Mormon Transhumanist Association

I have encounter perhaps the strangest marriage of perspective and theory since Yin met Yang, and, like Yin and Yang, the members of this site seem to understand both the issues of their faith and the state of science and technology very well. The Mormon Transhumanist Association is dedicated to promoting the idea of extension of the human body and soul through the advancement of technology.

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I think it opens up some very interesting commentary on religion, science, and the coming technological singularity. To start with the author of the page chose a very appropriate quote from Doctrines and Covenenants to grace their title: "...receive an inheritance upon the earth when the day of transfiguration shall come." This transfiguration, according to the the site's authors and writers it the comming integration of man and machine as advances in computer science, biological sciences, and neuroscience reach a point where we can alter some of the fundamental elements of humanity in ways formally reserved for magic or high science fiction.

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I assume this is what the site is speaking about since it has plenty of commentary on genetics, Ray Kurzweil, and the author of many article, Carl Youngblood is a technology manager.

Youngblood's current post is an Apology (not in the sense of "I'm sorry" but in the sense of apologetics and reconciling religious faith with what we know to be rationally true about the world). He presents his rationalized position on his own theology and his understanding of the current state of science.

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Youngblood says, "why should the believer think that science is a threat, rather than a powerful tool for bringing to pass the heavenly visions he hopes for?" This reminds me of an interview with Ron Number in Salon recently. Numbers is a former Seventh Day Adventist and recently wrote a book alled The Creationist which purports to perform a thourough analysis of creationism over the centuries. When asked in the interview why so many well-educated and intelligent people support a creationist worldview, Numbers replies with a view I tend to agree with through my interactions with Creationists: "Well, most people who reject evolution do not see themselves as being anti-scientific in any way. They love science. They love what science has produced. It's allowed the conservative Christians to go on the airwaves, to fly to mission fields. They're not against science at all. But they don't believe evolution is real science."

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I do find it interesting that Youngblood puts his membership in the Church before his belief in god, "As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I believe that God exists." I believe this is consistent with a view of social control that seeks to maintin the connection between the individual and organization of one's family, friends, and community. And so we see dual membership in an organization that understands and fosters Youngblood's love of his family, community, values, and faith, and another organization that understand's Youngblood's faith in science, and rationality. Of course, this is my on-the-spot sociological breakdown of Youngblood's relation to these groups.

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If you want to learn more about it, they have a lengthy, well written PDF on their organization here. I would also suggest reading the interview with Ron Numbers since it characterizes the crawl from creationism into scientific realism very well.