Transhumanism, the movement which aims to use science fiction-esque methods such as brain uploading, cyborgism, and cryogenics to achieve immortality and/or a higher state of evolution, is strongly associated with atheism. Not only is there a strong emphasis on science, which is often considered to be at odds with religion to a certain extent, but this particular brand of science seems particularly opposed to the notion that God should have control over life and death. But according to transhumanist Micah Redding, there's a growing contingent of Christians in the transhumanist movement who are seeking a slightly different type of eternal life than the one touted in the Bible.
In a recent article for
Motherboard, Redding, who is the executive director of the
Christian Transhumanist Organization, claims that religion and transhumanism are much more compatible than most people believe, and that the Christian transhumanism movement is growing rapidly. He cited pastor Christopher Benek, who recently claimed that
AI can potentially be saved by Jesus Christ:
"I don't see Christ's redemption limited to human beings," said Benek. "It's redemption to all of creation, even AI. If AI is autonomous, then we... should encourage it to participate in Christ's redemptive purposes in the world."
Redding claims that transhumanism and religion, particularly the Christian religion, are compatible with transhumanism because they both aim for transcendence (albeit different types) and center around values of compassion and self-sacrifice:
