Nathan Key

The other day I came home and found that the internet wasn’t working. I didn’t have anything particular that I needed to do- I think I was going to check my e-mail- but I got really nervous for a moment, wondering what I was missing because my link to the world was cut off.

It was strange, though, because for a moment after my initial panic I actually felt a sense of relief. I actually felt free. There was a sudden freedom from any obligation to respond to e-mails, Facebook updates, Tweets, and RSS feeds from GoogleReader. The internet was down and so I had a legitimate excuse to be disconnected from the world and solely focused on my family. The truth is, it’s shocking that I felt this way because only a few months ago I would have been going crazy trying to figure out how to get my connection back.

Remember that scene in Matrix where Joe Pantoliano’s character Cypher begs a Sentinel to allow him back into the Matrix? I didn’t make the correlation until now, but I’m beginning to think that his need for the Matrix is similar to our need for the internet and social networking.

Can you imagine life without our current range of technologies? Could we even go back to the way it was before personal computers, cell phones, Wikipedia, Google, and Facebook inundated our culture?

I’m hard pressed to admit it, but I think we’re already enslaved to technology. Most of us couldn’t figure out a way to grow our own food, weave our own clothes, or find water that’s safe to drink. Whether or not our own technology turns on us, I think it’s pretty safe to say that any sort of major interruption would be more than most of us could handle.

I think that’s why New Orleans eroded so quickly into madness after Hurricane Katrina.

Without our technology, we’re helpless.

So, I don’t believe that AI will kill us.
I think it’s much more likely that we’ll kill ourselves off in the wake of a major power failure.

But that’s some of the beauty of these AI Monster Movies. They may not paint an accurate picture of what the world will really be like if the robots take over, but they paint a very clear symbol of the slavery that we’ve created for ourselves. As I mentioned in the first post, it’s all very much like the Tower of Babel- we’ve placed our hope in technology rather than in God and in our fellow man.

And as a result, we’re confused. We don’t understand each other any longer. We only understand our own needs and our own beliefs.

But it doesn’t have to be this way.

The other day, I was unplugged and rather than spending the evening worrying about whether or not the internet would come back on, I played with my son and I spoke with my wife. I’ve been doing that a lot more lately. In fact, last night I didn’t even look at my computer for more than a few seconds.

I spent the evening with them, instead. And I’m going to be really honest…
It was much better than the Matrix.

I love Robots and so I'm pleased to announce that Robots are the topic for this week.

Background. I watched Terminator: Salvation on Saturday with my good friend Seth and it got me thinking about AI and robots and whether or not what’s presented in Terminator, Matrix, and a number of other ‘Robots as Frankenstein’s Monster’ movies could actually happen. As it stands, I’m not really sure- but in an effort to fully explore the possibilities, I want to break this week into four different parts so that we can discuss the topic fluidly.

1. Today will be an introduction with some questions to get your reaction.
2. Wednesday will be a religious/philosophical discussion about whether AI can actually become self-aware and what it means to be human.
3. Thursday will be a religious/philosophical discussion about whether or not technology needs to begin killing us off with guns before we decide that it’s enslaved us.
4. Friday will be a political discussion about whether or not governments have the right to target ethnic groups through profiling (and even genocide?).

I can’t do an exhaustive study on robots because there are literally too many religious, philosophical, and political issues at steak in movies like these in order to sum them up in a few days. But I’m pretty sure that in one sense, all of these stories are a reiteration of the Tower of Babel- they’re all about what happens when humans place their faith, hope, and love into technology rather than on God (or even their fellow man).

You might want to read up on the Tower here and here if you’re not familiar with it. In preparation for this week, you may also want to read up on Asimov’s theories about what humans would/should do to prevent a Frankenstein’s Monster occurrence.

Questions to consider today and this week:

   Do you think AI (artificial intelligence) will ever become self-aware?
   Could we already be enslaved to technology/robots?
   Why (in fiction at least) do the things we create always rise up against us?
   Do the oppressed have the right to overthrow their oppressors?

As both Seth and Jim pointed out in the comments yesterday, the practical outworking of a theory is probably just as important as the idea itself.

I heard Brian McLaren mention something like this when he talked about how hard it is for atheists to buy into Christianity when they see the evils that the Church has perpetuated throughout the ages. They can't rationalize the teachings of Christ- even if they are correct- when the people who "practice" these beliefs are just as guilty of hate and violence as the rest of the world.

Add to that Jim's comment regarding the "fruit of the vine" which is a great reference to Jesus' own call that we should align our assumptions about who people are based on the practical outworking of their lives rather than the beliefs they claim as their own. In other words- an apple tree bears apples, and a pear tree bears pears. Even if the two look a lot alike when they're growing into maturity, the moment the fruit appears, you know what they're really made of. Likewise, the fruit of our labors and the outworking of our lives will tell what we're really made of.

Of course, this doesn't take into consideration whether or not the person really practiced what they preach.

For instance, a bankrupt individual might come up with a foolproof financial plan which could help millions get back on their feet- regardless of his own financial status. In order to really assess the merit of his ideas, we need to 1) ask him whether or not he's following his own financial plan. If he says yes, we write him off. If he says no, then we move to step 2) and get some further proof that his ideas could work if they were actually followed.

This is sort of a non-transferrable example because you'd hope that a person wouldn't proselytize a theory or belief they don't actually hold themselves- but there's probably something there.

What do you think?

I just began listening to a lecture series on Martin Heidegger, the German Philosopher with questionable ethics due to his involvement in Nazism.

Honestly, the first time I heard that he was involved with the Nazis, I got really cautious about listening to his ideas at all. I mean, why listen to the philosophy of someone who was part of one of the greatest evils of all time? What on earth could he possibly say that would have any sort of value for me?

But no sooner had that thought occurred to me, than another one entered my head: Why is it that I'm so quick to judge or label everything a person is (or was) based on one area of their lives?

I can't rationalize what Hitler and the Third Reich did. It was terrible. But that doesn't mean that individuals within the Nazi Party were completely devoid of good. (What about Shindler's List, for instance?) It would be like labeling me as an American and writing off everything about me because our Country's foreign policy is pretty messed up right now.

What's more convicting to me is that in a sense, that's exactly what the Nazis did when they began a genocide against Jews, Homosexuals, and Gypsies (among other victims of the holocaust). Hitler's gang couldn't see beyond ethnicity, religion, or sexuality. They reduced human beings to one defining characteristic and made an assumption that the person was completely worthless because of it.

So, even though I'm not the one carrying the gun- if I can't see beyond the fact that Heidegger had ties to the Nazis (or if I reduce anyone to a certain label), I think it puts me on shaky ground. I think it puts me just a few steps out of line with the Nazis.

That's why I've decided to listen to this lecture  with an open mind, hoping for something good rather than assuming that I'm going to be listening to flawed logic and corruption.

Micah, Christopher, Jeff, and I have been having an excellent conversation surrounding Nietzsche, Progressives, Irony, and the Kingdom of God. I loved Micah's articulation of this idea which you should read over on his blog: End of History and Kingdom Come (parts 1-4).

Chris & Jeff had their own questions/comments, while mine were regarding Terry Eagleton's book which outlines that the New Atheists, Humanists, and Progressives are certain of humanity's ability to rise above oppression, poverty, and violence through legislation or cooperation. I've been involved in a spiritual community that's been heavily focused on social justice- they call it "Bringing the Kingdom of Heaven to Earth" and I thought that our own doctrine was eerily similar to this humanist approach to social justice.

Now, don't get me wrong- I strongly believe that we should continue these efforts. My community (and my heart as an extension) is set on making the world a better place and I think that's a good thing- an important thing. Jesus almost always met immediate physical, emotional, or relational needs before moving onto spiritual needs. But we also need to come to terms with the fact that there's a problem in the world that's not going to simply go away with a lot of hard work and cooperation- there's a soul problem. A sin problem.

Poverty is caused by sin. Violence is caused by sin.

We, as Christ-followers need to help the victims of poverty and violence, sure, but we also need to address the root issue- that the hearts of men are set against God and against each other. Until hearts change, the poor will always be among us and war will always be a reality. And as much as it pains us to admit it, heart change is something beyond the scope of human accomplishment. We can't really do in our own strength. There's no amount of Human Progress that will clear the way for men to let go of hate and fear.

Only God provides the sort of kindness that leads to repentance.

God alone can usher in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Yet, He’s allowed us to be a part of the process. And when we participate, we get to know God better and we get to be with God. That’s why it’s so important for us to engage in social justice and heart change. As Jeff mentioned: “I’m supposed to work to bring about God’s kingdom not because God needs me but because I need God.”

"Go Then, There are Other Worlds Than These"

If you're a Stephen King fan, then you know these words. They're from The Gunslinger, the first book in King's Dark Tower Series. And they're uttered by the character Jake just before he's "sacrificed" by Roland in his pursuit of said tower.

I read through The Gunslinger a few years ago and was impressed to find out that King wasn't the slush-novelist I originally thought him to be. I wanted to shove him into the John Grissom/Danielle Steele beach book category. You know- quick reads with a good story, but not a whole lot of literary content.

Now, I doubt that King will go down in history with Shakespeare or Hemingway. He's not THAT good. But as I got further into the Dark Tower, I realized that his genius isn't in crafting specific symbolic or minimalist prose, it's his ability to create volumes of metanarrative.

You see, all of the books King has ever written are actually about one story.

The Dark Tower the linchpin at the center of all his stories, holding the entire thing together. So as you read through each volume, you realize that these bits and pieces of all his stories are pointing toward something bigger.

Characters show up over and over again.

Sometimes they have different names, but if you look closely into the prose you come to find out that Randall Flagg is Raymond Fiegler, Walter o'Dim, Flagg, and just about any other character with the initials R.F.. Likewise, the Crimson King is (probably) IT, and he is mentioned over and over again in a number of books. King even writes himself (or another version of himself) into the Dark Tower.

How postmodern is that?

Anyway, when I was reading through this metanarrative of interconnected story, it made me think about Christianity and how, as a Christ-Follower, I believe that my story and the stories that I read and the lives that I interact with are bigger than what you see at face value. There are deeper meanings and hidden mysteries pointing to other worlds and other lives in the narratives that we live. We all know it, because no one escapes life without trying to figure out what it all means.

Marriage, food, sex, fashion, customs, relationships, parenting, and all the other things that happen aren't simply isolated unto themselves. They all weave in and out of each other, creating a wonderful tapestry that helps us see that we aren't alone- that something wonderful and terrifying is going on in the background.

And not just something, but SomeOne.
You see, all the great stories are about Him.

For the next few days, your daily dose of politics, philosophy, and religion may be a bit intermittent as I'm adapting to a new role as a Sr. Trainer with Liberty Mutual. I'm going to try to keep blogging through it al, but it may not update in the middle of the day as normal?

In the meantime, check out this amazing review that Chris sent my way this afternoon!

Also, be sure to send your submissions this week for the banner space on my site.

Taken from a letter written by Studdard Kennedy to his family during WW2 :

"The first prayer I want my son to learn to say for me is not, 'God, keep my Daddy safe', but 'God, make Daddy brave, and if he has hard things to do, make him strong to do them'.

Son, life and death don't matter, but right and wrong do.

Daddy dead is Daddy still. But Daddy dishonored before God is something to awful for words.

I suppose you'd like to put in something about safety too and Mother would like it too. Well, put it in afterwards, always afterwards. For it really doesn't matter as much as doing what is right."

* * *

Studdard Kennedy was a chaplain during the war. An unarmed para-military person, working on the front lines with the men who served our country during the Second World War.

Now, I've heard about the sort of firefights that went on during WW2 thanks to my grandfather's stories (as well as an endless supply of cinematic displays from Spielberg and others who are passionate about war movies) so I'm fairly certain that being a medic or a chaplain must be some of the most nerve-wracking roles in the military. You faced the same dangers as the rest of them- without being able to defend yourself against attack.

That's guts.

And I'd honor those guys even without letters like the one above. But when I see the contents of Kennedy's letter- I'm shaken. Oh to be like the men who place honor, goodness, bravery, and strength before safety. They want to be safe, sure- but never at the cost of the aforementioned attributes.

* * *

I don't know that I'm ever going to be in a war situation, but that doesn't lessen the impact of these words on my life.
I truly hope that my son will want me to be brave and strong rather than safe.
And even more than these- I pray that he'll want me to be good.

And I pray that I will be.

Unlike Bradley at Ethical Exhibitionist, I think Susan Boyle matters.

When Susan Boyle walked onto the set of Britain’s Got Talent, she was 47 years old.

And she looked it.

When she told the judges that she had dreams of being a professional singer, the cameras panned over to select faces in the audience that thought it was a joke. They did their best to suppress their laughter, but it was useless. It was obvious to them that what was about to happen would be an epic failure.

We can’t blame them of course- it's classic talent show stuff to couple a few wonderful acts with an awkward, fumbling fool with illusions of grandeur. And this frumpy old lady with her round face and dated hair captured the image of comic relief. Everyone was certain that they were about to witness a train wreck. They were certain that Susan Boyle’s fifteen minutes of fame would be achieved by butchering a song in front of millions of viewers.

So when she dazzled them instead, the room exploded in joyful shock.

I’ve never seen a standing ovation that began within seconds of a song’s beginning. But here it was, only four notes into the song and the grand cheers began erupting from the crowd and here and there the audience began to rise from their seats in surprise and pleasure until the majority of the room was standing in awe of her performance.

Lisa Schwarzbaum, from Entertainment Weekly is still watching the youtube clip over and over again- weeping for joy each time. In a recap article, she writes that “Ms. Boyle let me feel, for the duration of one blazing showstopping ballad, the meaning of human grace. She pierced my defenses. She reordered the measure of beauty. And I had no idea until tears sprang how desperately I need that corrective from time to time.”

In an age where we often judge people by their looks and their ability to persuade us by how well they present themselves to us, I think Susan Boyle is a much needed wake-up call to the reality that beauty is more than aesthetics.

Within every one of us is a song or an idea that’s unique and wonderful to behold.

The fact that Boyle’s performance is one of the most-viewed videos up on Youtube (over 40 million views, at the time I’m writing this) is evidence that a story featuring something beautiful tucked into the most unlikely corner of this world is theme that resonates with all of us. It's why we also like Rudy, Cinderella, Princess Diana and every other narrative where the average person gets to be a hero. As we hear these stories, I think it causes us to reflect on our own, and we begin to understand that we have something worth sharing as well.

That's why Susan Boyle matters and that's why we want her to win.

Yesterday, I posted a political response to my experience with Slumdog Millionaire.
Today, I wanted to post a religious/spiritual response.

Love Finds A Way

I know that some may find it a bit silly that I cling to the notion that “Love covers a multitude of sins,” but as we see in Slumdog, it can. The main character Jamal endlessly pursues Latika, even though she’s been abused and used- even though she’s been violated and tossed around like some prize to be won- even though she flat out tells him that she wants something “more” and that it’s a fools dream to believe that love is really all they need.

There's something about the relentless pursuit of love that draws us into the story- allowing us weep over the heroes hardships and cheer over his successes. Perhaps it's because we all want to be pursued the same way- we all want to know that there's someone, somewhere that's willing to go through hell just to stand by our side.

It's basically the same story as Finding Nemo, Wallie, and every other fairy tale where the hero will do anything to be reunited with his love. It's the prodigal son and the parable of the lost sheep. And all of these stories are really about Christ. Capturing in story a metaphor regarding the pursuit of the Bride and His love for the Church (and humanity).

Time and time again, the people of God are referred to as prostitutes, adulterers, widows, mourners, oppressed, marginalized, villainous, depraved-

and loved nonetheless.

I think the real beauty of a film like Slumdog Millionaire (and the Christian Narrative) is that no wrong is too big to forgive and no pain is too great to separate us from the one who loves us.

Love will find a way.
Love wins.

So as Jamal persists, despite everything that’s thrown his way and sacrifices everything he’s got in order to find her and woo her back to him, I think his (fictional) story connects to our own. And as we long for someone to pursue us, I hope that it unites our hearts with the One who DOES pursue us relentlessly.