Mormon Transhumanist Association

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Mormon Transhumanist Association: Faith

Playing God

"Playing God" is actually the highest expression of human nature. The urges to improve ourselves, to master our environment, and to set our children on the best path possible have been the fundamental driving forces of all human history. Without these urges to "play God," the world as we know it wouldn't exist today. A few million humans would live in savannahs and forests, eking out a hunter-gatherer existence, without writing or history or mathematics or an appreciation of the intricacies of their own universe and their own inner workings.

Ramez Naam, cited in Ray Kurzweil, The Singularity is Near, p. 299

Published Tuesday, May 30, 2006 2:38 PM by Grasshopper

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	Lincoln Cannon said: Darn it, Grasshopper. You're ahead of me. :-) May 30, 2006 8:31 PM
	rocket scientist said: I tend to agree with this statement. Just a thought: could it be another explanation of the the highest expression of human nature and "Playing God" such as ego, desire to understand the world, and be in control of life? And as ultimate expression of that desire, like Sigmund Freud mentioned, people have fundamental void to have someone who could explain the world, protect, and stay around as a parent. And that's why people "invented" God and ....possibly they want to "play God" themselves. May 31, 2006 1:24 PM
	rocket scientist said: " I've always wondered if there was a God. And now I know there is -- and it's me." Homer Simpson June 1, 2006 4:24 PM
	rocket scientist said: "I've always wondered if there was a god. And now I know there is -- and it's me." Homer Simpson June 1, 2006 4:26 PM
	Lincoln Cannon said: If that is an exclusive identification, we're all in trouble. June 1, 2006 6:08 PM
	rocket scientist said: My understanding is that God's world is not a "democratic egalitarian club". Rather, it is autocracy. So how does multiple gods idea fit into this? June 19, 2006 4:09 PM
	Lincoln Cannon said: Where there are multiple oppressive Gods, there is war in heaven. Where there are multiple charitable Gods, there is eternal life in Celestial glory. Paul wrote of Gods many. Joshua charged us to choose which among them we will serve. Jesus showed us a God worthy of worship: Christ in you. June 20, 2006 11:25 AM
	buraianto said: There will always be multiple oppresive gods. At least that's the way it seems like it will be. So how can there be a Celestial Glory, then? Erect a big wall between the good guys and the bad? How does a group of like-minded charitable gods keep away from a group of like-minded oppresive gods? June 20, 2006 8:30 PM
	Grasshopper said: ...And there was war in heaven... June 21, 2006 9:55 AM
	rocket scientist said: Even if there are multiple charitable Gods, still there would be different points of view due to differences in personalities. Then how if not by democratic process they would reconcile the ideas and actions? This leaves to two possibilities- either there is a democratic society in Heaven (which contradicts the scriptures) or there is an autocratic society in Heaven... and there is The Big Boss whom all smaller Gods obey. So which one is it there? June 21, 2006 12:41 PM
	Lincoln Cannon said: Democracy does not necessarily contradict any scriptures with which I am acquainted. Of course, you can create a contradiction, if that is what you are looking for. Beyond that, there are many kinds of governments other than pure democracies and pure autocracies. In my mind, however, the charitable Gods do not rely primarily on government. Instead, they rely primarily on what Joseph called one of the grand fundamental principles of Mormonism: friendship. How do multiple charitable Gods resolve differences? Eternal atonement in friendship. What do they do about the oppressive Gods? Persuasion, long-suffering, brotherly-kindness, love-unfeigned . . . and war, if needed. June 21, 2006 6:00 PM
	rocket scientist said: Just a thought. If you define a god as someone who is superior to a human in various ways, then the idea of multiple gods sounds fine as long we imply a superior race. However, if by god we mean a biblical god, an authoritative, omnipresent, and omnipotent creature in charge of the universe, then I have a little trouble seeing over 6-10 billion god running around the universe doing their things. And again , we need to be clear what we mean by universe, omnipotent, omnipresent, etc. - it all boils down to definitions, as it often does. September 5, 2006 10:09 PM

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About Grasshopper

Christopher Bradford was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, but soon moved to Washington, D.C. and then overseas as a result of his father's Foreign Service employment. He has lived in Egypt, Germany, Jordan, Pakistan and Italy, where he served an LDS mission. A self-taught programmer, he is employed in the computer industry, currently working for a self-publishing company. He has a degree from Brigham Young University in Linguistics, and his interests include cognitive science, science fiction, and religion. Christopher lives in Springville, Utah, with his wife, Lucy, and their five sons and one daughter.