June 15, 2015

The New Bioethics (vol. 21, no. 1, 2015) is now available online by subscription only. Articles include: The subject of enhancement: Augmented capacities, extended cognition, and delicate ecologies of the mind by Darian Meacham Just a bit of fun': How Read More

May 26, 2015

(The Telegraph) Wealthy humans are likely become cyborgs within 200 years as they gradually merge with technology like computers and smart phones, a historian has claimed. Yuval Noah Harari, a professor at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, said the Read More

May 15, 2015

Dialog(vol. 54, no. 1, 2015) is available online by subscription only. Articles include: The boundaries of human nature by Ted Peters Beyond the boundaries of current human nature: Some theological and ethical reflections on transhumanism by James M. Childs Jr. Read More

May 8, 2015

Theology Today (Vol. 72, no. 1, 2015) is now available online by subscription only. Articles include: Bodies, selves, and human identity: A conversation between Transhumanism and the Apostle Paul by Steven John Kraftchick

March 10, 2015

(ABC.net) Our knowledge of human biology in particular of genetics and neurobiology is beginning to enable us to directly affect the biological or physiological bases of human motivation, either through drugs, or through genetic selection or engineering, Read More

February 6, 2015

World Future Review (Vol. 6, No. 3, September2014) is now available online by subscription only. Articles include: The Boundaries of the Human: From Humanism to Transhumanism byJos Cordeiro What is Future Human Evolution About? byTed Chu Human and Robots Interaction: Read More

January 12, 2015

NanoEthics (Volume 8, Issue 3, December2014) is now available online by subscription only. Articles include: Ethical issues in cyborg technology: diversity and inclusion by Enno Park Human Enhancement? Its all about body modification! Why we should replace the term human Read More

December 25, 2014

Neuroethics(Volume 7, No. 3, December2014) is now available online by subscription only. Articles include: What to Enhance: Behaviour, Emotion or Disposition? by Karim Jebari Defining Moral Enhancement: A Clarificatory Taxonomy by Kasper Raus, et al Moral Enhancement and Self Subversion Read More

November 26, 2014

(Phys.org) What do pacemakers, prosthetic limbs, Iron Man and flu vaccines all have in common? They are examples of an old idea thats been gaining in significance in the last several decades: transhumanism. The word denotes a set of Read More

November 12, 2014

(Vox) Scientists have been making amazing advances inbionic technology in recent years: robotic exoskeletons that help people walk, artificial eyes that help blind people see. Some of these technologies are meant as medical aids to help people regain function. Read More

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Transhumanism | Bioethics.com

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Transhumanism

Transhumanism represents the view that we should take a proactive role in upgrading the human species.

The word "transhumanism" was first coined by biologist Julian Huxley in 1927 when he wrote that "the human species can, if it wishes, transcend itself". He went on to add that "we need a name for this new belief. Perhaps transhumanism will service: man remaining man, but transcending himself by realizing new possibilities".

In 1990 philosopher Max More wrote an essay entitled Transhumanism: Toward a Futurist Philosophy that is regarded by many as the foundation of modern transhumanistic thought. Within, More defines transhumanism as "a class of philosophies of life that seek the continuation and acceleration of the evolution of intelligent life beyond its currently human form and human limitations by means of science and technology".

Today, a 6,000 member non-profit organization known as Humanity+ provides a focal point for transhumanist activity. Formally known as the World Transhumanist Association (WTA), Humanity+ believes that the "human species in its current form does not represent the end of our development but rather a comparatively early phase". It therefore advocates the "ethical use of technology to expand capacities" in pursuit of "better minds, better bodies and better lives".

Humanity+ maintains a detailed Transhumanist Declaration. This was first drawn up by an international group of contributors in 1998, and notes that humanity now stands on the brink of being able to overcome "cognitive shortcomings, involuntary suffering, and our confinement to planet Earth". The Declaration goes on to state that policymakers need to exercise 'inclusive moral vision' in weighing the risks and benefits of new technologies. It also advocates the well-being of all sentient life -- including humans, non-human animals, artificial intellects and modified life forms -- and strongly favours "personal choice" in the adoption of enhancement technologies to advance and improve the human race.

The concept of transhumanism is of course not to everybody's liking. Taking a different viewpoint, many other people believe on ethical, moral, religious or other grounds that the human condition and human evolution are naturally "fixed" and should not be tampered with. Most people of course lie somewhere along the spectrum between these two extremes, and/or have never thought too deeply about the ethical dilemmas that technology developments now place before us.

Debates concerning the development, implications and public adoption of a genetic engineering and synthetic biology in particular are now moving from being of largely academic interest to being key inputs to fundamental government policy and multinational business strategy. An understanding of the transhumanism and its implications for the ethics and practice of human existence is hence becoming a prerequisite for all of us thinking about and planning for tomorrow.

More information on transhumanism can be found in my book 25 Things You Need to Know About the Future. A list of tranhumanism web references can be found here.

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ExplainingTheFuture.com : Transhumanism

From transhuman, to transhumanism: What is the definition, and what is the movement that it inspires? This page will serve as an overview. We are talking about the next stage of human evolution; the immortalization of humanity; a future where human and machine is one in the same.

[social_share/] The popularity of transhumanism as an ideology has arguably been on an exponentialrise since the 1990s, as is most notable in the graph below. The graph displays the frequency of which the word transhumanism has featured in published books. We have displayed this graph to compare it to the use of the simple, more ideologically free word transhuman.

By simple definition, transhuman is defined onWikipedia as an intermediary form between the human and the hypothetical posthuman. We add complexity with the simple Oxford definition of transhuman/transhumanist The belief or theory that the human race can evolve beyond its current physical and mental limitations, especially by means of science and technology. I argue that this is as far as the definition of a transhumanist should go. It is merely a person who agrees humanity should have the freedom to enhance itself through its merger with technology.

Political scientist, Francis Fukuyama,describes transhumanismas the worlds most dangerous idea. Countering this, science writerRonald Bailey asserts that it is amovement that epitomizes the most daring, courageous, imaginative, and idealistic aspirations of humanity.

What the above commenters fail to understand itthat both arguments stand true. In humanities aspiration for transhuman evolution, we will face huge dangers. Failing to understand those dangers because of over optimism is just as dangerous as ignorantly fighting against innovation though pessimistic fear/paranoia.

I argue that the optimistic/pessimistic contrast has a charging effect for the calls for transhumanist defence/attack. This in effect encourages people to define transhumanism beyond its pure definition.

In explaining this, its advocates sometimes say that we are all transhumanists, said Cook. We use glasses; we wear dentures; we take caffeine; we have pacemakers. This is true, but the nub of transhumanism is extending human capacities, not just repairing defects in the way we are now.http://www.catholicworldreport.com/Item/2616/the_surprising_spread_and_cultural_impact_of_transhumanism.aspx

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Transhumanism News - That's Really Possible

For the last several decades, a strange liberation movement has grown within the developed world. Its crusaders aim much higher than civil rights campaigners, feminists, or gay-rights advocates. They want nothing less than to liberate the human race from its biological constraints. As "transhumanists" see it, humans must wrest their biological destiny from evolutions blind process of random variation and adaptation and move to the next stage as a species.

It is tempting to dismiss transhumanists as some sort of odd cult, nothing more than science fiction taken too seriously: Witness their over-the-top Web sites and recent press releases ("Cyborg Thinkers to Address Humanitys Future," proclaims one). The plans of some transhumanists to freeze themselves cryogenically in hopes of being revived in a future age seem only to confirm the movements place on the intellectual fringe.

But is the fundamental tenet of transhumanism that we will someday use biotechnology to make ourselves stronger, smarter, less prone to violence, and longer-lived really so outlandish? Transhumanism of a sort is implicit in much of the research agenda of contemporary biomedicine. The new procedures and technologies emerging from research laboratories and hospitals whether mood-altering drugs, substances to boost muscle mass or selectively erase memory, prenatal genetic screening, or gene therapy can as easily be used to "enhance" the species as to ease or ameliorate illness.

Although the rapid advances in biotechnology often leave us vaguely uncomfortable, the intellectual or moral threat they represent is not always easy to identify. The human race, after all, is a pretty sorry mess, with our stubborn diseases, physical limitations, and short lives. Throw in humanitys jealousies, violence, and constant anxieties, and the transhumanist project begins to look downright reasonable. If it were technologically possible, why wouldnt we want to transcend our current species? The seeming reasonableness of the project, particularly when considered in small increments, is part of its danger. Society is unlikely to fall suddenly under the spell of the transhumanist worldview. But it is very possible that we will nibble at biotechnologys tempting offerings without realizing that they come at a frightful moral cost.

The first victim of transhumanism might be equality. The U.S. Declaration of Independence says that "all men are created equal," and the most serious political fights in the history of the United States have been over who qualifies as fully human. Women and blacks did not make the cut in 1776 when Thomas Jefferson penned the declaration. Slowly and painfully, advanced societies have realized that simply being human entitles a person to political and legal equality. In effect, we have drawn a red line around the human being and said that it is sacrosanct.

Underlying this idea of the equality of rights is the belief that we all possess a human essence that dwarfs manifest differences in skin color, beauty, and even intelligence. This essence, and the view that individuals therefore have inherent value, is at the heart of political liberalism. But modifying that essence is the core of the transhumanist project. If we start transforming ourselves into something superior, what rights will these enhanced creatures claim, and what rights will they possess when compared to those left behind? If some move ahead, can anyone afford not to follow? These questions are troubling enough within rich, developed societies. Add in the implications for citizens of the worlds poorest countries for whom biotechnologys marvels likely will be out of reach and the threat to the idea of equality becomes even more menacing.

Transhumanisms advocates think they understand what constitutes a good human being, and they are happy to leave behind the limited, mortal, natural beings they see around them in favor of something better. But do they really comprehend ultimate human goods? For all our obvious faults, we humans are miraculously complex products of a long evolutionary process products whose whole is much more than the sum of our parts. Our good characteristics are intimately connected to our bad ones: If we werent violent and aggressive, we wouldnt be able to defend ourselves; if we didnt have feelings of exclusivity, we wouldnt be loyal to those close to us; if we never felt jealousy, we would also never feel love. Even our mortality plays a critical function in allowing our species as a whole to survive and adapt (and transhumanists are just about the last group Id like to see live forever). Modifying any one of our key characteristics inevitably entails modifying a complex, interlinked package of traits, and we will never be able to anticipate the ultimate outcome.

Nobody knows what technological possibilities will emerge for human self-modification. But we can already see the stirrings of Promethean desires in how we prescribe drugs to alter the behavior and personalities of our children. The environmental movement has taught us humility and respect for the integrity of nonhuman nature. We need a similar humility concerning our human nature. If we do not develop it soon, we may unwittingly invite the transhumanists to deface humanity with their genetic bulldozers and psychotropic shopping malls.

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Transhumanism | Foreign Policy

Transhumanism is a global intellectual movement supporting the use of science and technology in order to improve human health, well-being and mental capacities. Many in the Transhumanism movement believe that disability, disease, and even aging are all aspects of the human condition that we shall be able to overcome in the future.

Using the very latest technologies, including biotechnology, advocates claim that every ailment and frailty will one day be a thing of the past. Our minds will be improved with the use of Artificial Intelligence and we'll be plugged in 100% of the time.

Join world-leaders in this new paradigm, Prof. Noel Sharky and Prof. Kevin Warwick, as they discuss the implications, technologies and oppositions to this modern day sci-fi world.

Welcome to YOUR future, the future of all mankind

Filmed in association with Edge Media TV.

This product is manufactured on demand using DVD-R recordable media. Amazon.com's standard return policy will apply.

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Amazon.com: Transhumanism: Robots, Cyborgs and Artificial ...

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This group is for people who are interested in the future and maybe want to help shape it. The acceleration of technology means that the near future may bring radical changes to all of us. Major developments in technologies like anti-aging, nanotech,

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We meet almost every second and fourth Sundays every month to discuss AI topics such as: - Symbolic and SubSymbolic Artificial Intelligence, Artificial Life, and Artificial Intuition - Complexity theory, Model theory, Model Free Methods - Semantic

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We meet informally to share information about robotics technologies, projects, resources, and opportunities. Please join us!

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Our mission is to enhance public understanding of science, technology and potential futures by covering research developments and trends in mathematics and the physical and life sciences. This is a group for anyone interested in science, technology

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Are you interested in meeting with like-minded individuals to discuss how technology will shape the future of humanity? FuturismNYC is a group that engages in thought provoking discussions around all future-tech related topics, withconversations oft

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Welcome to the "Free Thinkers Group." This group is aimed at anyone who has a deeper interest in life,themselvesand reality. Its for people who are into alternative topics that wouldnt normally be talked about in mainstream society. The aim is to

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Meet and learn from other futurists in Singapore. We engage with the hot topics: futurism, foresight, humanity+ (H+),transhumanism, longevity/life extension, lifehacking, self-modification, robotics,nanotechnology, biotechnology, artificial intelli

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The NYC Futurist Group is a discussion group for people interested in future events, societal trends, and technology innovations.

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Welcome to our 2013 Fall Season! We'll be looking at the communication and organization aspects of life, as we well continuing to explore these subjects: - Quantum - how we create our own reality, including The Law of Attraction, setting our intentio

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Exchanging ideas with others about: - The Singularity - Transhumanism and Posthumanism - Artificial Intelligence - Nanotechnology - Science Fiction and Speculative Fiction - Science News Also, check out Scott's futurist blog: http://oaklandfuturist.c

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Transhumanism Meetups - Meetup

Wealthy, Healthy and Wise

Okay, let me see if I've got this right. I could stay young forever? Groovy. A complete backup of my brain? Copy that. What's this? An estimate? I knew it sounded too good to be true.

As with previous medical breakthroughs, it is possible that future human enhancements, like brain-machine interfaces and longevity drugs, at least initially, may only be affordable for the wealthy. The well-to-do, well could be, the next big thing.

Some future forecasters point out that many medical products and procedures have been expensive when they were first introduced. Prices can drop through competition, lower production costs and after patents run out.

Medical enhancements, however, may encounter unique barriers to lower prices.

Cosmetic surgeries and implants, for example, have been available for decades. Visit Beverly Hills and you'll see more lifts than a crane operator, but you'd be hard pressed to find a tightened temple in my neck of the woods.

What obstacles, wrinkles if you will, face society in providing available and affordable transhuman technology for everyone?

Wrinkle #1 - In the year 2050, 'transhuman technology for all', would mean advanced medical technology for an estimated 9 billion people.

Wrinkle #2 - Medical insurance policies will probably not cover human enhancements.

Wrinkle #3 - The fewer recipients, the higher the value to the consumer. What fun would Jeopardy be if everyone had an encyclopedia implant?

Wrinkle #4 - You just invented the Immortality pill. What price will you set?

Even with reasonable closing costs, brain implant surgery may not be in the budget for many people living in the transhuman age. No prescription for immortality, for those that cannot afford the pill. In the era of 'half human/machine', the gap between the Halves and the Halve-Nots, will be as large as the profits.

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Transhumanism | Posthumanism | Future For All

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Transhumanism is both misunderstood and feared. Ignorant people with an ideological agenda have gone as far as labeling it the most dangerous idea. I thought that it is time to bring some basic intellectual clarity on the topic and who is better prepared to help us do that but the first female philosopher of transhumanism!?

Dr. Natasha Vita-Morehas already been a guest onSingularity 1 on 1. Her first interview was both interesting and popular and I very much enjoyed talking to her about her life and work. This time our conversation is more focused on issues strictly related to transhumanism and the basics thereof, so I thought Id call this episode Transhumanism 101.

During our conversation Natasha covers a wide variety of topics such as: Mary Shelleys Frankensteinand the effect it had on transhumanism, science fiction and science in general; the negative perception and fear of transhumanism stemming from some more recent publications such as Bill Joys Why The Future Doesnt Need Us and Francis Fukuyamas Post-Human Future; Natashas definition of transhumanism; similarities and differences between transhuman, posthuman and cyborg; critical thinking as one of the basic tenets of transhumanism; important writings such as Max Mores Towards a Futurist Philosophy, Eric Drexlers Engines of Creationand Carl SagansThe Demon-Haunted World; her PhD dissertation on human enhancement and life expansion; some of the reasons that people fear transhumanism and how to turn that around; some of her upcoming projects such as The Transhumanist Reader and H+TVas well as artistic events and conferences that she supports.

One of my favorite quotes that I will take away from this interview with Natasha is her call toGet creative about the future!

As always you can listen to or download the audio file above or scroll down and watch the video interview in full.

To show your support you canwrite a review on iTunesormake a donation.

Who is Natasha Vita-More?

Natasha Vita-More, PhD is the founder and creative director of esDESiGN and the producer and host of H+TV online. Her research concerns the design aesthetics of human enhancement and radical life extension, with a focus on emerging and speculative sciences and technologies. Her conceptual future human design Primo Posthuman has been featured in Wired, Harpers Bazaar, Marie Claire, The New York Times, U.S. News & World Report, Net Business, Teleopolis, and Village Voice. She has appeared in over twenty-four televised documentaries on the future and culture, and has exhibited media artworks at National Centre for Contemporary Arts, Brooks Memorial Museum, Institute of Contemporary Art, Women In Video, Telluride Film Festival, and United States Film Festival and recently Evolution Haute Couture: Art and Science in the Post-Biological Age and is the recipient of several awards: First Place Award at Brooks Memorial Museum, Special Recognition at Women in Video, and special recognition for Futures Podcast Series.

Dr. Vita-More is a proponent of human rights and ethical means for human enhancement, and is published in Artifact, Technoetic Arts, Nanotechnology Perceptions, Sistemi Intelligenti, Metaverse Creativity, DARS, and the Global Spiral. She is co-editor of the forthcoming book The Transhumanist Reader: Classical and Contemporary Essays on the Science, Technology and Philosophy of the Human Future (Wiley-Blackwell 2013).

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Transhumanism 101 with Natasha Vita-More

Transhumanism

Transhumanism is an international cultural and intellectual movement with an eventual goal at fundamentally transforming the human condition by developing and making widely available technologies to greatly enhance human intellectual, physical, and psychological capacities. Transhumanist thinkers study the potential benefits and dangers of emerging technologies that could overcome fundamental human limitations, as well as study the ethical matters involved in developing and using such technologies. They predict that human beings may eventually be able to transform themselves into beings with such greatly expanded abilities as to merit the label "posthuman". The contemporary meaning of the term transhumanism was foreshadowed by one of the first professors of futurology, FM-2030, who taught "new concepts of the Human" at The New School in the 1960s, when he began to identify people who adopt technologies, lifestyles and worldviews transitional to "posthumanity" as "transhuman". This hypothesis would lay the intellectual groundwork for the British philosopher Max More to begin articulating the principles of transhumanism as a futurist philosophy in 1990, and organizing in California an intelligentsia that has since grown into the worldwide transhumanist movement.

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What does transhumanism mean? - Definitions.net

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Like any other cultural movement, there are subsets and sub-genres of thought under the transhumanist tent. There are some admirable motivations behind transhumanism. For some, the intent is to reduce suffering or improve quality of life (Luke 12:33). Taken to an extreme, though, it can become a pursuit of immortality, an escape from moral boundaries, or a form of religion in and of itself. The ultimate redemption of mankind is something that will be accomplished by God alone (Revelation 21:1), not by technology.

Since God gave mankind dominion over the earth, there are spiritually acceptable means of improving the human condition through technology. That doesnt mean that humans are fully capable, or even fully free, to change ourselves in any way we choose. Ultimately, God is sovereign over us; we are not sovereign over ourselves. Once a person takes the view that they can re-create themselves, they place themselves in an unrealistic spiritual position and usurp the prerogatives of God. Our knowledge, power and ability simply cannot compare to that of the Creator (Job 38:2-5).

Modern man has technology unimaginable to generations of a thousand years ago, but were still human, still flawed, and still in need of a Savior (1 John 1:8). Experience has taught us that human beings tend to be just as immoral with technology as without it. Aldous Huxley noted that what science has actually done is to introduce us to improved means in order to obtain hitherto unimproved or rather deteriorated ends. In other words, science doesnt make humanity less sinful, or more moral; it just makes our sin more sophisticated. Human experience demonstrates that the utopian side of transhumanism is just as fictional as its spiritual side.

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Questions about False Doctrine

What is transhumanism?

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What is transhumanism? - GotQuestions.org

This generation is witness to the emergence of a radical new social movement known as transhumanism. Expressing an unshakable faith in the continued and rapid advancement of human technology, transhumanists look to the future with what can only be described as a religious fervor. Many of this movement's adherents point to the singularity (an exponential increase in technological advancement so rapid the unaided human mind is unable to grasp its implications) as the climax of human civilization. Believing this event will usher in a new era for the human race in which limited mortals transcend their biological bodies and set out to conquer the universe, transhumanist anticipation of the singularity is comparable to Christian anticipation of the Second Coming ofJesus Christ.

Ironically, the Bible points out that in the time just prior to the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, the world will be characterized by unparalleled human arrogance. Led by the Antichrist, the human race will launch not only a spiritual rebellion against God, but an actual physical confrontation between itself and the King of Kings, Jesus Christ.

The apostle Paul foresaw this conflict almost two thousand years ago:

"For that day will not come until there is a great rebellion against God and the man of lawlessness is revealed--the one who brings destruction. He will exalt himself and defy every god there is and tear down every object of adoration and worship. He will position himself in the temple of God, claiming that he himself is God" (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4, NLT).

The Tower of Babel

To properly understand theoriginsof this rebellion, we must first examine the development of human civilization in the aftermath of the Flood. It is a time marked by another rebellion first chronicled in Genesis chapter 11, the story of the Tower of Babel:

"At one time the whole world spoke a single language and used the same words. As the people migrated eastward, they found a plain in the land of Babylonia and settled there. They began to talk about construction projects. Come,' they said, let's make great piles of burnt brick and collect natural asphalt to use as mortar. Let's build a great city with a tower that reaches to the skies--a monument to our greatness! This will bring us together and keep us from scattering all over the world.'

"But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower the people were building. Look!' he said. If they can accomplish this when they have just begun to take advantage of their common language and political unity, just think of what they will do later. Nothing will be impossible for them! Come, let's go down and give them different languages. Then they won't be able to understand each other.'

"In that way, the Lord scattered them all over the earth; and that ended the building of the city. That is why the city was called Babel, because it was there that the Lord confused the people by giving them many languages, thus scattering them across the earth" (Genesis 11:1-9, NLT).

In this story, God scatters the human race and confuses the people with different languages. His reason for doing so is to avoid the inevitable disaster wrought by global government and a common language. Why are these things a concern? Because if they continueunabated, in due time, "nothing will be impossible" for the human race. This is more than a flippant comment by God. It's a prophecy of things to come.

It's a prophecy of something so bad, God put a stop to it the moment He first saw it. God knew that, left to pursue its technological development, the human race would one day challenge Him. After all, what was the motive for building the Tower of Babel in the first place?

"Let's build a great city with a tower that reaches to the skiesa 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.

The Great Lie

The motive for this great rebellion will be predicated on lies. The Bible predicts that deception will be rampant in the end times. And just as God hardened the heart of Pharaoh for putting faith in his own power, He will do the same to the inhabitants of the earth who will become drunk with their own power:

"So God will send great deception upon them, and they will believe all these lies" (2 Thessalonians 2:11, NLT).

Paul makes it clear that these people will be deluded into believing "the lies." But what exactly are the "lies" to which he refers? A cursory examination of the first book of the Bible reveals a quote from the originator of lies. In fact, it's the very first lie referenced in the Bible:

"You won't die!' the serpent hissed. God knows that your eyes will be opened when you eat it. You will become just like God, knowing everything, both good and evil'" (Genesis 3:4-5, NLT).

These lies from the Garden of Eden are the same lies to which Paul refers. The same lies that brought sin into the world will be the same lies that spark the ultimate rebellion against God Almighty. Humanity will come full circle. In the last days, the same construction projects envisioned by the Tower of Babel architects will result in mankind achieving a level of technological sophistication so advanced that "nothing will be impossible for them." The human race will come to believe the great lies of the serpent.

In his arrogance, man will believe he is:

1) Immortal

2) All-knowing

3) Just like God

Mankind will mimic the earth-shattering arrogance of Lucifer by freely joining in his rebellious attempt to usurp the throne of God, because, without Jesus Christ, fallen mankind's ambition is the same as Lucifer's. Centuries ago, Isaiah described this fallen being and his sinister motives:

"How you are fallen from heaven, O shining star, son of the morning! You have been thrown down to the earth, you who destroyed the nations of the world. For you said to yourself, I will ascend to heaven and set my throne above God's stars. I will preside on the mountain of the gods far away in the north. I will climb to the highest heavens and be like the Most High'" (Isaiah 14:12-14, NLT).

In the last days, this passage will be an accurate depiction not only of Satan, but of all mankind.

The Transhumanist Movement

The latest incarnation of man's rebellion against God is the transhumanist movement. Many within the movement believe the singularity will lead to the emergence of "post-biological humans" who are able to shed their biological bodies and "upgrade their hardware." Others believe that by downloading themselves into a network, they will effectively become "immortal." True believers have modified their diets, exercise regimens, and entire lifestyle in an effort to increase the likelihood of living to witness human reversal of the aging process and eventual human "immortality."

Ray Kurzweil--inventor, author, and transhumanist--s considered one of the best in the world at accurately forecasting short-term and intermediate technological trends. In chapter 7 of his bestselling book, The Singularity Is Near: When Humans Transcend Biology, he describes his view of the ultimate outcome of our technological advance:

"The matter and energy in our vicinity will become infused with the intelligence, knowledge, creativity, beauty, and emotional intelligence (the ability to love, for example) of our human-machine civilization. Our civilization will then expand outward, turning all the dumb matter and energy we encounter into sublimely intelligent--transcendent--matter and energy. So in a sense, we can say the Singularity will ultimately infuse the universe with spirit."

According to Kurzweil, the universe will be infused with "spirit" as a result of the natural advancement of our human-machine civilization. This suggests that the universe is not already infused with "spirit," and that if God exists, His designs are inferior to those who will be created by the predicted human-machine civilization.

In the next paragraph, he describes the advancement of the human-machine civilization as approaching the very conception of God. Ironically, he admits that the accelerating growth of evolution can never achieve the infinite character traits exclusive to God:

"Evolution moves toward greater complexity, greater elegance, greater knowledge, greater intelligence, greater beauty, greater creativity, and greater levels of subtle attributes such as love. In every monotheistic tradition God is likewise described as all of these qualities, only without any limitation: infinite knowledge, infinite intelligence, infinite beauty, infinite creativity, infinite love, and so on. Of course, even the accelerating growth of evolution never achieves an infinite level, but as it explodes exponentially it certainly moves rapidly in that direction. So evolution moves inexorably toward this conception of God, although never quite reaching this ideal. We can regard, therefore, the freeing of our thinking from the severe limitations of its biological form to be an essentially spiritual undertaking."

The concluding sentence of this paragraph should send up red flags for every student of Bible prophecy. According to Kurzweil, as the human race moves forward, it will seek to free its thinking "from the severe limitations of its biological form." The Bible reveals that one day mankind will gather its armies in an attempt to "break the chains of God and set themselves free from His bondage." Psalms 2 describes this confrontation:

"Why do the nations rage? Why do the people waste their time with futile plans? The kings of the earth prepare for battle; the rulers plot together against the Lord and against His Anointed One. Let us break their chains,' they cry. And free ourselves from this slavery.' But the one who rules in heaven laughs. The Lord scoffs at them" (Psalms 2:1-4, NLT).

Could this passage describe an attempt by post-biological humans to overthrow the rule of God? Could the chains that hold them in bondage be the "severe limitations of their biological form"? Remember, when this event occurs, Satan and his fallen angels are also inhabitants of the earth:

"Rejoice, O heavens! And you who live in the heavens, rejoice! But terror will come on the earth and the sea. For the Devil has come down to you in great anger, and he knows that he has little time" (Revelation 12:12, NLT).

In his arrogance and desperation, Satan will advance the dark powers of the spiritual realm, aided by a fallen mankind with powers beyond our current limitations, in a last-ditch effort to defeat God. The technological advancements of the near future will provide mankind with unprecedented power, and the ambitious goals of the transhumanist movement are already in direct conflict with God Himself.

The following verse provides additional support for believing transhumanism will play a pivotal role in this final rebellion. In the New Testament, when Jesus describes the signs of His coming to the disciples, He makes an interesting statement in light of our times:

"And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened" (Matthew 24:22, KJV).

Throughout the centuries, this verse has been interpreted as meaning the Second Coming of Christ will arrive just in time to save the human race from itself, meaning human wars would threaten to cause the extinction of the human race. However, it might mean that "no flesh will be saved" because a nakedly ambitious human race will transform itself into a race of "post-biological humans" intent on reshaping the universe according to an alternative agenda.

Given the history of human rebellion against God, it would be unwise to discount this possibility.

The Great Rebellion

Just as Paul prophesied, human ambition will ultimately lead to a great rebellion against God. This rebellion will reach its zenith at Armageddon, an actual geographical location in modern-day Israel. The gathering of the world's armies at Armageddon will not be (as some believe) a war of humans versus humans, but rather a literal, physical confrontation between rebellious mankind and the King of Kings, Jesus Christ. In addition to Psalms 2, this battle is referenced multiple times in Scripture, and it's clearly referenced twice in the book of Revelation:

"These miracle-working demons caused all the rulers of the world to gather for battle against the Lord on that great judgment day of God Almighty" (Revelation 16:14, NLT).

"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).

The "one sitting on the horse" is identified as Jesus Christ. Literally interpreted, both of these passages state that the world will gather for battle against Jesus Christ. The Bible is clear about this; yet for countless generations, these passages have been interpreted as indicating a mere spiritual battle and not a literal, physical conflict. It's not difficult to imagine why. The idea of mankind physically engaging God in battle seems so preposterous that these passages have given way to numerous symbolic interpretations over the years. Yet Scripture is clear. Remember what God Himself said about the human race that will ultimately fulfill His Tower of Babel prophecy--"Nothing will be impossible for them!"

In fact, the book of Daniel reveals that the Antichrist will manage to attack "the heavenly armies, throwing some of the heavenly beings and stars to the ground and trampling them":

"From one of the prominent horns came a small horn whose power grew very great. It extended toward the south and east and toward the glorious land of Israel. His power reached to the heavens where it attacked the heavenly armies, throwing some of the heavenly beings and stars to the ground and trampling them. He even challenged the Commander of heaven's armies by canceling the daily sacrifices offered to him and by destroying his Temple" (Daniel 8:9-11, NLT).

The power of the Antichrist and the human beings of his era will far exceed what our generation can currently imagine. As proof, Daniel describes a time when the Antichrist will engage Jesus Christ Himself in battle:

"He will even take on the Prince of princes in battle, but he will be broken, though not by human power" (Daniel 8:25, NLT).

The human race, led by the Antichrist, will take on the Lord Himself in battle. Like the Tower of Babel generation, the arrogance of this final generation will extend all the way into the heavens, where the human race will attempt to usurp the glory and authority of God Himself. But just like the Tower of Babel generation, their efforts will end in utter failure.

Conclusion

The transhumanist agenda serves as a reminder of what the human race is without the blood of Jesus Christ--an enemy of God. A movement that views its ultimate purpose as bringing enlightenment to the universe sets itself up in direct opposition to God's own purpose. This is the very definition of rebellion, and it's the inevitable result of fallen mankind's sinful nature.

Yet despite our sinful nature, God provided us with the free gift of salvation through His Son Jesus Christ. All we have to do is accept this gift. Those who accept it will experience peace and everlasting life, but those who reject it will become slaves to sin, and their ambition--ike Satan's--will one day lead to an outright physical confrontation with God Himself. It's a battle that God will win.

Britt Gillette is the author of Signs of the Second Coming: 11 Reasons Jesus Will Return in Our Lifetime and Coming to Jesus: One Mans Search for Truth and Life Purpose. Hes also the founder of End Times Bible Prophecy.

Read more:
Transhumanism and the Great Rebellion - Rapture Ready

Todays pop music is filled with symbols and messages aimed to shape and mold todays youth. Apart from the occult symbolism discussed in other articles, other parts of the elites agenda are communicated through music videos. Two of those parts are transhumanism and the introduction of a police state. Well look at the way those agendas are part of the acts of Rihanna, Beyonce, Daddy Yankee and the Black Eyed Peas.

As seen in previous articles on this site, the worlds biggest stars exploit common themes in their work, permeating popular culture with a set of symbols and values. The cohesiveness of the message that is communicated to the masses, regardless of the artists musical genre, attests to the influence of a higher power over the industry. Other articles on this site have explored the way Illuminati symbolism, based on secret society occultism, has been reflected in popular videos. Exposing and desensitizing the world to the elites sacred symbols is, however, only one aspect of their agenda. Other aspects of Illuminati control are reflected in todays popular music as well, including: mass mind control, transhumanism (the robotization of the human body) and the gradual introduction of a virtual police state. Through the news, movies and the music industry, this agenda is being insidiously presented to the masses, using various techniques. If the news scares people into accepting measures diminishing their personal freedoms and ushering in a new era, the music business accomplishes the same job by making it seem sexy, cool and trendy. This angle is mainly aimed at the younger crowd, which is much more susceptible to take in the industrys message.

If youve never heard of transhumanism or martial law, I suggest you visit the Educate Yourself section first, as I will only provide a very summary explanation of each concept here.

Transhumanism is an international intellectual and cultural movement supporting the use of science and technology to improve human mental and physical characteristics and capacities. The movement regards aspects of the human condition, such as disability, suffering, disease, aging, and involuntary death as unnecessary and undesirable. Transhumanists look to biotechnologies and other emerging technologies for these purposes. Dangers, as well as benefits, are also of concern to the transhumanist movement.

The term transhumanism is symbolized by H+ or h+ and is often used as a synonym for human enhancement. Although the first known use of the term dates from 1957, the contemporary meaning is a product of the 1980s when futurists in the United States began to organize what has since grown into the transhumanist movement. Transhumanist thinkers predict that human beings may eventually be able to transform themselves into beings with such greatly expanded abilities as to merit the label posthuman. Transhumanism is therefore sometimes referred to as posthumanism or a form of transformational activism influenced by posthumanist ideals.

The transhumanist vision of a transformed future humanity has attracted many supporters and detractors from a wide range of perspectives. Transhumanism has been described by one critic, Francis Fukuyama, as the worlds most dangerous idea,while one proponent, Ronald Bailey, counters that it is the movement that epitomizes the most daring, courageous, imaginative, and idealistic aspirations of humanity.

What is almost never mentioned is the fact that those technological improvements will be out of reach for the average man. The huge price tags of those scientific discoveries will render them only accessible to a select elite. While the common man is forced to seek nourishment in genetically modified, chemically altered and even poisonous foods, the elite is trying to achieve immortality through science. Even if the masses cannot have access to those discoveries, mass media makes transhumanism cool, desirable and, ultimately, acceptable.

George W. Bushs Patriot Act has enabled the American government to expand surveillance of its citizens, whether it be phone calls, e-mails and physical movements. It also gave the government almost unlimited powers of arrest, detention, search and seizure. Donald E. Wilkes, Professor of Law at the University of Georgia School of Law describes this last concept:

I want to examine here a single section of the USA Patriot Actsection 213, definitely one of the most sinister provisions of this monstrous statute.

In euphemistic language that conceals the provisions momentous significance, section 213 states that with regard to federal search warrants any notice required to be given may be delayed if [1]the court finds reasonable cause to believe that providing immediate notification of the execution of the warrant may have an adverse result ; [2] the warrant prohibits the seizure of any tangible property except where the court finds reasonable necessity for the seizure; and [3] the warrant provides for the giving of such notice within a reasonable period of its execution, which period may thereafter be extended by the court for good cause shown.

Section 213 may be couched in Orwellian terminology, but there is no doubt about what it does.

Section 213 is the first statute ever enacted in the history of American criminal procedure to specifically authorize an entirely new form of search warrant-what legal scholars call the sneak and peek warrant (also dubbed the covert entry warrant or the surreptitious entry warrant). A sneak and peek search warrant authorizes police to effect physical entry into private premises without the owners or the occupants permission or knowledge to conduct a search; generally, such entry requires a breaking and entering. Donald E. Wilkes, Flagpole Magazine Sept 2002.

Subsequent acts have further diminished civil liberties of citizens by enabling the government to declare any American a terrorist with little to no proof. The government can also declare martial law with little or no valid reason.

The John W. Warner Defense Authorization Act of 2006, named for the longtime Armed Services Committee chairman from Virginia, was signed October 17, 2006, by President George W. Bush. The Act has a provocative provision called Use of the Armed Forces in Major Public Emergencies, the thrust of which seems to be about giving the federal government a far stronger hand in coordinating responses to [Hurricane] Katrina-like disasters, Jeff Stein, CQ National Security Editor wrote December 1, 2006.

But on closer inspection, its language also alters the two-centuries-old Insurrection Act, which Congress passed in 1807 to limit the presidents power to deploy troops within the United States to suppress, in a State, any insurrection, domestic violence, unlawful combination, or conspiracy, Stein wrote.

But the amended law takes the cuffs off and critics say its a formula for executive branch mischief, Stein wrote, as the new language adds natural disaster, epidemic, or other serious public health emergency, terrorist attack or incident to the list of conditions permitting the President to take over local authority particularly if domestic violence has occurred to such an extent that the constituted authorities of the State or possession are incapable of maintaining public order.'

One of the few to complain, Sen. Patrick J. Leahy, D-Vt., warned that the measure virtually invites the White House to declare federal martial law. It subverts solid, longstanding posse comitatus statutes that limit the militarys involvement in law enforcement, thereby making it easier for the President to declare martial law, he said in remarks submitted to the Congressional Record on Sept. 29. Source

Well see how those concepts are cleverly inserted into pop music in order to create specific climate in the collective consciousness.

Previous articles on this site looked at the occult or mind-control related symbolism found in Umbrella, Disturbia and Russian Roulette. Fully embodying Illuminati agenda, Rihannas Hard incorporates the military/police state element.

In hip-hop slang, the term hard usually refers to someone who is street-savvy, gritty, rebellious and who is decisively not down with police. Hard transposes this term to a military context. Her militaristic video features a gang of uniformed men dancing under the orders of General Rihanna. Weve come a long way from Public Enemys Fight the Powerit is now Submit to the Power. All of this military/dictatorial imagery is mixed with Rihannas sexy moves and outfits, appealing to the masses basest instinct: sex. This generates in the viewer an unconscious positive response to this otherwise terrible backdrop. I mean, who likes to be in a war zone? Not people who have experienced it, thats for damn sure.

How come guns were always censored from music videos (especially rap) until very recently? Is it only acceptable when they are used to promote war and a police state?

Her performance in the 2009 American Music Awards also contains a great deal of noteworthy elements. The intro video is a disturbing display of dehumanization and Mind Control lead by a shadow government. Rihanna is a cyborg being programmed by the insertion of a microchip inside of her (RFID anyone?). Notice the shadowy appearance of those performing the surgery.

During her performance she is surrounded by dancers wearing riot gear helmets and totting shotguns around.

At the end of the song Hard, Rihanna chants Where the bloggers at? Where the bloggers at?

Im right here.

Beyonce walks on stage with a bunch of men dressed in riot gear the type of unit a police state would use to repress opposition during popular turmoil. What are they doing in Beyonces performance? Contributing to permeate popular culture with police-state imagery.

Is the American public being mentally prepared for martial law? But thats impossible, Beyonce is such a good girl oh wait.

Reggaeton superstar Daddy Yankee has likely been chosen to promote the Agenda to the Latino community. His performance at the Premio Lo Nuestro awards in Miami is simply a perfect Illuminati fit. At the beginning the performance, a picture of Daddy Yankee standing under a Masonic compass is displayed.

Daddy Yankees is surrounded by dancers looking like robotic cyber-police/soldiers. The name of his new single is Descontrol, which means lose control. Interesting.

By the way, here is the logo of Premios Lo Nuestro awards.

This long video is all about the merger of humans and robots, which is, as seen above, the ultimate goal of transhumanism. It starts with Fergie saying we are not robots! only to see her become a half-robot shooting a gun that causes an irresistible need to breakdance.

Will.I.Am starts his verse by saying Imma be the upgraded new negro, which pretty much sums up the transhumanist philosophy.

At the end of the video, Fergie wakes up from her dream. It sure was cool when she was a robot, wasnt it?

Articles on this site have mainly focused on the occult symbols found in music videos. There are, however, other aspects of the Illuminati agenda that are present in popular culture. Transhumanism and the establishment of a virtual police state are two objectives that are slowly but surely being implemented with little to no public debate. Movies, video games and the music industry are doing the job of leading the masses collective consciousness towards a new era by saturating the airwaves with those concepts. The robot agenda, as some observers call it, has been an intricate part of the music industry for years now and examples of it are way too many to enumerate. The theme of the upgraded human due to his robotization has been exploited by most of todays international stars. There is a difference between a trend and an agenda.

The police state element found in video and performances is relatively new but equally, if not more, disturbing. Music has always been a healing, liberating and emancipating medium. Looking at the music industrys products of the last years, is there a possibility of it being hijacked by an ever-intrusive elite? Think about who owns the record companies.

See the rest here:
The Transhumanist and Police State Agenda in Pop Music

June 11, 2011

AND THE DESTRUCTION OF NATURAL EARTH

As the Global Elite Scum of the Earth (GESE) use their ill gotten gains (through their central banking scams) to re-tool life on planet Earth, it is CRITICAL that we wake folks up to this agenda and use our Collective Wisdom to disrupt and reverse their efforts. This page is dedicated to those goals.

The First Global Revolution called for in 1991 by the GESEs Club of Rome is essentially an Anti-Human movement. In their report they even stated: . . . the real enemy then is humanity itself. They are working to create their New World Order that is essentially a Pseudo World owned and operated by them.

This page was established to Expose, Oppose, and Combat this agenda.

Highly recommended web site of Aaron Franz: The Age of Transitions

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Biotechnology and The Corporations race to own nature

ON JUNE 16, 1980, ANANDA CHAKRABARTYS SUPREME COURT CASE LAUNCHED TRANSHUMANISM AND THE POST-HUMAN ERA AKA THE AGE OF TRANSITIONS!

Without any discussion, corporations now can own the blueprints of life. The ownership of DNA issue is very significant because in 2007 a law was passed granting the government the power to collect, catalog and store the DNA of every child born in the U.S. There is now a great race by biotech companies to patent each gene they discover human and other.

Full article

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In Defense of Humans

WHY HUMANITY IS AMAZING, WONDROUS, DEAR AND CANNOT BE REPLACED BY THE CORPORATIONS ROBOT (MACHINES) OR ANY OTHER BIZARRE PSEUDO-FORM OF POST-HUMAN

Only the dimwitted or severely damaged cannot recognize that the attributes, qualities and capabilities of homo sapiens with Free Will cannot be replaced or duplicated by machines (robots). If the global-controllers (war mongers) would get out of the way and cease with their social engineering, Psywars and exploitation can you imagine how fabulous and peaceful our world would be?

Details

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Microchip Implants, Mind Control and Cybernetics by Rauni-Leena Luukanen-Kilde, MD, former Chief Medical Officer of Finland

In 1948 Norbert Weiner published a book, CYBERNETICS, defined as a neurological communication and control theory already in use in small circles at that time. Yoneji Masuda, Father of Information Society, stated his concern in 1980 that our liberty is threatened Orwellian-style by cybernetic technology totally unknown to most people. This technology links the brains of people via implanted microchips to satellites controlled by ground-based super-computers.

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Post-Humans lets not go there

Dr. Strangeloves have been around for a long time. Are we certain that the story of Frankensteins monster was fictitious? The mad scientists never seem to disappear and continually manage to convince their funders that exploring new ways to create life-in-the-lab is justified because a) we can or b) it is an important step in the evolution of the human species. (GAG ME WITH A SPOON).

Now that profiteering corporations have control of our media, the general public rarely hears the objections of the bioethicists but are instead exposed to a relentless barrage of spin to justify whatever insane projects/programs Business, Inc and their partner Government, Inc. choose to engage in. Full article

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Transhumanism | AntiCorruption Society

Did you know that the word transhuman literally means beyond human?

All over the world, scientists and intellectuals are joining the transhumanism movement. Those that adhere to this philosophy believe that the time has come for us to use technology to take control of our own evolution. By doing so, they believe that we can give ourselves superhuman powers and radically extend our lifespans. Right now, the most popular movie in America is Avengers: Age of Ultron, and in recent years we have watched films about mutants and superheroes become some of Hollywoods biggest moneymakers. But transhumanists believe that we will soon be able to literally turn ourselves into such superheroes as technology continues to increase at an exponential rate. And once we have superhuman powers and superhuman intelligence, they are convinced that we will eradicate all sickness, disease, poverty and war. Many of them actually believe that we will be able to achieve immortality and establish a utopia on Earth just a few decades from now. In other words, we wont need a God because we will have become our own gods.

At the core of the transhumanist movement is an unshakable faith in the inevitable technological progress of humanity. Yes, there are some transhumanists that have doubts, but for most transhumanists the solution to all of our problems is more technology. If you are not familiar with transhumanism, the following is a really good definitionthat I recently came across

Transhumanism is a cultural and intellectual movement promoting the aim of transforming the human condition fundamentally by developing and making available technologies to enhance human intellectual, physical, and psychological capabilities. Transhumanist thinking studies the potential benefits and hazards of emerging technologies that could overcome basic human limitations. It also addresses ethical matters involved in developing and using such technologies. Some transhumanists predict that human beings may eventually transform themselves into beings with such greatly expanded abilities that they justify a state of being known as posthuman.

Transhumanists want to help humans live much longer, and they also want to dramatically increase the quality of those lives. Ultimately, most transhumanists are fully convinced that they will be able to defeat death altogether. The following is a short excerptfrom an ExtremeTech article

One of the core concepts in transhumanist thinking is life extension: Through genetic engineering, nanotech, cloning, and other emerging technologies, eternal life may soon be possible. Likewise, transhumanists are interested in the ever-increasing number of technologies that can boost our physical, intellectual, and psychological capabilities beyond what humans are naturally capable of (thus the termtranshuman). Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), for example, which speeds up reaction times and learning speed byrunning a very weak electric current through your brain, has already been used by the US military to train snipers. On the more extreme side, transhumanism deals with the concepts of mind uploading (to a computer), and what happens when we finally craft a computer with greater-than-human intelligence (the technological singularity).

So would you like to live forever armed with superhuman powers?

The most famous transhumanist in the world, Ray Kurzweil, actually believes that he is going to be able to do that. But first he has to stay alive long enough for the technologies that he believes are coming to be developed. So Kurzweiltakes 150 supplements a day in an attempt to keep his body in peak condition

The youthful 65-year-old currently takes 150 supplements a day, which he argues is the first bridge.

The idea is to build enough bridges to ensure the body holds out long enough for life-lengthening technology to come into its own.

He has likened the biology of the body to computer software and believes we are all out of date.

Kurzweil is absolutely convinced that if he can just stretch his life out long enough that technologies that will enable him to achieve immortality are right around the corner. In fact,in a piece that he wrote for CNN he expressed his belief that our medical technologies will be a million times more powerful than they are today just two decades from now

Health and medicine is now an information technology and is therefore subject to what I call the law of accelerating returns, which is a doubling of capability (for the same cost) about each year that applies to any information technology.

As a result, technologies to reprogram the software that underlie human biology are already a thousand times more powerful than they were when the genome project was completed in 2003, and will again be a thousand times more powerful than they are today in a decade, and a million times more powerful in two decades.

So will he be right?

We will just have to wait and see.

For a long time, many in the transhumanist movement (including Kurzweil) have been pointing to a time period between 2030 and 2050 during which they believe something remarkable will happen. They believe that during that time period something known as the singularity will occur. As technology increases at an exponential rate, they believe that artificial intelligence will begin to greatly surpass human intelligence at some point, and that humanity will merge with this new super intelligence. Once that happens, they believe that the world will change in ways that we cannot even comprehend today

Kurzweil and his followers believe that a crucial turning point will be reached around the year 2030, when information technology achieves genuine intelligence, at the same time as biotechnology enables a seamless union between us and this super-smart new technological environment. Ultimately the human-machine mind will become free to roam a universe of its own creation, uploading itself at will on to a suitably powerful computational substrate. We will become essentially god-like in our powers.

Does that sound good to you, or does it sound frightening?

Other transhumanists are not quite as optimistic as Kurzweil and his followers. Just consider what Max Tegmark, the author of Our Mathematical Universe: My Quest for the Ultimate Nature of Reality, had to say about what life will be like after the singularity

After this, life on Earth would never be the same. Whoever or whatever controls this technology would rapidly become the worlds wealthiest and most powerful, outsmarting allfinancial markets, out-inventing and out-patenting all human researchers, and out-manipulating all human leaders. Even if we humansnominally merge with such machines, we might have no guarantees whatsoever about the ultimate outcome, making it feel less like a mergerand more like a hostile corporate takeover.

Even some of the most prominent scientists in the world are skeptical of what an ultra-powerful artificial intelligence would mean for the future of humanity. The following is an excerpt from an article co-authored by Stephen Hawking

Looking further ahead, there are no fundamental limits to what can be achieved: there is no physical law precluding particles from being organized in ways that perform even more advanced computations than the arrangements of particles in human brains. An explosive transition is possible, although it may play out differently than in the movie: as Irving Good realized in 1965, machines with superhuman intelligence could repeatedly improve their design even further, triggering what Vernor Vinge called a singularity and Johnny Depps movie character calls transcendence. One can imagine such technology outsmarting financial markets, out-inventing human researchers, out-manipulating human leaders, and developing weapons we cannot even understand. Whereas the short-term impact of AI depends on who controls it, the long-term impact depends on whether it can be controlled at all.

But despite these reservations from many in the scientific community, many transhumanists are pushing ahead as hard as they can. Many of them are absolutely convinced that what they are doing will bring a new golden age to this planet. Just consider the words oftranshumanist Zoltan Istvan

Despite this, people continue to worry that technology and science that make our species more transhuman will be used to create a deeper divide in society for the haves and have-nots. Those worries are unfounded. A close examination of the issues show that transhumanist technology and science liberates us, brings us better health, and has improved the living standards of all people around the world. If you value liberty, equality and progress, it makes sense to embrace the coming age of transhumanism.

Doesnt that sound wonderful?

And there are even some transhumanists that couch their hopes and dreams for the future in religious terminology. For example, transhumanist Mark Pesce is fully convinced that transhumanism will allow ordinary humans to become as gods

Men die, planets die, even stars die. We know all this. Because we know it, we seek something morea transcendence of transience, translation to incorruptible form. An escape if you will, a stop to the wheel. We seek, therefore, to bless ourselves with perfect knowledge and perfect will; To become as gods, take the universe in hand, and transform it in our imagefor our own delight. As it is on Earth, so it shall be in the heavens. The inevitable result of incredible improbability, the arrow of evolution is lipping us into the transhuman an apotheosis to reason, salvation attained by good works.

That is some pretty strong stuff.

So what do you think about all of this? Please feel free to join the discussion by leaving a comment below

Go here to read the rest:
Transhumanism: An Attempt To Use Technology To ... - Infowars

ETHICS & POLICY

Astronomical Waste: The Opportunity Cost of Delayed Technological Development Suns are illuminating and heating empty rooms, unused energy is being flushed down black holes, and our great common endowment of negentropy is being irreversibly degraded into entropy on a cosmic scale. These are resources that an advanced civilization could have used to create value-structures, such as sentient beings living worthwhile lives... [Utilitas, Vol. 15, No. 3 (2003): 308-314] [translation: Russian] [html] [pdf]

Human Enhancement Original essays by various prominent moral philosophers on the ethics of human enhancement. [Eds. Nick Bostrom & Julian Savulescu (Oxford University Press, 2009)].

Enhancement Ethics: The State of the Debate The introductory chapter from the book (w/ Julian Savulescu): 1-22 [pdf]

TRANSHUMANISM

Transhumanist Values Wonderful ways of being may be located in the "posthuman realm", but we can't reach them. If we enhance ourselves using technology, however, we can go out there and realize these values. This paper sketches a transhumanist axiology. [Ethical Issues for the 21st Century, ed. Frederick Adams, Philosophical Documentation Center Press, 2003; reprinted in Review of Contemporary Philosophy, Vol. 4, May (2005)] [translations: Polish, Portugese] [html] [pdf]

RISK & THE FUTURE

Global Catastrophic Risks Twenty-six leading experts look at the gravest risks facing humanity in the 21st century, including natural catastrophes, nuclear war, terrorism, global warming, biological weapons, totalitarianism, advanced nanotechnology, general artificial intelligence, and social collapse. The book also addresses over-arching issuespolicy responses and methods for predicting and managing catastrophes. Foreword by Lord Martin Rees. [Eds. Nick Bostrom & Milan Cirkovic (Oxford University Press, 2008)]. Introduction chapter free here [pdf]

TECHNOLOGY ISSUES

THE NEW BOOK

"I highly recommend this book."Bill Gates

"terribly important ... groundbreaking" "extraordinary sagacity and clarity, enabling him to combine his wide-ranging knowledge over an impressively broad spectrum of disciplinesengineering, natural sciences, medicine, social sciences and philosophyinto a comprehensible whole" "If this book gets the reception that it deserves, it may turn out the most important alarm bell since Rachel Carson's Silent Springfrom 1962, or ever."Olle Haggstrom, Professor of Mathematical Statistics

"Nick Bostrom makes a persuasive case that the future impact of AI is perhaps the most important issue the human race has ever faced. Instead of passively drifting, we need to steer a course. Superintelligence charts the submerged rocks of the future with unprecedented detail. It marks the beginning of a new era."Stuart Russell, Professor of Computer Science, University of California, Berkley

"Those disposed to dismiss an 'AI takeover' as science fiction may think again after reading this original and well-argued book." Martin Rees, Past President, Royal Society

"a magnificent conception ... it ought to be required reading on all philosophy undergraduate courses, by anyone attempting to build AIs and by physicists who think there is no point to philosophy." Brian Clegg, Popular Science

"There is no doubting the force of [Bostrom's] arguments...the problem is a research challenge worthy of the next generation's best mathematical talent. Human civilisation is at stake." Financial Times

"This superb analysis by one of the world's clearest thinkers tackles one of humanity's greatest challenges: if future superhuman artificial intelligence becomes the biggest event in human history, then how can we ensure that it doesn't become the last?" Professor Max Tegmark, MIT

"a damn hard read" The Telegraph

ANTHROPICS & PROBABILITY

Cars In the Other Lane Really Do Go Faster When driving on the motorway, have you ever wondered about (and cursed!) the fact that cars in the other lane seem to be getting ahead faster than you? One might be tempted to account for this by invoking Murphy's Law ("If anything can go wrong, it will", discovered by Edward A. Murphy, Jr, in 1949). But there is an alternative explanation, based on observational selection effects... [PLUS, No. 17 (2001)]

PHILOSOPHY OF MIND

DECISION THEORY

BIO

Bostrom has a background in physics, computational neuroscience, and mathematical logic as well as philosophy. He is the author of some 200 publications, including Anthropic Bias (Routledge, 2002), Global Catastrophic Risks (ed., OUP, 2008), Human Enhancement (ed., OUP, 2009), and the academic book Superintelligence: Paths, Dangers, Strategies (OUP, 2014), which became a New York Times bestseller. He is best known for his work in five areas: (i) existential risk; (ii) the simulation argument; (iii) anthropics (developing the first mathematically explicit theory of observation selection effects); (iv) impacts of future technology; and (v) implications of consequentialism for global strategy.

He is recipient of a Eugene R. Gannon Award (one person selected annually worldwide from the fields of philosophy, mathematics, the arts and other humanities, and the natural sciences). He has been listed on Foreign Policy's Top 100 Global Thinkers list; and he was included on Prospect magazines World Thinkers list, the youngest person in the top 15 from all fields and the highest-ranked analytic philosopher. His writings have been translated into 24 languages. There have been more than 100 translations and reprints of his works.

BACKGROUND

I was born in Helsingborg, Sweden, and grew up by the seashore. I was bored in school. At age fifteen or sixteen I had an intellectual awakening, and feeling that I had wasted the first one and a half decades of my life, I resolved to focus on what was important. Since I did not know what was important, and I did not know how to find out, I decided to start by trying to place myself in a better position to find out. So I began a project of intellectual self-development, which I pursued with great intensity for the next one and a half decades.

As an undergraduate, I studied many subjects in parallel, and I gather that my performance set a national record. I was once expelled for studying too much, after the head of Ume University psychology department discovered that I was concurrently following several other full-time programs of study (physics, philosophy, and mathematical logic), which he believed to be psychologically impossible.

For my postgraduate work, I went to London, where I studied physics and neuroscience at King's College, and obtained a PhD from the London School of Economics. For a while I did a little bit stand-up comedy on the vibrant London pub and theatre circuit.

During those years, I co-founded, with David Pearce, the World Transhumanist Association, a nonprofit grassroots organization. Later, I was involved in founding the Institute for Ethics and Emerging Technologies, a nonprofit virtual think tank. The objective was to stimulate wider discussion about the implications of future technologies, in particular technologies that might lead to human enhancement. (These organizations have since developed on their own trajectories, and it is very much not the case that I agree with everything said by those who flock under the transhumanist flag.)

Since 2006, I've been the founding director of the Future of Humanity Institute at Oxford University. This unique multidisciplinary research aims to enable a select set of intellects to apply careful thinking to big-picture question for humanity and global priorities. The Institute belongs to the Faculty of Philosophy and the Oxford Martin School. Since 2011, I also direct the Programme on the Impacts of Future Technology.

I am in a very fortunate position. I have no teaching duties. I am supported by a staff of assistants and brilliant research fellows. There are virtually no restrictions on what I can work on. I must try very hard to be worthy of this privilege and to cast some light on matters that matter.

CONTACT

For administrative matters, scheduling, and invitations, please contact my assistant, Lamprini Repouliou:

Email: fhiadmin[atsign]philosophy[dot]ox[dot]ac[dot]uk Phone: +44 (0)1865 286800

If you need to contact me directly (I regret I am unable to respond to all emails): nick[atsign]nickbostrom[dot]com.

VIRTUAL ESTATE

http://www.fhi.ox.ac.ukFuture of Humanity Institute

http://www.anthropic-principle.comPapers on observational selection effects

http://www.simulation-argument.comDevoted to the question, "Are you living in a computer simulation?"

http://www.existential-risk.orgHuman extinction scenarios and related concerns

On the bank at the end Of what was there before us Gazing over to the other side On what we can become Veiled in the mist of nave speculation We are busy here preparing Rafts to carry us across Before the light goes out leaving us In the eternal night of could-have-been

CRUCIAL CONSIDERATIONS

A thread that runs through my work is a concern with "crucial considerations". A crucial consideration is an idea or argument that might plausibly reveal the need for not just some minor course adjustment in our practical endeavours but a major change of direction or priority.

If we have overlooked even just one such consideration, then all our best efforts might be for naughtor less. When headed the wrong way, the last thing needed is progress. It is therefore important to pursue such lines of inquiry as might disclose an unnoticed crucial consideration.

Some of the relevant inquiries are about moral philosophy and values. Others have to do with rationality and reasoning under uncertainty. Still others pertain to specific issues and possibilities, such as existential risks, the simulation hypothesis, human enhancement, infinite utilities, anthropic reasoning, information hazards, the future of machine intelligence, or the singularity hypothesis.

High-leverage questions associated with crucial considerations deserve to be investigated. My research interests are quite wide-ranging; yet they all stem from the quest to understand the big picture for humanity, so that we can more wisely choose what to aim for and what to do. Embarking on this quest has seemed the best way to try to make a positive contribution to the world.

SOME VIDEOS AND LECTURES

SOME ADDITONAL (OLD, COBWEBBED) PAPERS

On this page.

INTERVIEWS

POLICY

MISCELLANEOUS

words trying to be more than words, bla bla...

Continued here:
Nick Bostrom's Home Page

This week, I want to touch on a couple of topics that didnt make the cut in AGE OF DECEIT 2: Alchemy and the Rise of the Beast Image but are nonetheless extremely important.Today I want to tackle Androgyny and the Antichrist.

The Merriam-Webster defines Androgynous as quote:

1. having the characteristics or nature of both male and female

2. neither specifically feminine nor masculine

3. having traditional male and female roles obscured or reversed. [1]

Many occult traditions posses an obscure and twisted interpretation of the Biblical accounts of creation and cosmology. The various threads of alchemical cosmologies fall right in line, in particular regarding the creation of Adam and Eve. Here is how the late Bill Cooper, conspiracy theorist and author ofBehold a Pale Horse, described the alchemical traditions of the creation process and the occult worldview that prevails the elite initiates.

Those who have studied the writings of the ancient alchemist have always been much mystified by what is said about the Philosophers Stone, and the process of transmuting the base metals into gold. These claims have naturally given rise to great deal of grand speculation. And as we are standing within the threshold of a new age, when this precious jewel with all of its power will be evolved and possessed by a considerable number of people, we feel that it is important to divest the subject of all the mysteries that surrounds it and speak in plain terms concerning the matter.

We are taught that in the beginning, God created heaven and earth. The whole universe in fact. And we understand that this great creative force, expresses itself either as will or imagination. By imagination, the great architect of the universe, must first have visualized everything as it was first created and then by his will, the physical atoms were marshaled into this matrix of thought. Thus, gradually bringing this universe into manifestation, as designed by its creator. Nor is it this process complete, but will continue until the whole has become perfect, as originally designed.

The divine hierarchies that have carried out the plan of the great creator also use the same dual creative force when fashioning the crystal and the mineral, the leaf of the plant, or the shape of the animal. Man, the spirit has a like creative power, and has through ages under the guidance of gods, plural, learned to build bodies of increasing value as instruments for his expression. But his pilgrimage through matter was undertaken for the purpose of making him an independent creative intelligence and to attain that end, it was necessary that he should, at the proper time, be emancipated from the guardianship of the gods, so that he might learn to create, not only for himself, but also to aid and to teach others in the great school of life.

During the course of his evolution, man has become more and more enlightened concerning the mystery of life, but nevertheless, it is only a few hundred years ago when life and liberty were endangered by the expression of opinions in advance of the commonly accepted views. It was for this reason, that the alchemist, who had studied more deeply than the majority, were forced to embody their teaching in highly allegorical and symbolical language. Their teaching concerning the spiritual evolution of man and their use of the terms salt, sulfur, mercury, and azoth, so mystifying to the masses, were nevertheless, rooted in cosmic truths, highly illuminating to the initiate. The students of the Rosicrucian teachings who had learned how the world came into being and the process of gradual creation should have no difficulty in properly understanding every part of the alchemist language.

We know in the first place, that there was a time when man in the making was a hermaphrodite, male-female, and able to create from himself. And we remember also, that at that time he was like the plant in other respects. His consciousness was like that which we posses in dreamless sleep, and which was possessed by the plant. The vital energy which he absorbed into his body was used solely for the purpose of growing until the time of propagation came, when a new budding body was cast off to grow also. For the emancipation of humanity from this negative condition, one half of the creative force was turned upward under the direction of the angels for the purpose of building a larynx and a brain, that man might learn to create by thought as do the divine hierarchies and express the creative thought and words. Thus, man ceased to be a physically hermaphrodite and became uni-sexual. He could no longer create from himself physically, nor psychically, as do the Elohim, the male-female hierarchies, in his image who were originally made. And so he occupies in the present time, an unenviable, intermediate position between the plant and the god. At the time one half of the human sex force was diverted for the purpose of building the brain, men were helpless and lacking in knowledge of how to overcome conditions and had no outside help, and given the race, must have died out. Therefore angels from the moon, who were guardians of mankind, herded the sexes together in great temples at times when the interplanetary lines of force were propitious to propagation, and thus they perpetuated the race. It was also proposed that when the brain had been completed, the Lords of Mercury, elder brothers of our present humanity, who excelled in intelligence should teach us how to use the mind and to make it truly creative. Thus by the work of these two great hierarchies, we were raised from unconsciousness to the first stage of creative intelligence; from plant to god. [2]

Now I would like to clarify that these are not Bill Coopers beliefs. He was merely speaking from the perspective of the modern alchemist and occultist. What should be obvious to anyone who has studied the occult in any measure, is that the story always reflects the Luciferian Doctrine; that is to say, Satan was responsible for freeing mankind from the clutches of the evil god Yahweh and his prison, the Garden of Eden. The alchemical account is simply more elegant and detailed yet still retains many interesting attributes from angels, Elohim, and hierarchies from Mercury and the Moon. But for this post, my focus is on the idea that humanity prior to our current state was a hermaphrodite, male-female, and how that perspective fuels the modern transhumanist movement, and furthermore, shapes the potential identity of the Antichrist.

We have seen a steady and healthy attack on the traditional family in the last century. While issues within the traditional or even better, the Biblical sense of family has always been at stake, it seems modern culture and society have ramped up in contemporary America, first with the womens rights movement, and now with the cultural support of homosexuality. Let me be very clear here that I dont think womens rights is necessarily evil or satanic. However, I do think it was a huge chink in the armor when it came to the traditional sense of family. Like any view, extremism is harmful and destructive, but even women I know, such as my wife, believe that the rise in divorce, and the decline of masculinity in America has a direct correlation with the over-empowerment of women in society and the advent of freedom of choice. But a second leg to this attack is homosexuality.

I have friends who are homosexual and consider themselves transgender, and I sincerely love them as fellow image bearers of God. Please understand that my opinions and comments here on homosexuality are at the cultural and societal level and not an attack on any individual. But it is true that the rise in homosexuality, or at least the acceptance of it, has been a huge detriment on the traditional family model. And before I get thumping on the Bible, lets look at this from a very practical, natural sense. Society and the human race is built on the function of the male and female mating and producing children. If the cycle stops, the human race goes extinct. With this in mind, one can claim that homosexuality is unnatural from the naturalist perspective. But because of our broken society, gay couples have had the opportunity to raise foster children, or even better, with the advent of technology, have had the capacity to create their own progeny with the help of test tubes. And while the topic of homosexuality is highly debated, especially amongst the religious and anti-religious camps, my goal here it to tie this all back to alchemy and the mystical traditions that stem back from antiquity.

Given these cultural breakdowns in the gender line, its no surprise to mention that androgyny is nothing new for someone like myself who was born on the dawn of the generation labelled Millennials. The music and entertainment industry has been notorious for blurring the lines between gender for decades. Michael Jackson, Bret Michaels, David Bowie, Adam Lambert, Boy George, Marylin Manson, just to name a few, are male musicians who all had their image bear the resemblance of being in touch with their feminine side. Then you have Lady Gaga, Grace Jones, Annie Lennox, Patti Smith, and K.D. Lang just to name a few female rock stars who resembled a more masculine look. So given the climate regarding gender ambiguity, where are we headed, especially in light of transhumanism?

There are at least three reasons to suspect that gender is on its way out.

Firstly, the trend towards increasing insistence on choosing the socially-constructed aspects of ones genderwhether it concerns sexual orientation, how to dress, what kind of roles to play in society, how we refer to ourselves (and insist on being referred to by others, or whateverseems set to continue, at least in the developed world.

Secondly, surgical techniques enabling de facto alteration of our biological gender, at least at the macroscopic level, are becoming increasingly sophisticated and are thus enabling increasing alignment of our (apparent) biological gender with our wishes.

Thirdly, and most radically, we may be on the verge of being able to tinker massively with our DNA, with the result that even at the genetic level we might find ourselves able to blur the boundaries between male (XY) and female (XX), to a far greater extent than nature has done for us.

And once gender becomes a matter of choice, rather than of natures providence, there is no reason why there should be only two, three or even four of them. And once gender splinters, like political parties and religious denominations, into categories that are limited only by the human imagination, the term gender seems likely to become increasingly inappropriate as a description of reality. [3]

Can you imagine a society where gender is simply a choice? Anything goes! With the scientific and technological power that is behind transhumanism, such a world is right around the corner. And that means your children, and their children will be facing a culture and a society who champions freedom of choice which will enable them to choose their gender, should they decide to practice their freedoms. Whats even more alarming is that the alchemical translation of the creation of Adam and Eve will most certainly be used as a way to justify these choices as something the church at large can accept. Heres the logic. They will bring up Genesis 1:27

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

The traditional interpretation is that God created man, or humanity, in His image and that the humanity He created was male and female. But the alchemical interpretation sees this as avid proof that Adam was androgynous. This brings up many fascinating theological questions and points of discussion such as Will there be gender in heaven? or Is God androgynous? Such a questions deserve its own posts, but for now, I simply want to show that with good demonic logic, one can twist the Biblical account to promote an androgynous origin to humanity.

Certainly after seeing the potential direction of gender given transhumanism, the thought of the Antichrist being androgynous is not at all crazy. But the main question would be, Is there Biblical support for this statement? and the quick answer is yes. Daniel 11:37 is the verse that raises the possibility of the Antichrist being androgynous.

Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all.

For the traditional prophecy scholar, it might seem absurd to picture a gender-bender Antichrist figure who would captivate the world so much that he would bring false peace to Israel by warring the neighboring nations with the people screaming, Who is like unto the beast? Who is able to make war with him? (Revelation 13:4). But given this passage, the possibility exists. We know that the Antichrist will compare himself to all other gods, and God Himself claiming to be above them all (Isaiah 14). So in essence, his own worship of himself, or herself, will be greater than anything else. And while the reality of the Antichrist being androgynous is in some aspects trivial and irrelevant to the overall fulfillment of Bible Prophecy, thinking about this also made me ponder a couple of other possibilities.

First, if the Great Deception that LA Marzulli and others always talk about is true, then the Antichrist might be a Nephilim, or perhaps present him/herself as the Alien Savior. If that scenario were to play out, then androgyny would make perfect sense because this alien being would not be identified by gender, as we fallen humanity are cursed with, but to us would be to us a god; a spiritually evolved being who would confirm all the traditions of the ancient mysteries.

The second possibility, given the work of author Peter Goodgame and his writings The Giza Discovery, would be that the Antichrist will be the Nimrod figure that we read about in Genesis 10. The potential connection I want to highlight here is that one of the gods worshiped in ancient Egypt is Akhenaton, whom is pictured in todays blog image. This figure was touted as a male, but represented with wide hips like a female making his gender ambiguous. There are other Egyptians gods such as Thoth whose gender was also undefined. But the point is, if the rendering of Revelation 13:3 and Revelation 17:10 are correct by Mr. Goodgame, then perhaps the Antichrist will be the resurrection of an ancient Egyptian god, perhaps Akhenaton, or another figure whose gender is ambiguous.

These ideas obviously deserve a far deeper study, but for todays post, I simply wanted to highlight the Trials of Transhumanism and in particular the topic of Androgyny and the Antichrist. I hope you were able to pick up on the severity and urgency of the times we are living in given the circumstances we face. I believe it is important to discuss these issues and raise awareness regarding them, because not only might it help someone experiencing an identity crisis concerning their gender, but more importantly, we can save souls.

I want to end today with this passage spoken by Jesus that I have read and mentioned many times regarding these end times, but nevertheless, gives me chills every time.

Sources

[1] http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/androgynous

[2] Bill Cooper, Hour of the Time: Episode 733: Spiritual Alchemy, November 2, 1995

[3] http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/wicks20120315

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About the author: Im a Christian media producer focused on making thought provoking and informative content. I love to study various issues relating to Bible Prophecy and the current world climate. My goal is to learn by teaching and to create a community of informed truth seekers, and to be salt and light in this often confusing world that we live in.

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The Trials of Transhumanism: Androgyny and the Antichrist