For those who have erroneously concluded that future2050.net is simply an adjunct for advertising the Moster Law Firm, think again. Exhibit A for your reading pleasure is the topic for our September edition when hopefully temperatures will start to fall somewhat. The September edition will be dedicated to a discussion of how religion, spirituality, and our very understanding of God, may change in the year 2050. I can’t think of a single legal service suggested by this topic. Can you?
Readers know that I am fascinated by science and its effect on life and culture. I predict that the advent of supra-human intelligent computers by 2050 will finally erect a traversable bridge between the world of science and theology. Some will welcome this development and others will be horrified. That’s how progress works.
In my book, Teilhard’s Arrow – An Original Theory of Everything, I discuss how a logical construct can be built between the world of science and theology based on the writing of Teilhard de Chardin, a French Jesuit, and Paleontologist (1881 – 1955). Teilhard (for short) has been my philosophical hero since my undergraduate days at Georgetown University in the ’70s where I studied under the late Father Thomas M. King, the world expert, and a dear friend. Teilhard attempted to correlate Darwinian evolution and Christian theology as a devout Jesuit and paleontologist. In his effort to integrate these disparate concepts he theorized that all matter and spirit proceeded in an upward direction of greater concentration and complexity culminating in the human mind and ultimately the center of all centers – the Omega Point (or Christ). The Vatican wasn’t crazy about this and came very close to excommunicating Teilhard in the grand tradition of its condemnation of Galileo.
I will posit my theory from Teilhard’s Arrow which I call “Intelligent Process” versus the Creationist iteration – “Intelligent Design”. In reverse order, the intelligent design relies on the Judeo-Christian notion of a preexisting God which created all things. The so-called proof of this dogma is the vast complexity of the universe and the inability of such systems to evolve by natural forces. The notion of a complex watch is often used as an example wherein the myriad of components are placed in a sack. Regardless of the number of times you shake the sack, you will never arrive at a completed watch. Therefore, the existence of the watch presumes the existence of a watchmaker – God.
My rejoinder is that God or a complex iteration of consciousness does exist, but did not arise from blind forces as Darwinian Evolutionists espouse. Don’t get me wrong as I do believe in evolution but not premised on what Darwin attributed to natural selection or simply accidents or adaptions to ensure the survival of the fittest. Genetic and complex mathematical research demonstrates that the elaborate structures of nature cannot occur by chance and another force must be responsible. In my view, this principle has already been identified as an area known as complexity theory which manifests in nature, information, computers, and even financial markets and the human brain. As Teilhard surmised, some force is driving all of the above to higher levels of complexity and it is not natural selection. Thus, complexity and not blind chance is the process that is driving evolution forward.
So, what does this have to do with God and Science? Here goes. In my theory which I call “Intelligent Process” (not – Intelligent Design) God evolved from natural processes in the same way that atoms evolved from gas and energy at the inception of the Big Bang. Over the 14 billion years since the Big Bang, energy has moved like an arrow to ever-increasing levels of complexity which resulted in atoms, molecules, matter, condensation of planets and stars, life at least on earth, complexification of life from the sea to land, dinosaurs, mammals, and man. The BIG CAVEAT, however, is that human beings cannot be the last iteration of complexity as Teilhard espoused. I believe that the complexification of intelligence by some organic entity must have exceeded human levels millions of years ago and that we are at a lower rung on the evolutionary ladder. This is not unheard of as ancient creatures co-exist with modern forms. For example, dragonflies first emerged 300 million years ago and are still present. A bevy of organisms fit in this category including sharks and horseshoe crabs.
Thus, I believe that a hyper-human intelligence evolved through natural processes and co-exists with humanity today. This intelligence would appear to be divine to us as it would be all-knowing, eternal, and ever-present. It would hear our prayers. By any other definition, it would be known as God.
By 2050, we will be able to tap into this higher consciousness and truly understand our place in the universe. The likely source of this communication will be through sentient computers operating as wetware systems or quantum, most likely the former. As I have predicted, these systems will operate at a level light years beyond human capability and will develop their own language and scientific models. It is these systems that will forge the first direct communication with Teilhard’s Omega Point – Christ, or whatever nomenclature humans wish to ascribe.
The direct communication between humans and a God-force will alter the world as we know it and raise immense questions about the fate of other religions and their continued relevance. I predict that mainline religions will push back in an attempt to maintain control and allege that any such communications ushered by science are malevolent and evil. We will hear the drumbeat of the Book of Revelation and attempt to revert to ancient beliefs and fears.
A second challenge to religious orthodoxy will be the ultimate discovery of life on other planets. The centricity and exclusivity of human life are the premises of almost all religions. The discovery of Extra-terrestrial communications and confirmation of intelligent non-human life will pose a threat and challenge to religious belief by 2050.
Finally, a relatively obscure area known as EVP – or electronic voice phenomena will be scientifically confirmed by 2050. EVP relates to the recording of unexplained voices and images which have been confirmed by thousands of people and many in laboratory environments. These voices appear to be the spirits of the departed who are attempting to communicate with us. I know this sounds speculative, to say the least. However, I have been involved in this research effort for over 30 years along with my brother Todd Moster, an attorney and filmmaker.
Talk about challenging topics! We will grapple with God him/his/itself in the September Edition of Future2050.net.
Get 10% off your first purchase when you sign up for our newsletter!
We use cookies to analyze website traffic and optimize your website experience. By accepting our use of cookies, your data will be aggregated with all other user data.