A new system of ethics that is winning over many of our cultural elite and is especially popular among tech entrepreneurs, such as Elon Musk and Sam Bankman-Fried, is called "longtermism." It teaches that good works and philanthropy should be directed to the future. preventing human extinction and promoting values that will create a "eutopia."
Technology has undoubted benefits. But modern technology can bring with it a certain mindset and worldview--utilitarianism, materialism, and reductionism--which, in turn, can lead to unintended consequences. A Swedish theologian applies the insights of Jacques Ellul, writing in the 1950s, to our current technological climate. Read more
What books have not only influenced you but inspired you?
When we think of "transgender," we usually think of men wanting to become women and women wanting to become men. But most of the 130 gender identities we cited yesterday are NON-BINARY. That is, individuals who identify as neither men nor women. They may be casualties of the sexual revolution and of radical feminism.
The city of San Francisco is launching a program called Guaranteed Income for Trans People (GIFT), which will give 55 low-income transgendered individuals $1,200 per month for 18 months. The application lists 130 gender identities, 15 pronoun choices, and 17 sexual orientations.
Despite China's harsh controls over its citizens and its draconian "no COVID" lockdowns, unprecedented protests have erupted across the country. The catalyst was a fire in an apartment building that killed 10 people who could not escape because quarantine enforcers had locked the doors. But the protests are going beyond COVID restrictions to demand freedom, democracy, and the end of communism.
We've been worrying about politics and sorting through political theories. But Advent is a good time to remember that ultimately none of that matters. The true King has come and is coming again.
The conventional wisdom assumes that education is a secularizing factor, so that the more education a person has, the less likely the person will be affiliated with a religion. But researchers have found the opposite. Sort of.
The aftermath of Thanksgiving and the advent of Advent are good times to reflect on the good things in our lives. What are you feeling especially thankful for?
The Bible connects thanksgiving with sacrifice. In the Levitical sacrificial system, gratitude to God was expressed by sacrificing an animal, bringing bread, then eating it in a feast. Later, the Bible speaks of the sacrifice of thanksgiving not just as a ritual but as a condition of the heart. It is still a sacrifice, though, since gratitude involves denial of self.
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