Something to Think About: Robotic Humans

SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT: Robotic Humans
This is a recurrent segment in this blog and is dedicated to questions not yet being asked by most people, but which, inevitably, will come up. If you think about them now, you won’t be caught unaware when they arrive.
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In Rome in 2008, Pierpaolo Petruzziello moved his arm and hand and felt sensations even though he no longer had an arm and even though the arm and hand which he was moving were attached to his body by electrodes inserted into the stump of what was left of his arm. Other than the wires placed into the stump, the mechanism was not attached to the patient. The hand was entirely mechanical and was controlled entirely by Petruziello's thoughts. Presumably, the mechanism could be controlled from a distance by remote control.

The science fiction dream of brains kept alive in robotic bodies will eventually be realized. Will paraplegics be able to live and experience normal lives within mechanical bodies? Will the resultant persons still be human? Will they be able to remain alive for centuries by switching to new robotic bodies as the old ones wear out? Will living tissue one day replace the robotic mechanisms? Will it be ethical to discard the living bodies for new ones?

Will someone realize another science fiction concept and produce long-distance soldiers such as the beings seen in the 2009 film, Avatar? Mechanisms (robotic or living tissue) controlled like today's military drone airplanes by someone safely miles or even continents away from the deadly action? What will this mean for the value of human life? Will remaining human in one's original body be seen as a liability? Will cybernetic implants enhance their recipients?

Who Owns Church Property?

The members of St. Luke’s of the Mountains Church in La Crescenta, California have received an eviction notice from the Episcopal Church and the local Episcopal diocese. Their offense was to vote to leave the Episcopal Church over its recent liberal moves such as the ordination of openly practicing homosexual and lesbian bishops. The church members contended that they paid for and owned the church property while the national denomination also claimed ownership. The civil courts sided with the denomination.

Property disputes of this type (in a hierarchical structure) will be handled differently by the courts than would be those arising in the congregational denominations because of the differences in traditional church governance.

The real issue here is whether or not the dispute should have gone before the civil authorities at all. Traditionalists would say that 1 Corinthians 6:1-7 says no. Some would go so far as to say that Christians are required to not defend themselves at all in civil or church courts.

A review of the relevant scriptures shows that Paul, in Acts, defended himself in court and insisted on his legal rights. Jesus defended Himself before the civil authorities, “according to the Law.” (Exodus 23:1, Deuteronomy 1:16, 17:6, 19:15, John 5:51, 18:33-37.}

A balanced interpretation of the issue recognizes that the civil authorities are ordained by God to handle legal matters and civic issues (Romans 13:1-4) and that we are to respect and honor them (1 Peter 2:14).

Doctrinal issues and personal matters between believers should not be judged by unbelievers but by faithful church leaders as defined in each church tradition.

Another consideration: if pursuing the issue will produce negative effects on the church, Christians can choose not to assert their legal rights. (1 Corinthians 6:7).

Jesus Christ, Juror

On 30 November 2009, Jesus Christ was struck from the jury pool in a criminal case in Jefferson County, Alabama. It was her real legal name. She used to be Dorothy Lola Killingworth. No explanation was given for the name change.

Jesus was struck from the jury for being disruptive; asking incessant questions instead of listening to instructions. Several other members of the jury pool were seen to be continually laughing.

Obviously, Dorothy ... excuse me ... Jesus, may be a little on the eccentric side, but the real Jesus was certainly, and intentionally, disruptive. He provoked distrust and hostility everywhere he went. He presented a problem for the political and religious maintainers of the status quo. The world system did not like him at all.

Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. And a man's foes [shall be] they of his own household.
 He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.
 And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.

Matthew 10:34-38.

New Blogs to Watch

I have added the following blogs to the list of blogs I watch:

The Male Domain
http://themaledomain.blogspot.com/

Three Rivers Episcopal
http://3riversepiscopal.blogspot.com/

Zach Thinks Deep
http://zachthinksdeep.blogspot.com/

Film Comment: It's the End of the World

     We're not talking here about easy stuff like an alien invasion, or rampaging hordes of flesh-eating zombies, or dystopian post-civilization films like Last Man on Earth (1964), No Blade of Grass (1970), Glen and Randa (1971), Idaho Transfer (1973), A Boy and His Dog (1975), Death Race 2000 (1975), Mad Max (1979),  Rollerblade (1986), The Time of the Wolf (2003), and I Am Legend (2007).  Those are just inconveniences.

     We're talking about end of the world, nothing left, world gone bye-bye films. There are many more than you might imagine.

     1931: La fin du monde. As a giant comet hurtles toward Earth, two brothers think the event may end all war as mankind unites against the threat. Some pray, some have orgies.

     1951: When Worlds Collide.  A wandering planet is on a collision course with the Earth.  A group of scientists/survivalists must pick who to save, fight off the rest, and make sure the survivors safely leave.

     1964: Dr. Strangelove, or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb. Considered by many to be the ultimate American film, or at least the ultimate American comedy.  A rogue military commander flips out and sends his planes to deliver nuclear warheads in an attack against Russia.  Comic mayhem ensues.  

     1988: Miracle Mile.  A young man answers a ringing pay phone.  It's a wrong number, but he learns that all-out nuclear war has begun and the missiles will arrive in little more than an hour.

     1998: Last Night.  It's the last night before the Earth is destroyed, with six hours left.  The reason is never explained but everyone is aware of it.  Some are trying to get home, some are having wild parties, some are reaching out for God, and others are just reaching out for someone.

This is described as a comedy/drama, but the comedy is of the classical tragedy type.

     2008: The Happening: Director M. Night Shyamalan's misfire starts with the disappearance of all the world's bees.  The mass suicides begin.  Earth has begun rejecting an irritant, us.

     2009: 2012.  The last day of the world according to the ancient Mayan calendar is 21 Dec. 2012.

This is a big-budget special effects spectacular.  One man may hold the key to stopping it.

     2009: Knowing.  A teacher comes to believe that a number-filled sheet from a time capsule unearthed at his son's school contains codes pointing to disasters with accurate dates and death totals.  As he checks, everything lines up, 100%.  Then he finds dates for three disasters which have haven't happened yet, including one extraordinarily special event.

     John Cusack, talking about his role in 2012, said "the movie is a big action film , but it's also about emotions.  It made me think that, if you just had this finite time left on earth, then what would you do with it?"

     The truth is that we all already have "just this finite time left on Earth" and we don't know how long that finite time period is.  Right now is the only time we have for sure.  We ...you might be dead tomorrow, or later tonight, or two minutes from now.  The end of the world comes for each of us.

Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.²But of that day and [that] hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.  Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is.  [For the Son of man is] as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch.  Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning:  Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping.  Mark 13: 31-36. 

     

Christians

At some time during their lives, the following people have publicly identified themselves as Christian.   Inclusion in this list does not indicate approval or disapproval of the person, their religious beliefs, or their actions.  This is a recurring segment in this blog.

Noel Alexandre: (b. 1639, France – d. 1724) Church historian, Dominican theologian

John Emerich Edward Dalberg Acton: (b. 1834, Italy – d. 1902) 1^st Baron Acton.  Acton was a historian educated at Paris and Munich.  A politically liberal Roman Catholic, he opposed the doctrine of Papal Infallibility.

Ivan Mikheevich Pervushin (b. 1827, Russia – d. 1900) Russian priest, meteorologist, mathematician, and statistician.   He contributed to the development of number theory and developed numerous mathematical proofs.

Harold Guy Hunt (b. 1933, Alabama – d. 2009)  Farmer, preacher, Governor of Alabama 1987-1993. In 1993 he became the first Alabama governor removed from office for a felony ethics conviction.

Sandra Kay Yow: (b. 1942, North Carolina - d. 2008) Naismith Hall of Fame Inductee (2002) who led the Elon College and the North Carolina State University women’s basketball teams to over 700 wins.  She led the United States Olympic team to a gold medal in 1988.

Another light bulb joke

How many Druids does it take to change a light bulb?

501, one to change the light bulb and 500 to align the stone