it meansto be human. His body, soul, and mind. We might quibble issues.Currently most seminariesprovide ceremony.Thisdrafthasnowbeenconvertedintoa“fin recent book Flesh and Machines is an theologically about how best to describe only limited opportunities to addressthese Writing for a popular website www.killingthebuddha.com, Robin L. ished”sequenceof99.99%accuracy.While thesequence exploration of his worldview. For manyof the componentsof our humanity, but most difficult areas.This is unfortunate because Zebrowski has compared the ideaspresentedin The Matrix to the ancient isnowinhand,questionsremainabouthowmanygenes the transhumanists, human beings are Christians agreethat we are more than the these are, and will increasingly become, gnostic belief that “the creator of our world. ..is not the creator God of the humanbeingspossess,withestimatesranging between merely what AT guru Marvin Minsky has sum of our biological and functional parts. the context of thorny pastoral problems. great monotheistic traditions popular today. Instead,there was originally 25,000and30,000.Theentireprojectcost $2.6billionto called, “computers made of meat.” So, Pastorsare evennow being asked to pro both a male and a femaledeity. The Mother, Sophia (“wisdom”), wanted to complete,whichwas$400millionunder budget. The technopians, however, do not share vide counsel regarding reproductive tech produce another creation, but didso on her own rather than with her part our view of what it means to be “one of nologies but few are prepared to help ner. The resulting Demiurge was an abomination....[who became]...thecre “Oneday maybeillegalto it us.” Even though computers and robots becausethey find themselvesuninformed ator of our world. He trapped the Spirit in matter, and mankind has been Scientistsarenowlookingtotheimmediate futureand unplugacomputerandsoendits may never become“one of us,” somewill not only about the technologies,but also trying to escape,to get back to the true God, ever since.” Sucha belief sys whattheybelievecanbeaccomplishedin thegenetic doubtlessattribute to them humancharac about how to think about them. tem led to an emphasison knowledge (“wisdom”) over matter, with the arena.ThenewNIHroadmapfor genomicresearch ‘life’atthesametimethatit isan teristics and—it is not inconceivable to result that matter (and thus flesh) was regardedasevil and in needof being includes gene-baseddrug creation,bettergenetic testing, ethicaldutyto unplugahuman imagine—human rights,including a right Further, the church in her prophetic role overcome. researchintohowraceandethnicityaffectpeople’s not to be harmed. One day it may be ille mustuseherregular educationalministry to beingwhosebiologyhasceasedto responsestomedicine,andresearchinto howbehavioris gal to unplug a computer and so end its develop a Christian mind on theseissues. Today’s society, though, has no room for meddling deities, and so in the affectedbygenetics. functionefficiently.” “life” at the sametime that it is an ethical Every church memberhas a stake in the movie it is the machine called The Matrix that blinds the world and its duty to unplug a human being whose biotechnology revolution. Bioengineered inhabitants to true reality. Through knowledge, Neo, the protagonist, frees EmbryonicStemCells UsedtoCreateEggs melding biological computers (the human biology hasceasedto function efficiently. plants and animalsare already sold in gro his mind and escapesthe clutchesof the machine. He beginsto understand brain) with silicon brains (computers) cery stores, often without labeling. Gene Contradictinga longheldbymany gametes himself as the prophesied one who has beensent as a messiahto end the belief that seemslike a good thing to do. therapy will increasinglybecomethe stan reign of the matrix and to free humanity from its clutches.Eventhough the couldnotbegrown outsidethebody,ateamofUSand The Church and a Truly dard of care for many illnesses.Attempts god is different—machine instead of deity—the messagein the context of Frenchresearchershavepromptedmouseembryonicstem What do the Transhumanists all have in Human Future will soon be made to create biochips for gnosticism is still the same. Life is illusory, brief, and inconsequentialand cellsto producemouseeggs.Theresearchersindicatedthat common?First, to bemost charitable, they The apostle Paul could identify with some transferringinformation into and out of the through specialknowledge alone can be overcome. thisisthefirsttimeanyonehasdemonstratedthatembry find the problem of human suffering, limi of the transhumanists’ concerns.He, too, human brain.Nanotechnologypromisesto onic stemcellsaretrulytotipotent—capableofbecoming tation, and death to be unacceptable.The found the limitations of our fallen human createmachinesthe size of moleculesthat There are obvious dangers, in the context of bioethics, in viewing our anycelltype.Somescientistsbelievethatthisprovesthe technopian visionis of a pain-free, unlim ity bothersome.In 2 Corinthians 4 and 5, will perform complex functionsand micro humanity as illusional and our flesh andblood as irrelevant. The dangerof unlimited functionalelasticity of embryonicstemcells; ited, eternal humanity. While their motiva he groans about this earthly tabernacleor surgery insidethe human body. gnosticism—andan underlying messageof The Matrix—is to seeour life in however,itisstillunknownhowthecellsmaybemanipu tion may be commendable,the real ques tent. He longs to be freed from the suffer the flesh as irrelevant and to believethat real knowledge will enable us to tion is whether the meansto get to their ing, the pain, and the finitude. Yet, his Lastly, through her prophetic role, the latedtobecomewhatevercelltypeisdesired. get beyond our trapped humanity. In The Matrix, only a few havethe priv goals are ethically justifiable. hope is not in his own abilities to tran church must help shapepublic policy relat ilegeof freeing their minds from the constraints of the machines.The rest of scendhis humanity, but in God’s power to ed to biotechnology. Each of these tech thosecaught in the Matrix are deluded, irrelevant, and evendispensable. Theresearchersarenowtryingtodetermineiftheresult Secondly, and less charitably, the transform his humanity through redemp nologies will require laws or policies to ingeggscanbefertilizedandundergonormaldevelop Transhumanists displaywhat can only be tion. He is confident that this mortality regulate or in somecases(such as cloning Is not ultimate knowledge in our society bound up in the power of science ment,If successfulthe andprocesscanbereplicatedin called self-loathing. They are very per shall put on immortality—that we have a a human being) outlaw their use. At this and technology? Infact, we are urged to harness thepower of scienceand humans,thisnewproceduremayprovideaway to“artifi turbed by humanity and its finitude. The dwelling place not made with human point relatively few Christians—and even its knowledge as a meansof getting beyond the constraints of being only cially”createhumaneggsforuseincloningandfertility body and its limitations have become a hands, but eternal and heavenly. fewer churches—areinformed about these human. We ought to strive to live longer (maybeforever), we ought to con treatments.Inadditionto beingcreatedanddestroyedfor prison for them and they want to transcend issues.More alarming, they do not know trol our progeny by ultimately perfecting them, and we ought to eradicate theirparts,human embryoscouldthenalsobecome the boundaries of mortality. In their view, Much of what the transhumanists longfor how to impact the public policy process. the weaknessesof our humanity at all costs. In a day and age where flesh This must change the church is to be a genetic fathersandmotherseventhoughtheyhavenever transhumanismoffers the greatestfreedom. is already available to Christians: eternal if and blood are regardedashaving comparatively little intrinsic value, it’s not life and freedom from pain, suffering, and faithful prophet to her culture and to her surprising that the sacrifice or exploitation of human life is increasingly developedbeyondthe embryonicstage. Thirdly, they are confident—even tn the burden of a frail body. As usual, how members.I being justified for the sakeof the abovepursuits. • umphalistic—evolutionists. Theirs is not ever,the transhumanists—like all of us in the Darwinian evolutionary view of our failed attemptsto saveourselves—trust 1Adapted from the authors’ new book Does incredibly slow, incremental progress of in their own power ratherthan God’s pro God Need Our Help? Cloning, Assisted Suicide,& Other Challengesin Bioethics the fittest of the species.No, this is good vision for a truly human future with him. (Tyndale, 2003). Available from CBHD (see old Western pull-ourselves-up-by-our- Sincethe role of the prophet is to declare p. 7 of this newsletter) or the publisher. bootstraps, relatively instant, designer the Word of the Lord to his covenant

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