Transhumanism

Transhumanism, as described by Leigh in his seminar, taken to its logical conclusion is objectionable and problematic on a number of levels. Not only in terms of whether or not it can be considered a religious movement, but politically and ethically it is silent in regard to equality and sustainability, privileging the knowledge and worldview of a select few that consider themselves at the forefront of human development. In embracing scientific materialism it forgoes any sense of metaphysical transcendence or overarching ethical framework to work within. In this respect, it is not dissimilar to libertarian philosophies and can be recognised as a product of the neo-liberal paradigm it has been developed within. As a side, but not unimportant point, is also amusing to see groups that largely identify as atheist adopt religious language in order to better articulate their position.

By advocating a future where human cognition is augmented by technology, thereby transcending our animal nature through physical enhancements rather than through 'hoping' or 'coping' (Hopkins 2005: 15-17), transhumanism veers toward a type of social darwinism. The unlikelihood of universal access to such procedures would result in a further inequality within communities and across the globe. Further to this, claims that advances in technology will lead to greater health and happiness ignore the growing rates of obesity in the West and the increasing awareness of mental health problems that many people face.

Reference

Hopkins, Patrick. 2005. 'Transcending the animal.' Journal of  Evolution and Technology, 14(2): 13-28

Prescribing religion?

Given the links between improved health and religious belief and practice, the question of whether or not a non religious individual should adhere to a set of religious beliefs purely for the health benefits is raised. A common perspective, adopted by a number of health professionals, would argue in terms of a utilitarian perspective. That is, if the efficacy is there, then a treatment plan that encouraged the uptake of religious practice should be put in place (Astrow et al 2001: 283, Larimore et al 2002: 70). However, this is to misrepresent the data, and avoids two important qualifications. The first is whether or not it is religious or spiritual belief itself driving the health benefits, or rather the associated lifestyle practices of the religious individual that has the positive effect (Astrow et al 2001: 284). Whether these practices are abstaining from alcohol or other intoxicants, regular exercise or regular social contact, it could be that patients should be encouraged to adopt aspects of these behaviours, rather than a faith per se. 

The second aspect that must be considered is this utilitarian approach itself. Taking something such as religion, that for many people is an end in itself, and adopting it as a means to an end without any of the associated meaning making that provides for that fuller, lived experience is worthy of pause for thought, not only on ethical grounds, but it may be that without the deeper, inner connection, then the efficacy is lessened anyway. Cohen et al (2000) argue that without the sincerity, religion can not be practised for it's associated health benefits alone (42). Indeed, there is more to the deeper connection to God than simply having one's needs met, and to think otherwise is a flawed understanding of theistic faith (Cohen et al 2000: 43).

References

Astrow A.B., C.M. Puchalski, & D. P. Sulmasy. 2001. 'Religion, spirituality, and health care: Social, ethical, and practical considerations'. The American 

Journal of Medicine 110: 283-287.

Cohen C.B., S.E. Wheeler, D.A. Scott, & the  Anglican Working Group in Bioethics. 2000. 'Prayer as therapy: A challenge to both religious belief and professional ethics'. The Hastings Centre Report 30(3): 40-47.

Larimore W.L., M. Parker, & M. Crowther. 2002. 'Should clinicians incorporate positive spirituality into their practices?  What does the evidence say? Annals of Behavioural Medicine 24 (1): 69-73

Translating a Chinese text into English, via Sanskrit or Gandhari

In Taking Account of the Indic Source Text (2010), Rod Bucknell demonstrates at length the nuanced reading that is required when translating a Chinese text into English when the Chinese itself has been translated from Indic languages such as Sanskrit or Gandhari. This is illustrated as he describes the process by which he transcribed the Chinese Buddhist texts Taisho Volumes One and Two (Bucknell 2010: 45).

A parallel text - early writings which informed the initial Indic text - are of immense value in attempting to reconstruct the meaning and intention of the source material. With this backgrounding, the Chinese can be translated to Pali - a language closer to the Indic languages - which can then be translated into English. Bucknell likens this to a mental reconstruction, in skeleton form, of the Indic languages, that can then be fleshed out as it were, allowing for a more accurate English translation (Bucknell 2010: 46). Given the inconsistencies of the Chinese texts, this step preceding an English translation is necessary.

While this approach is generally favourable to accurate translations, there are occasions where distinctions must be made not only between mistranslations into Chinese and genuine doctrinal disagreements, but also where double meaning may exist which to stress or value over the other (Bucknell 2010: 49-50). Further challenges arise as a result of some Chinese characters bearing close resemblance to one another, and thus the underlying reasoning for both must be sought. Ideally, one set of characters would fit closely with the meaning in Pali or Sanskrit, and the other would not, meaning that it is an error in the copying, rather than two equally plausible translations with significantly differing interpretations (Bucknell 2010: 51).


References

Bucknell, Rod. 2010. Taking  account of the Indic Source-text. In Translating Buddhist Chinese:
Problems and Prospects. (K. Meisig, ed.) Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz, 45-52.

Future of Christianity?

The future of Christianity is a fascinating and complex subject, able to be explored from a number of angles. I believe there is an opportunity for the Church to re-engage with the secular West by articulating a position founded upon social justice and the many ways theology can interact with the arts, the environment and the social sciences. This approach to theology is described by Placher and Nelson (2013) as "one of a matrix with many nodes, rather than a wheel with a single center" (266). Similarly, 'process theology' as developed by Alfred Whitehead, is a metaphysical approach to theology that sees the world as a series of interconnected processes driven by the love of a poetic God.

The foundation for a theology with a focus on social justice can be found in Liberation Theology, a Catholic movement that arose in South America in the 1960's. The recent appointment of Pope Francis - the first South American Pope - is perhaps a sign that the Catholic church realises that it's future lies in developing countries, and a message centred on God's love for the poor. An integral parable in Liberation Theology is that of the shepherd and his lost sheep. In essence, God cares more for the sheep, lost on its own and separated from the flock, than the majority of sheep that are together and safe. This is used to demonstrate to those in rural, agricultural economies that God has a plan for the poor, and that while they may not be wealthy, and life can be difficult, He has not forgotten them (Hoy 1986: 3, Placher and Nelson 2013: 267-8). It is quite a political theological stance in many respects, and is concerned equally with religious behaviour through practical work with those in need as it is with scripture (Gutierrez in Siker 1996: 46-7).

Thus, there are avenues here that can be pursued and promoted by Western Christianity to re-engage with the secular West. As it stands, the church appears to hold a reputation amongst those that would not consider themselves religious as either a stuffy institution plagued by scandal, or 'mega-church' with a focus on the youth, wealth accumulation and 'daggy' rock music.


References Cited

Placher, William C., and Derek R. Nelson. 2013. A History of Christian Theology : An Introduction. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2013.

Siker, Jeffrey S. 1996. 'Uses of the Bible in the Theology of Gustavo Gutierrez: Liberating Scriptures of the Poor.' Biblical Interpretation, 4(1): 40-71.

Secularization

While the increased secularization of the West has been a process that developed historically following the Enlightenment, it seems as though this process has sped up rapidly over the last decade. In his essay, Rethinking Secularization: A Global Comparative Perspective (2006), Casanova seeks to clarify what is meant by the term secularization, and demonstrates how difficult it is to draw broad conclusions to explain the secularization in both the United States and Europe, not least of all because, as he identifies, there are three ways in which the term secularization can been understood. These three approaches are as follows: secularization as the decline of religious beliefs and practices, as the privatization of religion and as the differentiation of the secular spheres (Casanova 2006: 7). He argues that none of these three approaches can adequately explain the different experiences and contexts of secularization around the world and across different faiths. Casanova also questions the extent to which any form of secularization can or should fully do away with religious influence in the public sphere (Casanova 2006: 20).

Reflecting on the discussion in class, and the accounts of people's reluctance to identify as spiritual or religious, I wonder if the confluence of celebrity atheists and ubiquitous social media has played a role in leading people under the age of thirty to be disdainful of religious movements. It seems to me that people use facebook and twitter to construct a public identity, defining themselves for others by what they 'like,' and equally, what they dislike. When Ricky Gervais and Richard Dawkins post snarky (at best) tweets about religion, their legions of fans and followers will spread it around, defining themselves in the process. Amidst this atmosphere of scorn, it is not hard to see why some may be reticent to speak about their thoughts on religion and spirituality. This goes well beyond the secularization of the public sphere that Casanova wrote of, to an adversarial position whereby opposition to religious influence includes not just religious institutions but also religious individuals.

References Cited

Casanova, J. 2006. Rethinking secularization. Institute for Advanced Studies in Culture.
http://iasc-culture.org/THR/archives/AfterSecularization/8.12CCasanova.pdf

Voice and Representation

I always feel hesitant to give my opinion on what other cultures should be doing. I'm aware of my own privileged status as a white male, and tend to get irritated with others like me for speaking out on issues that are either none of their concern, or they can't possibly fully understand.

However, given that, I have some general thoughts on culture and the Arts and the merits of distinct voices being given an opportunity to tell their stories. Essentially, I see opportunities for everyone to benefit in a number of ways. The mainstream / dominant culture is broadened and benefits from seeing other perspectives, while the minority / indigenous culture is empowered and given a voice. There are also opportunities for collaboration - as was pointed out in the Raheja reading - a valuable process in terms of both strengthening relationships between the participants and also the results it can generate (Raheja 2011: 195). Collaboration is also a learning experience and has its own value to the individual as well.

Another perhaps overlooked aspect of the Arts is that given the general lack of funding, any program or endeavour that creates opportunities to work shouldn't be rejected out of hand, purely because it doesn't live up to an ideal of how we as the mainstream feel about how indigenous people should be represented / should represent themselves. Deborah Mailman's character in The Secret Life of Us for example, was a strong character that happened to be Aboriginal, yet was multi-faceted and had depth beyond that.

In my experience, indigenous and non-indigenous artists (both actors and musicians) tend to understand that to be paid to create is a privilege that doesn't extend to everyone that would like the opportunity. Individuals can always say no, but shouldn't necessarily be judged too harshly for opting for the money every now and then.





Raheja, M.H. 2010. Visual Sovereignty, Indigenous Revisions of Ethnography, and Atanarjuat  (The Fast Runner). In Reservation Reelism : Redfacing, Visual Sovereignty, and  Representations of Native Americans in Film. University of Nebraska Press. Ch. 5, Ebook.

Framing the Media.

I am obsessed with framing. Looking for bias, looking for silences. Commercial networks, and even the ABC, are so consistent in the way they frame stories that it feels as though I am unrepresented and left without a voice on so many national issues. This lack of engagement is frustrating, though for me it arises out of a sense of feeling completely out of touch with mainstream Australia. I imagine it would be a lot worse if I was part of a minority group that, as a result of media portrayal, felt stigmatised, completely misrepresented and completely misunderstood.

It is here the media have to weigh up their responsibilities. Are they to the public, owed fair and balanced reports, with experts providing facts? Or is the media responsible to its owners, to its advertisers and its shareholders, whereby the public are presented with populist reports that re-affirm existing opinions, a dash of celebrity news and a healthy side of sport. It is a comfortable formula, and it is a cheap (non expensive) formula. International stories can be syndicated (from other media organisations owned by the same media group), the political narrative is overly simplified and crime is committed by monsters who need to be kept off the street.

It is the nature of the media machine though. A half hour spot in prime-time is so valuable in terms of viewers (potential consumers) that a low risk approach has to be taken to maximise the opportunity for the companies that are spending money, buying expensive advertising during the commercial breaks of the program. Not only that, but half an hour doesn't allow for context or in depth analysis of more than a couple of stories anyway, particularly when the subject is 'youth crime' or 'religious extremists.' Instead, broad generalisations - that are so far from the truth as to not really mean anything -  abound, and viewers are given an appraisal of events that can do more harm than good.

Given this, it is little wonder that minority groups are the targets of vicious attacks, both on line and physical. It is a nasty underbelly that exists not only in Australia, but across North America, Europe and Scandinavia, and it will take a courageous politician or media figurehead to stand up to it and discuss why it's so damaging.