Archive June 2008
This is an archive of articles that Lincoln Cannon published in June 2008. An annual archive for 2008 is available. And a full archive of all articles that Lincoln has published since 2005 is also available. You may also search for articles and other content that Lincoln has published on any of his websites.
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Mormonism: A Religion of the Future
Recently, I gave a presentation at the Conference on the Future of Religions and Religions of the Future, held on the island of Extropia in Second Life. After the conference, my friend Giulio Prisco provided a good write-up. Here’s the transcript of my presentation from that conference, as delivered by ... -
A Mormon Darwinism
On the Mormon blog, By Common Consent, in a post entitled “Towards a Mormon Darwinism,” Steven P asked how readers reconcile evolution with various aspects of Mormonism. And he wondered whether we could do so while preserving notions of God’s creation, Adam’s fall, and Christ’s atonement. Of course, I think ... -
Mormon Culture of Education, Technology, and Bioethics
The Book of Mormon contains an intriguing story about a man named Lehi, who in ancient times seeks guidance from God while journeying in the desert with his family to find a new home. One morning, upon opening the door of his tent, he discovers on the ground a fine ... -
Ensign on Sharing the Gospel Using the Internet
I’ve learned that the next issue of the LDS Church magazine, The Ensign, will feature “Sharing the Gospel Using the Internet” as its cover article. It is an adaptation of a talk given by Elder M. Russell Ballard, who has been encouraging Mormon involvement in Internet discussion and promotion of ... -
Water on Mars, and Angels
In response to an article by Transhumanist philosopher Nick Bostrom, I wrote recently about the significance of finding basic life forms on another planet, such as Mars. In summary, if basic life forms are probable in the universe then advanced life forms must also be probable or we’re probably doomed. ... -
Mormon Theology in Relation to Science and Technology
I often have the opportunity to present to groups interested in learning about parallels between Mormon and Transhumanist views of the future. Below is a summary of how I understand Mormon metaphysics, theodicy, eschatology and soteriology in relation to contemporary science and technology. Metaphysics Mormon metaphysics (a description of the ... -
Looking for God in the Wrong Places
I recently came across an interesting blog post entitled “An Alien God,” by Eliezer Yudkowsky, who is a Transhumanist AI researcher. In the post, Eliezer describes biological evolution and compares it to various ideas of God. In the end, he concludes that evolution is much more like Azathoth, a blind ...