Wednesday, August 29, 2007

And if man could create life?

Great problem he would create. I was reading a blog topic (http://1001gatos.org/uma-definicao-definitiva-de-vida/) about the Science dream of create life in laboratory. In fact, the dream is much more incredible. We want to create life from inorganic matter. That’s something, but are we able? Looks like we found in the silicium the best substitute for carbon-based organic matter, the first step to the creation of life.

Ok, that’s cool, but what are the effects of this accomplishment? I don’t want to talk about clone process here, but was the first barrier that we tried to cross. Some scientists like the idea others hate. And that brings some very interesting point to the issue. Follow this. Francis S. Collins, Director of the Genome project said in a interview to a Brazilian Magazine, that make clones would make us hate ourselves more, would make us feel more dirty. And I agree with him. The ethics questions that this situation can raise are beyond our capacity to deal with them. All the world would be shaken by this issue. The very core of our existence would be put into a serious discussion.

So what about creating life? I think you already got the picture. The ethics issues concerning creation of life are way too higher and deeper then clone problem. Imagine the superficial questions raised within. What this being would be? What the meaning of his existence? What should we be for it, Masters, gods, fathers, brothers? If they are our creation, it’s our responsibility, should we guarantee his existence? Would it be free? And the list is endless.

If the last question gets a positive answer, then this apply that our creation could turn back against us! It means, that could have the right to fight against us, hate us, blame us, do exactly what we do to God. If you don’t believe in God, is exactly that free will that should be granted to the creation. I know, we are talking about an intelligent form of life, and I know will not start with that, but for sure is the desired end. Although could be just like an animal in the start, but no matter what form of life or evolution state still would raise ethics questions beyond our existence knowledge. At least the scientific knowledge available about our existence, origin and reason for living.

Don’t look obvious that with all this ethic questions, and need of knowledge, science and religion should let their prejudice behind and start to seek the needed answers? Religion is not trying to deny science anymore, that’s from the Dark age. In another hand, science is going too far ignoring the power who made our ethics cultural, religion. We can deny it legitimacy but not it existence and power. Science came that far ignoring religion, but is going to a point where gonna have to face it. Doesn’t matter how much advanced it would be. And if religion has the answer? I am not talking about the religion system, but the religion content? Bad christians are like bad scientists. Humans are imperfect every where. Even Richard Dawkins is antipathy and arrogant as also George W. Bush. But, wait, that's is not the topic .

Sunday, August 26, 2007

Who in history would You like to meet?

This is my first try to reach another kind of audience to my articles and thoughts. Some of my articles will be posted in English. This will help me to improve my English skills, and world wide the discussions on Theology, Philosophy, religion and politics from our Modern Context blog. Feel free to comment my grammar and vocabulary mistakes, as also the topic itself.

I believe that when a question like this cross our minds we obviously seek for a name in the modern history. People who made our world what it is today. But I would like to go a little further, in fact, back in remote history. I would like to know personally Moses. I know, it's a Bible person. Although I am not Jew, I like very much the history of this legend. Who is considered strongly until today in the Israeli's culture. The Christians has some guilty on his fame too, but It all started in the Egipt’s great period in history.
What calls my attention most, in the history of Moses is his commitment to help his people and obey his God. I feel that we have less committed persons in this world with the good direction of old values. We are more interested in live for profit, peace and happiness. And looks like Moses was not thinking in this at all. Yes, he was trying to take his people to a peaceful place, a profitable land and a happy living. But was much more than this. His history tells us that he died without receive his final reward. He did not give one single step into “promise land”. But history, and when I say "history", I mean tradition and Bible itself, says that he died with God. Wich means that he's values were even more strong and in a high priority place than his personal wishes. He was able to die without yell for his own life. He maybe yelled, but never argued, or turned against His God, Who was literally deciding his life to end.
That is not usual in our context anymore. People just care for it´s own belly Button. Where can we find committed persons worried with the meaning of life or his own relevance to this world and history? There are too few. We complete lost our hope, now we don´t want to “loose” our fading time dedicated to what don´t makes us feel “alive”! We must FEEL the life the more we can cause soon or later we won´t gonna feel anything anymore. That´s assuming death, while living. We are waiting for the worst and living like that was inevitable. In another words, we changed the view from the outside values to the inside values. We stopped to look for an answer out of us, and conformed to our own and single existence like if it was the end in itself. Then, of course, we´ll never more feel hope, cause humans aren´t the reason of life.
I have to confess now, I believe in Moses. And the Jewish tradition and also the Christian, says that Moses is alive. No, he is not Elvis. He is alive for real, in Heaven right now. But we are not talking in life after death here, Jude said in his canonical book, that God raised Moses from dead and taked him alive to Heaven. In another words, I believe for sure that one day I will meet Moses. You can call it bullshit or childish thought, I call it faith. Moses call it the same. And even been a beautiful legend that you might never believe, It still was the reason to a complete committed person with real values of life. It still inspire us. It still show us, that this life worth living and spending for greater good, and has no values on humanity itself. It´s beyond us.

If you understand Portuguese, go to our Portuguese version blog at http://contextomoderno.blogspot.com The content is not the same, although I’ll start to translate my previous posts in Portuguese to post here.