Extinction or Joy?

[lewiscalledhimmaster]

When Doctor Francis Collins appeared on your American television sets, and began talking all about the Genome project -- I'm sure ye scientists got all warm fuzzy inside, that is until suddenly he started talking about his faith in God and how cool C.S. Lewis' books are.

Have you ever read 'Surprised by Joy', or C.E.M Joad's book 'Recovery of Faith'? I read the first one, but the second one I'm still going to read.

I had a friend once, but he's gone now -- he was a joyful micro-biologist, and he was also a very joyful Christian. Sadly, his work did not allow him to find a cure for his own disease and eventually he died. We are all going to die one day, unless we find a way to either regenerate these bodies of ours -- or extend life.

From what I've read, Albert Einstein was also a very joyful person.

The Bible teaches that the joy of the Lord is our strength and our song and has also become our salvation. I know that looking around us at the world, we can sometimes feel really depressed. Things happen in our lives and in the lives of others that are simply terrible. Murders, gang-rapes, abortions, infanticide, euthanasia, AIDS, Wars, the list seems endless, and yet we are thinking of prolonging that -- surely an upgrade, a radical new man -- just like C.S. Lewis spoke about in the last two chapters of another book he wrote: Mere Christianity, would be far more appealing, wouldn't it?

But where do we find this New Man, this upgrade from Modern Man? Will he evolve, or is he destined to go extinct?

 

[Davian]

The Bible teaches that the joy of the Lord is our strength and our song and has also become our salvation.

I know that looking around us at the world, we can sometimes feel really depressed. Things happen in our lives and in the lives of others that are simply terrible. Murders, gang-rapes, abortions, infanticide, euthanasia, AIDS, Wars, the list seems endless, and yet we are thinking of prolonging that -- surely an upgrade, a radical new man -- just like C.S. Lewis spoke about in the last two chapters of another book he wrote: Mere Christianity, would be far more appealing, wouldn't it?

Selling your religion as a comfort blanket?

 

[bhsmte]

Selling your religion as a comfort blanket?

What some religious people fail to realize, is some people, are not comfortable believing in something they can not reconcile with reality.

 

[lewiscalledhimmaster]

My question, is the primary focus of my OP:

'But where do we find this New Man, this upgrade from Modern Man? Will he evolve, or is he destined to go extinct?' *

So let's do science girls and boys.

----
*
'....Finally, can we say what direction human evolution will take in the future? This is a fascinating question to consider but impossible to answer because of innumerable unknown factors. Though, it is certain that we will continue to evolve until we reach the point of extinction.'

excerpt from: Evolution of Modern Humans : Early Modern Homo Sapiens

 

[EternalDragon]

Selling your religion as a comfort blanket?

If you think God is responsible for your sin, you may want to go
read the bible. It would clear up your misconceptions.

 

[bhsmte]

If you think God is responsible for your sin, you may want to go
read the bible. It would clear up your misconceptions.

I assume you believe God created man correct?

So, if Ford is responsible when they design and build a car that blows up when it is struck from behind, why wouldn't God be responsible for creating the flaws in man?

 

[lewiscalledhimmaster]

As I expected, folks here are going to go for what serves their agenda (be it Theist or Atheist) -- My question is actually a scientific question, which asks a very hard question:

'But where do we find this New Man, this upgrade from Modern Man? Will he evolve, or is he destined to go extinct?' *

So let's do science girls and boys.

----
*
'....Finally, can we say what direction human evolution will take in the future? This is a fascinating question to consider but impossible to answer because of innumerable unknown factors. Though, it is certain that we will continue to evolve until we reach the point of extinction.'

excerpt from: Evolution of Modern Humans : Early Modern Homo Sapiens

Additional Thinking:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U47kyV4TMnE
Nima Arkani-Hamed Public Lecture: Quantum Mechanics and Space time in the 21st Century

Why a Physics Revolution Might Be on Its Way
Why is a Physics Revolution on its way?

 

[[serious]]

If you think God is responsible for your sin, you may want to go
read the bible. It would clear up your misconceptions.

Under the modern interpretation of the afterlife, God casts the unsaved into hell unless they accept Jesus. Regardless of whether our human failings are deserving of eternal torment, God is the one dishing out punishment. Now, if you subscribe to one of the many other interpretations of scripture, it may not be an issue for your view of the afterlife, but for main line protestants, it's a pretty accurate description of their beliefs.

 

[[serious]]

As I expected, folks here are going to go for what serves their agenda (be it Theist or Atheist) -- My question is actually a scientific question, which asks a very hard question:

'But where do we find this New Man, this upgrade from Modern Man? Will he evolve, or is he destined to go extinct?' *

Um, this 'new man' is us. We will continue to adapt to our situation. Thus far, the best super power that might move towards fixation is lactose tolerance. It's not likely to get us in with the X-men, but it's something.

 

[Davian]

My question, is the primary focus of my OP:

'But where do we find this New Man, this upgrade from Modern Man? Will he evolve, or is he destined to go extinct?' *

So let's do science girls and boys.

Why then did you mix C.S. Lewis and a pitch for Christianity into the OP?

 

[Davian]

If you think God is responsible for your sin, you may want to go
read the bible. It would clear up your misconceptions.

I have no sin, theistically speaking.

Sin is for religionists (as applicable, YMMV, etc).

 

[Loudmouth]

If you think God is responsible for your sin, you may want to go
read the bible. It would clear up your misconceptions.

I am sure that I can find a religion with rules that you are in violation of. Sure hope you didn't eat those pork chops last night.

It is a bit like a snake oil salesman that invents a list of fake diseases, all of which are cured by his handy-dandy snake oil. Christianity invents the need for christianity in order to create converts.

 

[Loudmouth]

As I expected, folks here are going to go for what serves their agenda (be it Theist or Atheist) -- My question is actually a scientific question, which asks a very hard question:

'But where do we find this New Man, this upgrade from Modern Man? Will he evolve, or is he destined to go extinct?' *

That isn't really a scientific question since no theory makes predictions about extinctions in the future.

What we can know is that the human lineage will continue to evolve until it goes extinct, and we will continue to diverge from our primate cousins, as well as all other life. The only way to counteract this is if we directly engineer our own genomes and completely stop the accumulation of random mutations.

 

[Strathos]

I have no sin, theistically speaking.

Sin is for religionists (as applicable, YMMV, etc).

So you think you're perfect and have never done anything even slightly wrong?

 

[Davian]

So you think you're perfect and have never done anything even slightly wrong?

Where did I say that?

 

[Gene2memE]

W
But where do we find this New Man, this upgrade from Modern Man? Will he evolve, or is he destined to go extinct?

Are you referring to actual biological evolution - the process of change and mutation in species - or are you referring to changes in our social attitudes, behaviour and modes of thinking? The two are mostly distinct, although there's some evolutionary developmental biology evidence of linkages.

If you want to know about the behavioural changes, I recommend 'The Better Angles of Our Nature' for a study on how the various forces and processes of civilisation and collectivisation have attenuated and reduced our general propensity for violence.

If you want to know about actual genetic evolution, then you could look at this National Geographic article as a starting point, and then read some of the papers they link in the body.

 

[Strathos]

Where did I say that?

That is what it would mean to be without sin.

 

[Davian]

That is what it would mean to be without sin.

Not if "sin" is a concept fabricated by religionists for the purposes of religion.

I am without religion.

 

[EternalDragon]

Not if "sin" is a concept fabricated by religionists for the purposes of religion.

I am without religion.

It's not. It has been defined by God.

In Abrahamic contexts, sin is the act of violating God's will.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sin#cite_note-1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sin#cite_note-2http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sin#cite_note-3http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sin#cite_note-4 Sin can also be viewed as anything that violates the ideal relationship between an individual and God; or as any diversion from the ideal order for human living. To sin has been defined as "to miss the mark".

 

[EternalDragon]

I am sure that I can find a religion with rules that you are in violation of. Sure hope you didn't eat those pork chops last night.

It is a bit like a snake oil salesman that invents a list of fake diseases, all of which are cured by his handy-dandy snake oil. Christianity invents the need for christianity in order to create converts.

Apparently you didn't understand a word of the bible you supposedly
read from "front to back".

Not eating pork was a requirement for the Israelites only to keep them
separate from their heathen neighbors. Pagans often sacrificed pigs to their
idols so touching one was deemed unclean and kept them away from those
pagan practices.

People usually did not cook their meat well and pork has to be cooked
well. It carries many diseases other meats do not. Those people did not
know about microscopic pathogens but of course God did.

That commandment has no bearing to the modern gentile Christian.