LifeDate Fall 2023 – How to Use Your Gospel-Motivated Voice For Life
by Pastor Michael Salemink
Lutherans For Life’s board of directors from time to time issues position statements. Previous issues addressed include capital punishment, embryo adoption, in vitro fertilization, stem cell research, population control, and of course abortion and euthanasia. You can access these documents here.
The directors adopted another official position statement for the organization at their most recent meeting. This one concerns a pursuit known as Transhumanism. It has less to do with gender and more to do with technology. Transhumanism represents a viewpoint and movement that prioritizes enhancing, advancing, and evolving human nature. It wants to exceed current capacities—by combining the body with chemical and mechanical elements or converting the person into electricities and information—and attain immortality. For example, transhumanists believe we can eventually capture memory, intellect, and character in codes and programs, then archive them on computers and extend this “existence” indefinitely. Artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and even neurological implants for digital interfacing (mind communicating directly with machine) offer frontiers for the transhumanist enterprise.
Clearly, Transhumanism is attempting a salvation by human works. It defies the sanctity of life by regarding the humanity Almighty God creates, redeems, and calls as somehow provisional or insufficient. Instead, Transhumanism would modify what humanity means and redefine a new kind of being. It goes beyond good, right, and salutary medical applications that pioneer processes or structures (like pacemakers or prosthetics) that replace damaged anatomical members or supplement deficient physiological functions and restore them to normal. Undoubtedly the “progress” Transhumanism idolizes would require experimentation that endangers especially the vulnerable. Christians do recognize that the Gospel promises a perfecting of both the individual body and the human race by virtue of our Lord’s incarnation and resurrection (Philippians 3:20-21; 1 John 3:2). But this we receive as God’s own doing after the manner of Jesus Himself, whose risen self remained fully of the human species.
Transhumanism
WHEREAS, Scripture clearly states that the Lord God Almighty, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, created and still preserves all human life (Job 10:12); and
WHEREAS, God has authoritatively and intricately knit each as He wills, in the mother’s womb (Psalm 139:13-16); and
WHEREAS, Human life, even though marred by the Fall and resulting in sin and death, has a unique and valued place in God’s creation (Genesis 9:6; Psalm 8:5); and
WHEREAS, Our Lord Jesus Christ sanctified human life by His incarnation, crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension; and
WHEREAS, God, through His Word and His Spirit, uses even things that the world sees as limitations for His glory and for the good of our neighbor (Romans 8:28; I Corinthians 12:22); and
WHEREAS, God may heal certain diseases or conditions through medicine and technology to ameliorate incapacity and suffering (Jeremiah 8:22; Ecclesiastes 3:3); and
WHEREAS, God has provided His Word to reveal the Christ, to tell us how He gives faith, to give us hope, and to enable us to live lives pleasing to Him (John 5:39; Ephesians 2:8; Hebrews 11:1; I Thessalonians 4:1; I Peter 3:15); and
WHEREAS, God has given those baptized into Christ His Holy Spirit to guide them into all truth and comfort them in life and in death (John 16:13; John 14:16); and
WHEREAS, Transhumanism is a mindset and movement that attempts to achieve immortality through human efforts; and
WHEREAS, Transhumanism endeavors to enhance human nature beyond the abilities and function given by God; and
WHEREAS, Transhumanism embodies the Darwinist idea that humans, having evolved from lower forms of life, are therefore capable of evolving into a “master race” with the help of technology and psychology; and
WHEREAS, Transhumanism is based on a subjective view of reality that teaches that humans can be whatever they visualize themselves as being (Genesis 3:5; Genesis 11:4); and
WHEREAS, Transhumanism, as an ideology and a pursuit, represents a faith and doctrine that is incompatible with Christianity; therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That all in Christ should give thanks to God for all that He provides for our good as ones created, redeemed, and called to be His own; and be it further
RESOLVED, That Lutherans For Life recognizes technology as a divine blessing to be used in faith toward Him and love toward the neighbor (examples include the Roman roads that were used to spread the Gospel and the printing press that was used to spread the Reformation); and be it further
RESOLVED, That all in Christ should be wise in the use of all technology so as not give any opportunity to Satan to tempt those in Christ or further his efforts to deceive by imitation of works of God; and be it further
RESOLVED, That Lutherans For Life opposes Transhumanism as defined above, as contrary to God’s will and encourages all to remain aware of its nature and evil effects, most notably the rejection of the glory and promises of God in Christ; and be it finally
RESOLVED, That all in Christ should not attempt to transcend our God-given human nature and functions, but rather seek to fulfill our God-created purpose.