Thursday, December 20, 2018

The Christmas Gospel


Over the last few years I’ve written several blogs posts about the gospel. One might wonder how or why a writer would feel the need to address the subject again and again. And, well, again. It’s Christmas and I want to write about the gospel. This is my twelfth gospel post, and Christmas is the right time for it. I’ve had enough of shopping. Wrapping. Baking. Happy musical programs. Fun nativity hayrides. Enough Ho-ho-ho. Enough jingling of the bells hanging on my office doorknob. Enough eating a peppermint nougat with a Christmas tree in the center every time I walk by the candy dish. Enough already.


The one thing I will never get enough of is the gift. Not the one under the tree. By this time next year, I will have likely forgotten what I got for Christmas this year. The gift I won’t forget is the one God sent down from Heaven. If it weren’t for the arrival of the perfect Son of God, there would be no gospel. The event wasn’t so unusual. The birth of Jesus was like that of every other baby, except He wasn’t born on a clean bed in a warm room, but in a manger—a cave where animals were kept. It was His conception that was out of the ordinary, not his birth. The birth was messy. The little Lord Jesus probably did cry—he was a human baby as much as he was the God of the Universe. What a sweet mystery. An ordinary coming of an extraordinary baby into the world. It was indeed a night for the miraculous.

A visitation occurred that night in the fields nearby. Some shepherds met up with the Heavenly Hosts. Perhaps the shepherds guarded the sheep that were to be sacrificed in the temple. Of course, those men were not supposed to leave the sheep, but when angels sing of God’s glory and tell you to go look at a baby who, by the way, is the Messiah, well, you do it. In awe and wonder, they turned from the old sacrifice and set out to meet the new, the final sacrificial Lamb. Did they realize God was changing the course of history? Ending the curse of sin and death? Inviting the sons and daughters of the lost world to come home to the Father?

Without the birth, there would be no death. No resurrection. No redemption for me and my fellow broken human beings. No sacrifice great enough to cover us. Whatever gift I find wrapped under the tree, it can’t bring the joy, the awe, or the everlasting promise of the Gift that came to hang on a cross.

So, this holiday season I will sing of the promise. I will meditate on the Gift. And I will write, again, about the gospel. It’s all I want for Christmas. And while I remember the newborn babe, I will envision the soon-coming King of Kings. 


For to us a child is born,
    to us a son is given,
    
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
    
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
    
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the greatness of his government and peace
    there will be no end.
He will reign on David’s throne
    
and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
    with justice and righteousness

    
from that time on and forever.
The zeal of the Lord Almighty
    
will accomplish this.
Isaiah 9:6,7



If you want to read my other gospel blog posts, here’s the list. Just click on the titles. Read one every once in a while to remind you of the Gift.




Thursday, December 6, 2018

This is the Christmas

The timeless gift of a baby.


All very tiny humans are, as far as I’m concerned, adorable. The description fits some a bit more than others. Occasionally a baby comes along who is, well, not exactly the customary version of cute. But pick him up and squeeze him, and it doesn’t matter. Wrapping your arms around a wiggling, cooing baby makes the day much better, and it doesn’t matter if he, or she, looks like Winston Churchill. But the little beings emit strange noises and odors, and sometimes they cover their helplessly awestruck fans in stuff no one could describe as adorable. They’re like a little piece of Heaven. Then they remind us we live in a world where things get messy.

The baby boy who came by divine design must have had the same effect on his earthly family. Even though he didn’t get the sterile birthing environment we demand when we welcome a baby, his mother must have adored him. Joseph must have been mesmerized by the sight of him. Maybe his grandparents coddled him. He was not just a piece of Heaven. Whether they knew it or not, this baby was their ticket to Heaven.

He was the savior of the world and yet he came as one completely helpless. And undeniably wonderful. But some were willing to destroy a generation of sweet little boys to keep one baby from fulfilling prophecy. As if anyone could put an end to God’s plan.

The prophet Isaiah tells us about the baby:

Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel (God with us). Isaiah 7:14

Three decades later, the baby was not someone to coddle. Most were long over their fascination with the little man. He was just a carpenter from Nazareth. But a few recognized Jesus for who he really was. And then the sweet story we celebrate of the baby born in a manger became the bitter, bloody event Isaiah wrote about seven hundred years before it happened. The Son perfectly submitted to his Father’s perfect plan. The plan was not one any earthly father would consider for his newborn son’s future. But God, considering our future, did the unthinkable.

God’s message through Isaiah doesn’t tell as much of the baby it does of the wounded, dying man. Nobody found him adorable then. They all turned away.
                                                                                  
He was despised and rejected by men;
    a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief;
and as one from whom men hide their faces
    he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
Surely he has borne our griefs
    and carried our sorrows;
yet we esteemed him stricken,
    smitten by God, and afflicted.
But he was pierced for our transgressions;
    he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
    and with his wounds we are healed.
All we like sheep have gone astray;
    we have turned—every one—to his own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
    the iniquity of us all.
Isaiah 53:1-6

Not exactly a Christmas card greeting. But without it the story of the little baby born in Bethlehem means nothing. Isaiah tells of the event in past tense, though he wrote it long before it happened. With God there is no past or future. There is only the happening. This is the day, the minute, the millisecond. It’s history. It’s right now. It’s our future. It changes everything.

This Christmas is the one God remembered when He left Mary’s baby boy hanging on a cross. He saw you hanging your stockings and arranging the little glass wise men and shepherds around the newborn baby who was, who is, God’s gift to the world. This Christmas you might sign your name to a card with the Nativity on the front. Picture that blessed moment with the cross on a hill in the background. Because when the baby was born, that’s what his Father saw.

Thursday, November 22, 2018

The Beginning of Thankfulness


I met a fellow believer the other day. He’d been down a hard road, much different than mine. I listened as he excitedly reviewed what God had done for him. The list grew, and I began to feel the need to tell him something. But I hesitated. It’s not that I don’t trust God’s calling—I just don’t always trust myself to pick the right words. You’d think words would come easily for a writer, but they don’t.

So I just kept listening as the stories of tangible blessings from the hand of God went on. The man’s gratitude showed. But the more he talked of jobs and money and health issues, the more I wanted to tell him what God did for me. Not that I could compete. Divine release from substance abuse was outside my experience. No miraculous healing. God answers my prayers, and sometimes His work is so obvious I know the answer could only have come from Him. But this guy had me beat.

The conversation turned to other matters. Life and family history. Books. Writing. Well drilling. (My husband’s line of work.) Whatever God had wanted me to tell the man slipped away into one of those missed opportunities. I have too many of those.

But then it came back around. He had one more story to share. Another miracle—a money matter. And when he was done, I spoke what was on my heart.

“I’ll tell you the greatest thing God ever did for me,” I said. “I was a hell-bound sinner, but now I’m going to Heaven. And Jesus made that happen.”

He seemed to hesitate, as if he’d remembered something. “That’s it,” he said. And he nodded.

Our conversation wrapped up and I went on my way. Did I say the right thing? Did it matter? Whatever God wanted to get through to the man, I think He did, in spite of my fumbling tongue.

As I pondered what to write for this Thanksgiving blog, I remembered the man’s gratitude. We should all be ready to share our story of what God has done for us. But nothing compares to what He did long before we started counting our blessings. And that is what I choose to keep at the top of my list.

So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. Colossians 2:6-7


Thursday, November 8, 2018

Post-Election Expectations


The votes have been counted, and now the most obnoxious commercials on TV once again involve blue bears and their weird relationship with toilet paper. During the pre-election media blast, the politicians began to sound like cartoon characters. Blue bears. Red bears. Working to wipe away skepticism, accused of great nastiness by the opposing bears, they left voters speculating if any of them were worthy of the vote. Nevertheless, the good citizens voted, and the cartoon bears, red and blue, have been chosen. 

Of course, they’re real men and women who've been given the daunting responsibility of leadership. The voters, whether pleased or disappointed, whether clinging to tradition or demanding change, must step back and observe the results of their choices. The new leaders of America might usher in revolution, but probably not. They might enforce tried principles, but they’ll make allowances. They might uphold the Constitution, or inch toward dissolving it. No matter theme of the show, conflict will carry the plot.

But ideological opposition has always been the meat of robust discussion. It summons indignation, demands protest, and then rests on a point well proven. At least, that’s way it should be. It’s not a matter of clinging to the old institution of respect that ought to keep the displeased citizen and the politician in check, but rather the historical decree of the Constitution. The value of an opinion is not so much its content as its right to be formed and stated. Warring over words has long been acceptable. Taking away someone’s freedom, their livelihood, or their life is not. The demanding wave of hostility flooding this nation must be curbed.

The representatives elected by the people have the power to ease the tension or encourage it. They may continue to come off as cartoon bears, waving their cottony-fresh demands like only they can. Or they may strike sensible solutions to the biggest problems this nation has faced in generations: immigration, healthcare, education, corruption, and so much more. But they may not be able to solve the bigger problem—the splintering of Americans into seething factions. Civil disagreement has been replaced by deafening hatred. The enraged, rioting citizens demanding change should beware of a society ruled by the thought police, the language patrol, and the non-elected regime. The cry for unified public opinion will not lead to unity but may end with the stripping away of the rights once held dear by all Americans.

Election day brought a few surprises, but for some voters it passed anti-climactic. For others, it offered relief. For all, it affirmed an altered political forum—one which can be readdressed the next time the votes are cast. Until then, may those who govern conduct themselves with respect, honor, and tolerance for the opposition. And may the good citizens of this great nation follow their prudent example.

Friday, October 26, 2018

The Robots are Coming


I got the idea to write about a game show host who becomes a superhero after learning about transhumanism. A story about the world’s first transhuman would make a fun read, I thought. So, I forged ahead with my megalomaniac celebrity and turned him into a loveable, humbled, truth-seeking robot. Sort of. He’s entirely human, only better.

After finishing and contracting book one, Wake the Dead, I discovered many of the “betterments” gifted to my hero, Chase Sterling, were actually in the works, planned for our future. Chase evolves into more than his creators had planned. And he rebels against them. In book two, Killswitch, he goes underground. In book three, Transfusion, he resurfaces for battle. So, how do you stop a rogue transhuman? You make more transhumans. In the final pages of my trilogy, an army comes against Chase. An army I invented in the weird layers of my imagination. And now, a year after that book’s release, I find this:


Here’s an excerpt:
If you think mutant soldiers with unstoppable physical and mental powers sound like nothing more than science fiction, you may be in for a shock.
A chilling Government report today warns that the breeding of genetically-modified troops could be a reality within a generation.
The creation of bionic soldiers would allow countries to increase their military capability and improve performance of fighting forces.
Within 30 years, mutant soldiers could be able to lift huge weights and run at high speeds over extreme distances, the report by the Ministry of Defence’s think-tank says. They could also have infra-red night vision and be capable of transmitting their thoughts through electronically-aided telepathy.
The article suggests the army is coming in thirty years. I had them marching a decade earlier. Other than the timing, they're pretty much how I wrote them. To read the rest of this slightly terrifying commentary, just click on the article's title. I consider it only slightly terrifying because there is a hero who will save the day. When a writer spends a thousand pages with a character, that character becomes real. Sort of. While I do enjoy the company of those I meet in Fiction Land, I am fully aware that Chase Sterling will not rise up to defeat a transhuman army. But there is another hero in my story. I didn’t forget Him when I wrote about the transhumans. Even Chase comes to the realization that the battle is the Lord’s.
We might be headed into a world we don’t understand, and it might prove to be more than slightly terrifying. But we can trust in Christ, the real hero of the story of the world.


For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.  Romans 8:38,39

Friday, October 12, 2018

Jesus is My Chainsaw


I once heard a gentleman tell a study group about how he chops down trees with an axe. A tiresome chore, he said, and when it becomes clear the work is too hard, he gives up. He throws down his axe and quits. He is defeated. The tree still stands. But then he gets out the chainsaw. And a tree is no match for a chainsaw. He made his point with this statement: Jesus is the chainsaw.

Another man showed fast appreciation and cheerfully proclaimed, “Jesus is my chainsaw.”

We all laughed and agreed to allow Jesus the classification of a power tool, and it brought to mind this verse:

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Mathew 11:28-30

So what does that have to do with a chainsaw? The disciples to whom Jesus offered rest were bound by the law, weary of struggling to keep its demands. Burdened by the toil of insufficient sacrifices. Jesus—the fulfillment of the law—wanted them to know their lives about to be radically rectified. The sin they couldn’t escape was about to let them go. Their destiny of death was about to take a strike ending its grip forever. The tree they couldn’t topple was about to come down.

We can wear ourselves out trying to take care of our own sin problem. We can strive to make ourselves acceptable to God. But it can’t be done. When we lay down our axe, when we see our tree hasn’t fallen, that’s when Jesus comes with great power. Like a chainsaw. A sinner swinging an axe is weary and burdened. A sinner with a chainsaw can rest.

Okay, we’re not really talking about chopping down a tree here. And some may say there’s nothing gentle and humble about a chainsaw. Analogies only go so far. But here’s what I know: I was weary and burdened and Jesus gave me rest. The yoke of my sin was too great. The yoke of redemption is easy. Sin is grueling and stern. Jesus is graceful and tender. But He’s also infinitely powerful.

I imagine dropping my axe to the cold hard ground and watching Jesus approach my tree with a chainsaw in his strong hands. And cutting it clean to a stump in no time flat. And framing it into a cross. It must have been my tree He hung upon. Thank you, Chainsaw Jesus. Thank you.

Friday, September 14, 2018

Book Sale You Won't Want to Miss!


For the next few days, my publisher is offering some great books for Kindle and other e-readers at a discounted price of 99¢, plus you can enter to win prizes! Don’t miss this opportunity to discover interesting stories, follow wonderful authors, and win fantastic prizes!  Click here and check it out:

Christian eBook Bonanza & Giveaway





Here are the books I’ve purchased (so far) during this great sale:


The Tremblers   BlackburnChronicles, Book 1 
by Raquel Byrnes

 
Cover for The TremblersCharlotte Blackburn—Beautiful, intelligent, a gifted tinkerer—lives in a cloistered world of wealth and privilege beneath the Electric Tesla Dome that shields survivors of The Great Calamity. But when her father is abducted, and a strange sickness starts transforming men into vicious monsters, she discovers that technology is no protection at all.

Ashton Wells has a dire mission: Secure Colonel Blackburn and deliver his research to The Order of the Sword and Scroll. But the plan goes awry, and he is left with nothing but the colonel's daughter who has a target on her back and is willing stop at nothing to rescue her father—including handing over to the enemy the only means to stop the monstrous plague.

Branded as traitors, Ashton and Charlotte brave the treacherous floating sky ports of Outer City to hunt down the elusive inventor who is the only person able to activate the strange device that harbors the secret to their salvation. 

With the government closing in, a rebellion brewing in the streets, and terrifying Tremblers attacking the innocent, the two must work together to stop their fragile world from crumbling once more into destruction.


Cover for Society of the L.A.M.BSociety of the L.A.M.B.
by Judy DuCharme

In a raucous colony of those who celebrate dark desires, Josiah and other LAMBers who believe King Glory lives are hunted and imprisoned…or worse. 

But hope and truth endure in the midst of total danger. After fleeing the colony, Josiah finds light and hope at his grandfather's house, where a secret gathering of LAMBers have escaped the watchers. After learning of the power of the shout within himself, Josiah is chosen to carry the truth to others. But how can he return to the colony without being captured and put to death?

The shout cannot be denied. Josiah knows his mission.


                                    
                            Rust
                                       by Corbin Bernsen
Cover for RustThis absorbing fiction adaptation of Corbin Bernsen's film Rust, which featured him in the starring role and director, is currently available for purchase and streaming online at Netflix and other online sites. 

In the midst of a crisis of faith, a man finds hope where he least expects it—his hometown. James Moore is a former pastor who returns home to discover his childhood friend is implicated in the arson of a farmhouse and the murder of an entire family. Convinced of his friend's innocence, James sets out to find the truth. In the process he reclaims a relationship with his father, restores hope to a floundering congregation, and rediscovers his own lost faith. Rust is an uplifting tale about faith, family and the powerful ties that bind a community.




So, for me it’s steampunk, dystopia, and restoration. (Yes, I have eclectic tastes.)  What’s your choice? Maybe you’d like a near-future story about the world’s first transhuman! Here's book one in my trilogy for only 99¢:


Cover for Wake the DeadWhat if the first man reborn of an evolutionary leap doesn't like his new life? Is escape even possible? The time is right for introducing the world to the marvels of techno-medical advancements. An influential man, one loved and adored, is needed for the job, and who better than celebrity Chase Sterling? 

After suffering injuries no one could survive Chase is rebuilt like no one has ever seen before. In the not-too-distant future a man—if he can still be called a man—breaks away from the forces taking over his life and finds new purpose in the secret world of hiding believers.


Friday, August 31, 2018

Top Ten Things Christians Should Know About Transhumanism


I wrote this article a few years back and it ran on various websites for a while. Some people have asked about it recently, so I decided to post it on my blog. Yes, it's a bit long for a blog post, but soon you'll be able to download it into your brain without having to actually read it. That should save you some time.

1) It’s a science.
Maybe you were absent the day your high school science teacher addressed transhumanism. More likely, your teacher never heard of it. Where does it fit? Biology? Physics? Yes. As well as computer science—it takes a computer to make a transhuman. And social sciences—it will, if permitted, change the core of culture and society. Scientific study includes:

Cryonics: Preserving the body, or simply the brain, after death with the hope of reawakening in the future.

Gene therapy: Manipulating genetic code for the purpose of improved health and function, longevity, eliminating birth defects, and creating designer babies.

Cybernetics: Technology enhances life in positive ways. No one can deny improved function for a disabled person is a wonderful achievement of modern medicine. A deaf child hearing for the first time brings tears of gratitude to all who witness the amazement on the little one’s face. But how far will a healthy human go in obtaining super hearing, vision, strength, speed, and knowledge? The transhumanist will answer that question.

Artificial Intelligence: Non-biological intelligence may seem impossible. The computer, after all, only puts more information in one place than a person could possibly remember. A computer in a man’s brain would give him unparalleled recall. But consider this: if a man is enhanced to take on the characteristics of a computer, might the computer take on the characteristics of a man and begin to reason?

2) It’s a social movement.
Social science records and interprets societal movements in the past and the present. Transhumanism, or H+ (humanity plus), is a movement in society past, present, and future. It will affect the interrelational categories of social science: anthropology, economics, politics, psychology, and sociology.

Anthropology: The human being as the subject of varied studies—biology, humanities, and history—will no doubt take on new meaning with the transcendence of the human.

Economics: Cost-effective transhumanism will surely struggle to find validity. Perhaps only the super-wealthy will experience the bounty of the movement. Or maybe the government will choose those worthy, and leave the rest of the human race unenhanced. Imagine the monetary implications of transhuman corporations.

Politics: Already, bioethics is a force governing the present and preparing to govern future technological and medical advancements, and how those advancements can and cannot be used in reaching goals nonexistent twenty years ago. Government funding now pays to research a transhuman future.

The National Institutes of Health has allocated $46 million “to support the goals of the Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN) Initiative.” 1

Professor Thomas Sugar and Jason Kerestes, designer robotic engineers with the iProject: 4MM (4 minute mile) from Arizona State University (ASU) has been granted monies from Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to create a “jetpack to increase a soldier’s speed and boost a PT record to that of a four minute a mile.” 2  

Psychology: A massive shift in the perception of humanness will come as cognitive ability increases, motivation and capability for extending life becomes reality, and relationships once required for the continuance of the race are deemed unnecessary. The resulting emotional struggle and moral reckoning will likely be met not with therapy for the mind, but with a tweak to the brain.

Sociology: Social class, law, religion, sexuality will take on new roles, or no role at all.
Government and family structure will be challenged. Belief systems will adjust, or else become channels of open rebellion against the transhuman emergence.

3) Its aim is the Singularity.
If you’re unfamiliar with transhumanism, you’ve probably never heard of the singularity. This is the point in time when the human race can no longer understand or predict the outcome of its own technological advancements. As science fiction would say, the machines take over. In the words of transhumanist frontrunner and author, Ray Kurzweil:

"Within a few decades, machine intelligence will surpass human intelligence, leading to The Singularity -- technological change so rapid and profound it represents a rupture in the fabric of human history. The implications include the merger of biological and non-biological intelligence, immortal software-based humans, and ultra-high levels of intelligence that expand outward in the universe at the speed of light." 3

4) It has prophetic significance.
This is not too hard to fathom. Some interpret transhumanism will bring posthumans into a position of waging actual war against God. Not in the spiritual sense, but the physical. From end-times-bible-prophecy.com:

… it seems reasonable to assume that humanity will have to undergo some sort of radical transformation in order to plot a war against God Almighty. The arrogant impulse already exists. All that remains is the need for an exponential increase in human power which deludes humanity into believing it can overcome the Lord of lords. And make no mistake about it, the Bible is clear that this is where humanity is ultimately headed - physical conflict with God: "Then I saw the beast gathering the kings of the earth and their armies in order to fight against the one sitting on the horse and his army." Revelation 19:19 (NLT)

Do not confuse the "war" with a spiritual struggle. According to Strong's Concordance, the key word here is translated "polemos," and means:"warfare (lit. or fig.; a single encounter or a series) - battle, fight, war." The word "polemos" appears at least 16 times in the New Testament, and in each case, it refers to physical conflict, not a spiritual one… 4

5) It has historical significance.
Again, it’s easy to see that transhumanism is yet another attempt at building a tower to the heavens in order to become like God. As addressed by author Britt Gillette:

"Let's build a great city with a tower that reaches to the skies, a monument to our greatness!" (Genesis 11:4, NLT).
The human race set out to build a monument to its own greatness, exalting mankind above God and extending its tower far into Heaven with the sole intent of usurping God's glory and authority. This innate human desire did not end with the Tower of Babel. It continues to this day, and soon it will result in one final attempt to usurp the authority of God. 5

6) It assumes both creation and evolution are failures.
The argument that God’s creative power is not good enough is an obvious one. Yet, from a transhuman mindset, it doesn’t exist at all. The transhumanist will deny creation and embrace evolution, but then insist that even the natural process of improving the species isn’t good enough. For all its altering of the fabric of society, the theory of evolution is just as much a lost cause as creation. The transhumanist can do it better. Evolution needs a techno-boost. Humanity will become more than Darwin ever imagined.

7) Intermingling of faith and transhumanism is on the rise.
If considering a future of human life enhanced by technology isn’t quite relevant in your thinking, consider that a growing number of pseudo-Christian organizations believe transhumanism is the actualization of God’s plan for the salvation of mankind.

What it means to be human will change soon and you will probably experience it. So read carefully. In the coming years computer-human interfaces will become so intimate that users may be considered superhumanly intelligent transcendent humans, or "transhumans". We will have a choice in how to use vast new power. Use it for material gain? Or, aim this power at spiritual growth. In this new era of understanding, most will see the dead end of material gain, and see a better outcome in a life dedicated to spiritual growth. For individuals taking the spiritual path, the lower hierarchy of material needs will fall away and so naturally the transhuman will become a benevolent and self-actualized spiritual being.  Ultimately, life as represented by mankind will shift from consuming material for sustenance to a flow of information. This means that we shift to a wholly spiritual life where truth is the way. As material needs diminish, transhumans will increasingly be sustained by a powerful flow of Word that can be called the Glory of God. In giving up competition and control strategies and turning to God, we grow to be all that we can be; Christ-like.

Essential to Christian Transhumanism is the notion that love is a cognitive process and God expects us to participate in our salvation by learning how to love perfectly. In this way we access the Glory of God, becoming Christ-like (Christian). 6

Other sects and religions embrace the transhuman future as a responsible continuation of faith, and quite possibly the only way organized religion will survive. There exists a Mormon Transhumanist Association. Proponents cross religious boundaries, as might be expected in an increasingly secularized society. As with Christians, people of other faiths also oppose the movement. Atheists and agnostics support or reject. From all walks and factions, it appears there is not one group that stands united. But many in the Christian community who truly understand the ramifications of transhumanism consider it to be the great delusion spoken of in the Bible.

8) It is anti-Christian.
Even so, it’s not to say Christians won’t participate, to some degree, in the rise of H+. If you can’t put down your iPhone or if you’re lost without your Bluetooth, then you know dependence on technology is an ever-increasing part of modern life. If your child is the one who can now hear you call his name, you are blessed by God. Technology is not bad. But don’t be misled by the message that our technological transcendence to being God-like is our salvation. The transhumanist goals of ending disease and poverty, of attaining eternal life, of saving the planet from the humans won’t happen. God already set a plan in motion to take care of His creation in the way of His choosing. Any other plan devised in the mind of a created being is doomed. Consider this proclamation in an article by Zoltan Ivstan, author of best-selling novel, The Transhumanist Wager.


One thing is for sure, to the human species, the birth of an advanced artificial intelligence will become far more important than the birth of Christ. Christmas, if it survives at all, will be relegated to just another commercial and cultural holiday that superstores and big business thrive on. Meanwhile, reasonable people will celebrate AI Day, the real moment in history the savior of civilization was born. 7

In response, Gonz Shimura, in his articleThe Trials of Transhumanism: An Assault on Christianity”, writes:


First off, it is clear that Mr. Istvan has a tremendous amount of “faith” in not only our own human management abilities pertaining to these developments, but also that any establishment of such a thing as AI would share in its consciousness, the same moral and ethical framework as humans. Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, as most know, Antichrist doesn’t mean “against Christ”; it means, “instead of Christ.” It is the replacement of Christ. Therefore, what Mr. Istvan is promoting here is quite literally the Antichrist. My particular views are that AI itself will not be the Antichrist figure as described in Bible Prophecy, but play a role in the establishment of the Image of the Beast. 8

9) You may be helped by it.
Again, technological advancements aren’t necessarily evil. They may be inspired and brought to fruition by the grace of God, whether or not the person who brings about the newest innovation recognizes that fact or not. Christian or otherwise, you may be the one whose paralysis is soon overcome. You may benefit from the use of techno-medical breakthroughs to end dementia. Your
grandchild may be the product of reproductive science unheard of when your children were born. Go ahead and love that child, who is no less a creation of God. A human who becomes a transhuman will need the same thing every human needs—the grace of God that leads to salvation through the death and resurrection of Christ. Whether or not your life is improved by whatever God allows, for however long He allows it, there is no other way to eternal life.


10) It is not fiction.
Transhumanism is certainly the subject of fiction. Many novels have been written in recent years from a secular worldview, both pro H+ and con. At least one transhuman work of fiction written from a Christian worldview exists. (Yes, I wrote it.) Some authors believe it will happen. Some simply use H+ to carry their stories. Movies have been bringing us cyborgs and AI stories for years, most without ever referencing transhumanism. There is an H+ TV series (fiction) and an H+ magazine (non-fiction). Some say the thought and goal of transhumanism is ancient, but the word came from Julian Huxley in 1957. He did not intend to describe a fictitious world, but a very real one. Behind each made-up story, and hundreds of non-fiction books and articles, is an ever-progressing scientific and cultural movement intending to redefine the meaning of life. To recreate the human being. To realize God in self. Not a wilder theme exists for a novel. But in the real world, the transhumanist
plans to take us far beyond imagination.
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Sources

1  Susanne Posel ,Chief Editor Occupy Corporatism | The US Independent, October 1, 2014

2  Susanne Posel ,Chief Editor Occupy Corporatism | The US Independent September 13,   2014

3 The Law of Accelerating Returns, Ray Kersweil, March 7, 2001

4  http://www.end-times-bible-prophecy.com/transhumanism.html

5  Transhumanism and the Great Rebellion, Britt Gillette

6  Prepare for HyperEvolution with Christian Transhumanism, James McLean Ledford

7  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/zoltan-istvan/ai-day-will-replace-     christmas_b_4496550.html
8  http://www.facelikethesun.com/trials-transhumanism-assault-christianity/