Chris Wren of Mondolithic Studios posts an interesting article which contends that transhumanism isn’t a distinct movement or philosophical school. Rather it is simply one manifestation of the myriad of ways that human beings are technological. See Mondolithic Sketchbook: AREN’T WE ALREADY TRANSHUMANISTS?

Certainly this would fit with claims that transhumanism is a useful label from promoting certain ideas about humans and technology, but that it is little more than that. See also: Greenflame: Is transhumanism passé?

Editing a section on virtual reality ethics and I see this The Shire of Bend. Virtual reality of sorts. I wonder if you’re required to wear rustic costume too?

Andrew Butcher has posted a variety of links on his blog to a new Massey University report he co-authored about immigrants to NZ facing discrimination when seeking employment in spite of being well (or over) qualified.

See Immigrants face employment discrimination. The full report: Butcher, Spoonley and Trlin (2006) Being Accepted: The Experience of Social Exclusion and Discrimination by Migrants and Refugees in New Zealand, (PDF 665KB) is available for download here New_Settlers_Discrimination_Report_no_13.pdf

There’s also a link to the radio interview about the paper at Radio Interview – Immigration research.

Back by popular(?) demand the next series of Bluffer’s Guide to Theology is back on. This series is entitled “The Bluffer’s Guide to Heresy” which sounds provocative. See virtualtheology.net » 2006: The Bluffer’s Guide rides again!

I thought the first series was good value, and as with last time, you can subscribe to their podcast. Handouts etc. on the web site from the last series too.

At the end of September the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand has its General Assembly. Among the things being discussed this time, there is the proposal to adopt a new confession of faith (produced over the past few years by the Focal Identity Statement Task Group) as the Subordinate Standards of the PCANZ. This would replace the current Subordinate Standards – the Westminster Confession of Faith and the Larger and Shorter Catechisms. The Bible remains the Supreme Standard.

You can download the proposed document as a PDF file from the PCANZ web site here. The Confession of Faith forms Appendix 1, while Appendix 2 contains explanatory notes about the confession. Both would become the Subordinate Standards. The introductory material in the document explains some of the history behind the proposal and the process that it has gone through to get to this point.

It will be interesting to see if it gets adopted, and what amendments are proposed.

Brief article about access and use of information techonology in US education arena at CNN.com – Digital divide separates students – Sep 5, 2006. It points out that while getting educational institutions online helps improve access and skills for students that does not address the “out of school” access that complements it, and which is significant in shaping students opportunities and skills.

Here’s something I hadn’t considered. Taking the 9/11 Commission’s report and reworking it in a comicbook/graphic form to make it accessible for a different audience. See The 9/11 Report – Graphic Adaptation by Sid Jacobson and Ernie Colón.

A while back Brian Edgar, Director of Public Theology for the Australian Evangelical Alliance, wrote a good summary paper on some of the theological issues arising from transhumanism and the notion of the cyborg. It’s written in reasonably accessible language (one doesn’t need to be a theological or technological expert) and was originally presented at a seminar on ‘Humans and Machines’ at The Centre for Apologetic Scholarship and Education, New College UNSW in November 2004.

I picked up a copy from the ISCAST (Institute for the Study of Christianity in an Age of Science and Technology) web site – ISCAST – God, Persons and Machines: Theological Reflections. It’s also available, along with others public theology papers, from Edgar’s web page.

It was Father’s Day last Sunday here in NZ and my family, knowing me like they do, gave me a DVD containing the three “robot” episodes of the Six Million Dollar Man. I have been since explaining to my children that when I was their age the show permeated all of my childhood existence. We played Six Million Dollar Man in school lunchtimes, there were branded ice creams with stickers, board games and posters (I remember sending off to TV One to get one).

And there were the action figures! 12″ high with the rubber skin you could peel back to see the “bionics” and the glass eye to look through, mine came with the engine that Steve Austin would lift if you used the ratchet button on the back. And the trendy 70′s tracksuit! If only I’d saved mine – I see they’re collectors items now.

I really, really wanted the Bionic Transport and Repair Station, but apart from that add-on (and some of the board games) I can’t remember seeing any of the other merchandise here in NZ. I was pretty happy though to go through the spinning tunnel from the Bigfoot episode at Universal Studies a few years later though (as was my sister when she got to sit in KITT and it conversed with her).

Maybe it was Steve Austin who shaped my ultimate direction to researching the religious implications of cyborgs? I must make a note of what my children are watching.

A few links that popped up in the last week with a Roman Catholic theme.

Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | Pope prepares to embrace theory of intelligent design. Basically all theistic religions believe in a creator and hence that the universe was in some way ‘designed’. It will be interesting to see it the link to a ’6 day creation’ develops though.

Catholics cast wider net with rent-a-priest service – 01 Sep 2006 – Religion and beliefs.

The Christian Century: Going Catholic – Six journeys to Rome by Jason Byassee. Related link Greenflame: Looking back, looking forward – historical connections for the faith including a link to McKnight’s “From Wheaton to Rome”.