Christian Worldview Concepts

Desperately Seeking Perfection: Transhuman's Utopian Dreams

The Battle Against Religion

A myriad of voices in addition to those of Transhumanists demand that we revise our notions about human life, claiming that we must adopt a more flexible definition. They argue that the old ideas about human life are rooted in an outdated science of human development, one that is woefully inadequate for these contemporary times. The old view of human life (the sanctity of human life) is irreparably tainted by religion, especially Christianity, whose moral overtones are deemed unsuitable for contemporary life in a pluralistic society. The late Christopher Reeves, a strong advocate of embryonic stem cell research, once remarked that ". . . those Christians who are opposed to this research should not be allowed to vote." His view is shared by many who see the public square as an unsuitable place for religion in public discourse, at least those religious views that do not agree with his own. If Transhumanists have their way, such voices will not only be disregarded, they will necessarily have to be purged from public discourse through re-engineering. No post-human would ever produce offspring that would think like these intolerant religionists.

Secular Humanism considered religion and normative notions about morality as obstacles to scientific progress; Transhumanism is committed to an unmitigated hostility to it. Transhumanism bears no resemblance to Secular Humanism's condescending attitude toward religion. Transhumanism is tolerant of religion in the same way that Karl Marx was tolerant of it — "Religion is the opiate of the masses." Belief in a divine Creator will come to be viewed not only as the idea of a misguided and irrational mind, but it will of necessity be seen as some sort of biological or genetic flaw to be engineered out lest future generations find themselves saddled with this defect.

Some readers may think this to be a red herring argument, an excessive "slippery slope" contention based on straw man premises. Others may even consider it unnecessarily alarmist and sensational. However, a review of statements made by Transhumanists concerning religion and their ambitious plans for biotechnology should reveal that the concerns are justified. Fear is legitimate when the danger is real.

Perhaps the greatest critique that can be offered is that Transhumanism's "faith" in secularism and "belief" in the altruistic motives of science are remarkable if for no other reason than their naiveté. Although Secular Humanists and Transhumanists both ridicule Christians for their faith in God and scoff at belief in a divine will, both appear to have little trouble relying on faith in human reason to solve life's thorniest dilemmas. How is faith in finite human reason more reasonable than faith in a divine Creator? Does faith function differently when its object is supernatural than it does when the object is natural? The "faith" of Transhumanists in the powers of human reason and scientific free inquiry is considered justified belief about reality (knowledge), but the "faith" of Christians is rejected as being mere superstition, myth or worse — irrational.