Hey all! This is my first thread here. First post here, actually. For those who don't know, I'm an atheist - but I am endlessly fascinated by religion. I understand the reasons why people believe, and I love to explore the themes of faith and doubt and the way religion and religious institutions impact and change the world around us.
I just happen to lack the faith required to actually believe it.
Now, on to the point of the thread: for national novel writing month, I'm setting myself a rather unusual goal!
I'm writing a tabletop RPG (role-playing game) and I want it to be in a form where I can release it as a beta online and get more feedback on the mechanics and gameplay. But I'm not here for help in that area! I'm here to ask what various people of various faiths would make of the situation that makes the bedrock of my setting - the reason why I want so many different views is because RPG settings need to have lots of room for players to explore and plenty of things to consider. Because that's what tabletop RPGs are about: Pondering deep philosophical issues and punching monsters in the faaaaaaaace.
So, what's the setting?
Basically, in the near future, humanity invents the technology to digitize human minds into computers, rudimentary nanotechnology, and self-aware A.Is. But the world collectively restricts and controls these technologies - or, at least, tries to. But then astronomers around the globe notice that Pluto is starting to slew out of its orbit. Why? Because a black hole is heading towards the solar system and within 20 years, it'll rip everything to bits.
An organization called the Heritage Project takes it upon itself to save humanity. They do so by convincing the governments of the world to begin digitizing their populations - with the end goal of launching the computer banks containing them into space, to settle on other worlds. To watch over these digitized populations, they also craft AIs. In an attempt to keep the AIs "friendly" to the human race, they were patterned after gods. As the human race, in digital form, heads into space, they are watched over by this Pantheon.
Then a lot of things happen, and eventually, posthumans punch monsters in the face.
But what I'm interested in is what you guys think the immediate and future responses would be. A part of the game is about the dichotomy between the history the characters in the game have been learned (so called "goodfact") and what actually happened. Goodfact says that the Heritage Project swooped in and saved the human race, and everyone cooperated, and things were just peachy (considering the situation.)
Realfact is a bit more complex.
For example, various religions would not be cool with digitization - as no one knows if the soul gets transmitted as well. I'm almost positive a lot of religious people wouldn't be cool with AIs "dressed up" as gods. I'm definitely sure that the complete destruction of every single physical artifact of humanity would screw with every major religion (and social organization out there.)
I'm curious what YOUR reaction would be if this happened? Because if you said you wouldn't want to be digitized, the Heritage Project had teams of "headhunters" who'd cut your head off and throw it into a scanner.
What would your immediate reaction be - and what do you think your children would believe, as they grow up in simulated worlds, with AI gods watching over them?
Do you think traditional religions could survive? How would they change?
Thanks for your ideas and thoughts!
I just happen to lack the faith required to actually believe it.
Now, on to the point of the thread: for national novel writing month, I'm setting myself a rather unusual goal!
I'm writing a tabletop RPG (role-playing game) and I want it to be in a form where I can release it as a beta online and get more feedback on the mechanics and gameplay. But I'm not here for help in that area! I'm here to ask what various people of various faiths would make of the situation that makes the bedrock of my setting - the reason why I want so many different views is because RPG settings need to have lots of room for players to explore and plenty of things to consider. Because that's what tabletop RPGs are about: Pondering deep philosophical issues and punching monsters in the faaaaaaaace.
So, what's the setting?
Basically, in the near future, humanity invents the technology to digitize human minds into computers, rudimentary nanotechnology, and self-aware A.Is. But the world collectively restricts and controls these technologies - or, at least, tries to. But then astronomers around the globe notice that Pluto is starting to slew out of its orbit. Why? Because a black hole is heading towards the solar system and within 20 years, it'll rip everything to bits.
An organization called the Heritage Project takes it upon itself to save humanity. They do so by convincing the governments of the world to begin digitizing their populations - with the end goal of launching the computer banks containing them into space, to settle on other worlds. To watch over these digitized populations, they also craft AIs. In an attempt to keep the AIs "friendly" to the human race, they were patterned after gods. As the human race, in digital form, heads into space, they are watched over by this Pantheon.
Then a lot of things happen, and eventually, posthumans punch monsters in the face.
But what I'm interested in is what you guys think the immediate and future responses would be. A part of the game is about the dichotomy between the history the characters in the game have been learned (so called "goodfact") and what actually happened. Goodfact says that the Heritage Project swooped in and saved the human race, and everyone cooperated, and things were just peachy (considering the situation.)
Realfact is a bit more complex.
For example, various religions would not be cool with digitization - as no one knows if the soul gets transmitted as well. I'm almost positive a lot of religious people wouldn't be cool with AIs "dressed up" as gods. I'm definitely sure that the complete destruction of every single physical artifact of humanity would screw with every major religion (and social organization out there.)
I'm curious what YOUR reaction would be if this happened? Because if you said you wouldn't want to be digitized, the Heritage Project had teams of "headhunters" who'd cut your head off and throw it into a scanner.
What would your immediate reaction be - and what do you think your children would believe, as they grow up in simulated worlds, with AI gods watching over them?
Do you think traditional religions could survive? How would they change?
Thanks for your ideas and thoughts!