Thinking Biblically About Transhumanism

Human beings may eventually be able to transform themselves into different beings with superior God-like capacities -- posthumans. The three transhumanist ‘Super Pillars’ are: Superlongevity, Superintelligence, and Super Wellbeing.

— Transhumanist Mantra

What is Transhumanism?

Scientists and tech gurus in Silicon Valley are having frequent discussions today about creating super humans. What is a super human? It is when artificial intelligence (AI) and human beings become one singular instrument. Their goal is to create a new “race” of AI-humans that have superwellbeing - which is the ability to be super happy without any physical or emotional pain. Along with superwellbeing, these super humans will have superintelligence, and super longevity, which is super long-life. All of this is the philosophy of Transhumanism. “Trans” is not referring to transgender (although the LGBTQ movement is connected to it). “Trans” here is referring to crossing over from normal human conditions of aging and disease, to a “post human” state that would overcome such limitations.

Satan's Counterfeit Redemption

We will see that behind transhumanism is Satan’s ultimate goal in creating a counterfeit new humanity (superhumans) who live in a counterfeit New Jerusalem - a man-made utopia - where man is ultimately “god.” All of this is Satan’s counterfeit redemption: an attempt to remove or reverse the effects of the fall, without the person and work of Christ.

While this may seem like an impressive technological movement, it is actually a dark and seditious alchemy dedicated to the merging of both science and tech in order to create this “New Jerusalem” condition where human beings can live on forever into eternity without hunger, pain, tears, and the fear of death.

The AI Revolution is Already Here

Unless you think this is some future event, let me share that this symbiotic union has already begun to change the way humans think, react, and relate to one another through the everyday use of AI. And you, dear friends, are the experimental guinea pigs bringing it all to fruition, whether you want it or not. In his book entitled, Against the Machine: On the Unmaking of Humanity, Paul Kingsnorth describes our current situation in this way:

This world, you can see, is on the way out, if it is not already long gone. The one manifesting to replace it is a left brain paradise, all straight lines and concrete car parks where the corn exchange used to be. The future is STEM and chatbots and cashless parking meters and economic growth. (p.14)

I know exactly what he means when he says, “this world…is on its way out.” Technology is advancing at warp speed and I feel like I can't catch up. We must admit that there are many good uses and benefits in using AI. Human beings are able to achieve major breakthroughs and technological advances in medicine and other sciences. AI and tech makes our lives easier and more efficient on a daily basis. However, there are many downsides to AI with destructive results.

For one, AI cannot produce artistic beauty that those created in the image of the Beautiful God can produce. Everything around us is increasingly becoming uglier and uglier. AI has transformed the way we experience everything from music, art, clothing style, architecture, and church community. And no, this is not just me being a hopeless romantic. It's like we are living in a utilitarian society. Whatever happened to beauty? Whatever happened to creativity? Why are women wearing gender neutral clothing? Where did femininity go? Everyone is like zombies with no emotions, no social skills, or handy skills. We have become like drug addicts feeding the technological machine just for one more dopamine hit. Like a magical 8 ball, we summon it to give us answers to the unknown as long as we hand over sensitive information about our lives. We give the machine our face ID, finger prints, our digital passwords, our bank account information, our families’ names and how they are associated with us. Everywhere we go, we feed it whatever it wants. Door dash? You got it. Amazon package drones? You got it. Code scanners at gas pumping stations? Yes. Digital passports? No problem. Do you need a recipe for dinner? Sure. How about instant sexual gratification through AI produced pornbots? Absolutely. How about having conversations with your deceased relatives? AI has produced this as well. In a nutshell, everything is at your disposal: the good, the bad, and the ugly. If we would just bow.

The Materialist Foundation

Let’s step back and recognize that underneath transhumanism is materialism: the belief that physical matter is all that there is, therefore humans are not body and soul - just physical beings. As we will see, transhumanism falls infinitely short in its ability to save humans from the effects of our first parent’s sin, because God created humans as physical-spiritual creatures, with a body and soul. And AI cannot change the soul, the mind, the heart, and the spirit of a person. More on this later.

But the bottom line is that we are all becoming functional materialists by living for the gratification of the flesh, because society tells us that the body and all its desires and passions is all that there is. The soul therefore is irrelevant, because if we have to deal with the concept of the soul, then the question of its eternal existence matters and that is not what masterminds behind AI want us to think about. The machine pulls for your allegiance in the early mornings, by replacing personal Bible devotion time with scrolling. It has become a babysitter for our children, so that when we are tired or just need “ME time,” we rely on tech to pacify and parent our kids. And get this: for some folks, AI has become a “surrogate spouse” who fulfills our emotional needs without the relational tensions of being married to a fellow sinner.

The Machine Demands Our Allegiance

We are placing our trust in a machine in hopes that it will be neutral and honest – but it's neither. It only gives what it is fed. Have you noticed how your algorithm is feeding you disturbing twisted images that you did not search for? Have you noticed how people are becoming more and more cynical and dark in their conversations by dehumanizing one another? Have you noticed how we are becoming more and more desensitized to images of death? There are now talks of artificial wombs created to free women from any biological constraint by allowing them to achieve equality with men. Feminists rejoice in this. In fact, feminist ties to science and existentialism (the thought that life has no purpose and so we are therefore the creators of our own existence) goes way back. What about the ability for humans to buy babies on demand, or choosing the gender of our choice while also tossing out the eggs that are not suitable to our liking (such as babies born with deformity, the “wrong eye color,” etc).

AI: A Marvel and a Danger

Regarding AI, Dr. Vern Poythress states,

AI even in its earlier stages, was a marvel of human engineering. How it displayed the talents and ingenuity and perseverance of its human creators! And we who are Christians know who created the human creators – God. We know that this same Creator also created the world. This world has materials and resources that could be used to plan, construct, and empower the computers that run AI. AI should stimulate a paean of praise to God. (Vern Poythress, Artificially Intelligent, April 2025 Point of Contact, Issue No. 3.)

Dr. Poythress goes on to say,

The bad news is that human beings, after the fall of Adam into sin, are fallen and sinful creatures. They marvelously, thoroughly and pervasively distort the thinking of their Creator. They sin not only in deed, but also in mind and in word…. Human beings desire to use AI to become super human – virtually divine– in their powers. And if they can, they will use that power to manipulate other human beings….AI enhances the surveillance technology of totalitarian governments…Some people will use AI to produce ponography, to spread lies, or to help them build terrorist bombs. The underlying root problem is idolatry.

I am in agreement with Dr. Poythress. Although AI has some helpful benefits, it has many destructive uses. And the transhumanist’s end goal is not just to make life easier for us - it is to attempt to replicate man’s version of eternal life. It's a bait and switch tactic that uses instant gratification that leads to covetousness, slothfulness, and idolatry. Humans are created by God as worshippers, and if the one that is being worshiped is not the one true and living triune God, then the heart will not be satisfied and therefore replace one idol for another.

The Futility of Escaping Death

There are many tech gurus, such as Bryan Johnson and Natasha Vita More, who are becoming more and more popular in the public square, who believe that if man takes ownership of their own bodies, they could reverse aging and live on forever. Well, I am not sure if they are familiar with Hebrews 9:27 which says, “And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment.” Although transhumanists are pretending that there is no judgment, and are attempting to escape death, Romans 1:18-25 makes clear that they are suppressing the truth as those who are consciously aware that God exists, and that unless they surrender to him, they will have to face the wrath of God due for their sin. They are deceiving themselves that God does not exist, that He will not judge sinners, and that our existence is determined by our free will.

The Biblical Response

Only Christ Can Save

AI and Transhumanism cannot achieve holistic salvation of human beings. Transhumanism cannot remove the wrath of God due to the guilt of our sin, nor can it remove the enslaving power of sin in the human heart. Only God the Son can, in the gospel of His virgin birth, perfect life, sacrificial death, bodily resurrection, and Second Coming, in which He will return to create a new heavens and a new earth. On the cross, God the Father transferred all of our guilt onto His Son who suffered the condemnation and judgment that we deserve. AI cannot change the heart, but Christ does by the power of His resurrection, freeing us from slavery to sin’s bondage of lust. To sum it up, Transhumanism can neither save us, nor satisfy the soul and deliver us from the deceitful desires of the heart. Only Jesus gives eternal, abundant life in resurrected immortal bodies in the true New Jerusalem! All of this is ours by faith in Christ, which only the Holy Spirit provides, not AI.

Practical Advice

1. Turn off your Devices and Read your Bible!

At least spend some time in your day free from your screen, and put your mind on Scripture. This is food for your soul and will guard you against the enemy’s lies. Keep your gaze on the cross, meditate on the gospel, and remind yourself that Christ died to redeem us from the power of sin, death, and satan, resurrected from the grave, ensuring that we are no longer slaves to sin but children of God and will reign and rule with him forever in glory.

2. Pray!

Transhumanism wants us to be dependent on science and tech. Prayer expresses our ultimate dependence on Christ. Therefore, pray that the Lord keeps you and your family from the hour of temptation and enables you to surrender to His will all the days of your life.

3. Repent!

Confess and turn away from the sin of idolatry and discontentment that each of us has participated in one way or another with technology or AI. Turn to Christ for fullness of life.

4. Have a household fast from technology.

Put away your devices (cell phones, computers, tablets) for one day a week and enjoy other activities like reading good books, spending time with family members, getting together with others for fellowship, be productive with projects, enjoy ballet or an opera, visit parks and spend time beholding God’s glory in creation, take classes. Begin by fasting one day a week, and gradually increase to multiple days a week.