From: Marc Geddes (marc_geddes@yahoo.co.nz)
Date: Sat Dec 18 2004 - 23:44:10 MST
Annual Christmas address by
Marc Geddes, Spiritual Adviser to Singularity
Institute ;)
The date of December 25th was actually adopted by the
Christians from an earlier religion - the Persian
religion of Mithras. Mithras was a cosmic warrior
fighting for truth and justice. The word in Persian
means 'Contract' and/or 'Friendliness'. Mithras
fought and won the battle against evil, and his
victory bought altruistic abundance to the Earth. The
birthday of this ancient Eastern God? Believe it or
not: It is December 25th.
Events continue to accelerate towards the post-human
future. We have crossed the lower slopes of the curve
representing 'The Spike' and now the curve is
steepening. The early adopter/pioneering days of
transhumanism - the days of F.M.Esfandiary and of the
young Max More - are over. The 'time of quickening'
is upon us, as gems of ideas from the early days are
deepened and developed, as what was a little known
band of enthusiasts becomes a movement, as dreams
start to crystallize into reality and what was
marginalized starts to morph into the mainstream.
Yet there is cause for concern. Existential threats
loom on the horizon, closer perhaps than they first
appeared. The promised fruits of Bio-tech, Info-tech
and Nano-tech are still tantalizingly out of reach,
further away perhaps than we may have hoped. As to
AI, there is no way of knowing how far one is from
destination until one reaches it. Further away yet
perhaps, than its enthusiasts may like to believe.
Several leading transhumanists lost loved ones this
year, reminding us of the precarious and often brutal
nature of our current human condition.
The transhumanist future can still be won, but the
chances of success are perhaps not as high they once
seemed to us. It is clear that at the least a much
greater effort will be needed if we are to win through
to the world we fondly dream of. This time of
quickening now demands action, not words. It demands
deep thinking and level headed analysis, not hype or
facile optimism. The world may yet fall into the
shadow of darker side of human nature.
Yet the Christmas period of gift-giving, feasting and
celebration reminds us of the promises implicit in the
light in humanity. Altruism, fertility and peace.
The ancient Persian God ‘Mithras’ - the word means
'Friendliness' - defeated evil and ushered in a new
age. This was signified by the dis-lodging of the
Bull -represented by Taurus - from its prominent place
in the Zodiac. The blood of the Bull bought endless
altruism, fertility and peace to the Earth. The
promise of altruism as first grasped by the ancient
Persians is what we are celebrating on December 25th.
=====
"Live Free or Die, Death is not the Worst of Evils."
- Gen. John Stark
"The Universe...or nothing!"
-H.G.Wells
Please visit my web-sites.
Sci-Fi and Fantasy : http://www.prometheuscrack.com
Mathematics, Mind and Matter : http://www.riemannai.org
Find local movie times and trailers on Yahoo! Movies.
http://au.movies.yahoo.com
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