This is a terrible idea. Extropianism is the belief that human beings, through new technology, can achieve immortality someday. This is the pinnacle of selfishness and egotism. I'm not the type to cry afoul with fire and brimstone, but I think this defies the direct will of God and God's own example here on Earth. Christ accepted an unjust death without saying a single word in objection. He did it so we could be free to delight in the splendor of his everlasting love. Living forever on Earth seems to be a preferred alternative to a few people. It's unsustainable. We should make our planet tolerable for our children, and that can't happen if we live forever.
I'm not saying extropanists are going to hell or anything like that. First, I'm fairly agnostic when it comes to the afterlife -- I think talk of heaven and hell gets in the way of Christ's purpose. Second, maybe there is a virtue known only to God in their intentions. However, if there is a heaven, when they get there I'm sure they'll be given a valuable yet loving lesson about life and death. And, hey, that might not be so bad, I'm sure I'll be given many, many valuable yet loving lessons about my particular sins as well, assuming there is a heaven and that I get there someday. What concerns me is the temptation humanity might experience if these ideas become increasingly well-known. We should keep this in mind the next time we say the Lord's prayer, whether it's the version that says "and lead us not into temptation" or the version that says "save us from the time of trial."
Anywho, I won't be at St. Stephen's tomorrow night as I am attending an open house at OSU's law school. I wish everyone well, and God bless.
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I'm reading a book in an education seminar this quarter by Richard Louv that you might enjoy. It is entitled "Last Child in the Woods" and it explores that ways that technology and environmental degradation have altered how kids experience nature and also speculates on the effects this lack of natural knowledge has on child development.
One section that I find relevant to your comments about extropianism is this: on page 21..
"The End of Biological Absolutes: Are we mice or are we men? Or both?
"The young are growing up in an era without biological absolutes. Even the definition of life itself is up for grabs.
One monring in 1997, people around the world opened their newspapers to see a disturbing photograph of a live, hairless mouse with what appeared to be a human ear growing from its back. The creature was the product of research by a team from the University of Massachusetts and MIT that had introduced human cartilage cells into an earlike scaffold of biodegradable polyester fabric implanted onto the back of the mouse. The scaffold nourished the ersatz ear."
Louv goes on to state "We can no longer assume a cultural belief in the perfection of nature. To previous generations of children, few creations were as perfect or as beautiful as a tree. Now, researchers flood trees with genetic materials taken from viruses and bacteria to make them grow faster to create better wood products, or enable trees to clean polluted soil. [ ] The University of California promoted "birth control for trees" a genetically engineered method of creating a "eunuch-tree that spends more of its energy making wood and not love."
If trees and mice are already fair game for being engineered into machines, are people far behind?
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