Catholicism and Transhumanism - Page 2

LaughingLonghair · 08-05-2009, 11:48 PM

The Roman Catholic Church (2100) and Transhumanism

This is an exercise in what the Catholic Church’s views would be regarding the various Transhuman beings, including bioroids, Infomorphs and cybershells, and Ghosts. The primary purpose is to determine what the relevant views are in Latin American counties regarding non-humans in 2100 including Paraguay, Brazil, Argentina, and Bolivia as I’m preparing a THS campaign originating Paraguay. I am no expert on Catholicism and would appreciate comments and/or suggestions, particularly on alternate belief structures.

A Brief Timeline as background.

2022 Pope declares the augmentation of human genome is against the will of God for any reason, except the elimination of human genetic disease.

2035 First Low Sapient AI is created.

2040 Pope declares no machine, however convincing in appearance, can ever be consider a child of god where the holy spirit resides. All such things are without souls and should not be treated with any more significance that an animal.

2049 to 2053 The Third Vatican Council - Recognizes the unique role of women in ministering to the faithful. Women are allowed into the priesthood, however married women and/or women with children are barred from service.

2054 LSAI enter industrial production

2058 First bioroids enter industrial production

2071 First bioroid seeks entry into Roman Catholic divinity school to become a priest - his application is rejected.

2083 EU approves amendment to constitution to recognize bioroids, SAIs and ghosts as citizens with full rights.

2084 Cardinal Pedro Gaveria (age 92) is uplifted as a ghost shortly before he would have died from terminal pancreatic and stomach cancer. He begins a legal appeal (in Brazil) and liturgical appeal (in Holy Sea) to be recognized as a person and reverse his death certificate (brazil). Within a year Cardinal Gaveria publishes "The Theology of the Mortal Soul", causing great debate in the Roman Catholic Church and elsewhere, leading to Vatican IV

2085 to 2092 The Fourth Vatican Council - Bioroids, Sapient Infomorphs and Ghosts are recognized as having the divinely created gifts of intelligence and wisdom. All should be allowed the chance at redemption and reverence, regardless of if they have souls or not. Cardinal Gaveria is given a special status by the Pope.

2092 Ultra-orthodox elements of the Roman Catholic Church break away rejecting Vatican IV, the largest group organizes as the Latin Orthodox Catholic Church based out of Brazil.

2093 Brazil's highest court throws out the death certificates of, and acknowledges as citizens, 314 Brazilian Ghosts including Cardinal Pedro Gaveria. However that same year Paraguay's high court recognizes bioroids, infomorphs and ghosts only as dependent persons, not eligible for citizenship.

The Fourth Vatican Council

Three competing views regarding the status of alternate beings were argued at Vatican IV. The arguments were heated and while a compromise was eventually reached, some parts of the wider church still rejected the conclusions and the ultra conservation broke away in a schism.

Traditional Doctrine
The first belief was articulated by the Defender of the Church Cardinal Eli Brokawski from prior Papal declarations. The doctrine states that no creation of mankind could ever be endowed by the Holy Spirit or have a soul, as this was the sole province of the Almighty God. So even though bioroids and Infomorphs clearly had a high level of intelligence, they were at best merely things not unlike animals but worse being without the Holy Spirit could at any time be under the influence the adversary Satan. Indeed there were a limited few who took the belief that all sapient machines were possessed by demonic forces and they believed the end of the world was near as Satan was quickly gaining control of everything mankind did.

Life Doctrine
The alternative belief (not ever accepted before Vatican IV) was that only biological living things could contain a soul, but all biological life did contain the spark of creation given by the Holy Spirit. This Doctrine held that since God creates all life, then anything that is also sapient must be blessed by God with a soul. Under this belief parahumans and bioroids had souls, while Infomorphs and cybershells did not as they were not “alive”. Ghosts were believed to be soulless copies of humans and anyone who underwent the process of brain peeling had dead.

Divine Beings Doctrine
The latest belief detailed by Cardinal Pedro Gaveria in ”The Theology of the Mortal Soul”, completed and published after his upload as a ghost, was that mankind had finally mastered the ability to handle the “clay of creation”, mankind could create a mortal vessel much as god had done in creating Adam and Eve, however God still has to breathe life into such creations by giving them souls. Cardinal Gaveria reasoned that since all sapient beings were endowed with the divine gifts (albeit stolen from the Garden of Eden) of intelligence and wisdom, god’s hand could be seen in each being. Cardinal Gaveria showed hundreds of examples of other sapient beings sharing human’s moral compass, dealing with complex emotions, and have spiritual experiences. Cardinal Gaveria believes that all sapient beings; bioroids, infomorphs and ghosts, have souls.

Conclusions
The wider Catholic communion did acknowledge Cardinal’s Gaveria’s observation of divine gifts and that it was likely that God’s hand was at work. However there were too many Cardinals and Bishops who did not believe his assertion that a machine could have soul. An alternate theory was purposed that bioroids and SAI, while not having unique human souls, could still be servants of god similar to angelic beings. The council decided that it should accept the ministry of these beings, setting aside the question of their divine nature. All fully sapient beings were accepted into the church including baptism and communion, however only naturally born humans (including parahumans) could enter the priesthood. Human’s who became ghosts were also barred from the priesthood. Cardinal Gaveria was given a special exemption by the Pope to continue to serve in an advisory capacity. The Pope and Cardinal’s confirmed that no Pontiff would ever undergo the brain peel process to become a ghost.

08-05-2009, 11:48 PM	#1
LaughingLonghair Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Southern California	Catholicism and Transhumanism The Roman Catholic Church (2100) and Transhumanism This is an exercise in what the Catholic Church’s views would be regarding the various Transhuman beings, including bioroids, Infomorphs and cybershells, and Ghosts. The primary purpose is to determine what the relevant views are in Latin American counties regarding non-humans in 2100 including Paraguay, Brazil, Argentina, and Bolivia as I’m preparing a THS campaign originating Paraguay. I am no expert on Catholicism and would appreciate comments and/or suggestions, particularly on alternate belief structures. A Brief Timeline as background. 2022 Pope declares the augmentation of human genome is against the will of God for any reason, except the elimination of human genetic disease. 2035 First Low Sapient AI is created. 2040 Pope declares no machine, however convincing in appearance, can ever be consider a child of god where the holy spirit resides. All such things are without souls and should not be treated with any more significance that an animal. 2049 to 2053 The Third Vatican Council - Recognizes the unique role of women in ministering to the faithful. Women are allowed into the priesthood, however married women and/or women with children are barred from service. 2054 LSAI enter industrial production 2058 First bioroids enter industrial production 2071 First bioroid seeks entry into Roman Catholic divinity school to become a priest - his application is rejected. 2083 EU approves amendment to constitution to recognize bioroids, SAIs and ghosts as citizens with full rights. 2084 Cardinal Pedro Gaveria (age 92) is uplifted as a ghost shortly before he would have died from terminal pancreatic and stomach cancer. He begins a legal appeal (in Brazil) and liturgical appeal (in Holy Sea) to be recognized as a person and reverse his death certificate (brazil). Within a year Cardinal Gaveria publishes "The Theology of the Mortal Soul", causing great debate in the Roman Catholic Church and elsewhere, leading to Vatican IV 2085 to 2092 The Fourth Vatican Council - Bioroids, Sapient Infomorphs and Ghosts are recognized as having the divinely created gifts of intelligence and wisdom. All should be allowed the chance at redemption and reverence, regardless of if they have souls or not. Cardinal Gaveria is given a special status by the Pope. 2092 Ultra-orthodox elements of the Roman Catholic Church break away rejecting Vatican IV, the largest group organizes as the Latin Orthodox Catholic Church based out of Brazil. 2093 Brazil's highest court throws out the death certificates of, and acknowledges as citizens, 314 Brazilian Ghosts including Cardinal Pedro Gaveria. However that same year Paraguay's high court recognizes bioroids, infomorphs and ghosts only as dependent persons, not eligible for citizenship. *The Fourth Vatican Council* Three competing views regarding the status of alternate beings were argued at Vatican IV. The arguments were heated and while a compromise was eventually reached, some parts of the wider church still rejected the conclusions and the ultra conservation broke away in a schism. Traditional Doctrine The first belief was articulated by the Defender of the Church Cardinal Eli Brokawski from prior Papal declarations. The doctrine states that no creation of mankind could ever be endowed by the Holy Spirit or have a soul, as this was the sole province of the Almighty God. So even though bioroids and Infomorphs clearly had a high level of intelligence, they were at best merely things not unlike animals but worse being without the Holy Spirit could at any time be under the influence the adversary Satan. Indeed there were a limited few who took the belief that all sapient machines were possessed by demonic forces and they believed the end of the world was near as Satan was quickly gaining control of everything mankind did. Life Doctrine The alternative belief (not ever accepted before Vatican IV) was that only biological living things could contain a soul, but all biological life did contain the spark of creation given by the Holy Spirit. This Doctrine held that since God creates all life, then anything that is also sapient must be blessed by God with a soul. Under this belief parahumans and bioroids had souls, while Infomorphs and cybershells did not as they were not “alive”. Ghosts were believed to be soulless copies of humans and anyone who underwent the process of brain peeling had dead. Divine Beings Doctrine The latest belief detailed by Cardinal Pedro Gaveria in ”The Theology of the Mortal Soul”, completed and published after his upload as a ghost, was that mankind had finally mastered the ability to handle the “clay of creation”, mankind could create a mortal vessel much as god had done in creating Adam and Eve, however God still has to breathe life into such creations by giving them souls. Cardinal Gaveria reasoned that since all sapient beings were endowed with the divine gifts (albeit stolen from the Garden of Eden) of intelligence and wisdom, god’s hand could be seen in each being. Cardinal Gaveria showed hundreds of examples of other sapient beings sharing human’s moral compass, dealing with complex emotions, and have spiritual experiences. Cardinal Gaveria believes that all sapient beings; bioroids, infomorphs and ghosts, have souls. *Conclusions* The wider Catholic communion did acknowledge Cardinal’s Gaveria’s observation of divine gifts and that it was likely that God’s hand was at work. However there were too many Cardinals and Bishops who did not believe his assertion that a machine could have soul. An alternate theory was purposed that bioroids and SAI, while not having unique human souls, could still be servants of god similar to angelic beings. The council decided that it should accept the ministry of these beings, setting aside the question of their divine nature. All fully sapient beings were accepted into the church including baptism and communion, however only naturally born humans (including parahumans) could enter the priesthood. Human’s who became ghosts were also barred from the priesthood. Cardinal Gaveria was given a special exemption by the Pope to continue to serve in an advisory capacity. The Pope and Cardinal’s confirmed that no Pontiff would ever undergo the brain peel process to become a ghost.