Emerging Tech & Theology

Howdy from Durham,

Springtime in North Carolina is in full swing.

The vibrant greens make the pollen haze worth it.

Now to today’s piece on tech & theology.

What are the similarities between Jerusalem, Mecca, Bodh Gaya, and Silicon Valley?

Each city is known for its religion.

Jerusalem is the center of the Judeo-Christian world.

Mecca is the center of the Muslim world.

Bodh Gaya is the center of the Buddhist world.

Silicon Valley is the center of the tech-worshipping world, an informal religion in and of itself.

Breaking down cities by their ethos, pathos, and logos is a concept I’ve taken from one of my favorite writers, Luke Burgis.

Recently, he has focused on what Judeo-Christian values (Jerusalem) and western philosophy (Athens) can teach us about tech (Silicon Valley).

Today, I’ll be taking on a similar challenge in a strictly theological context on the topics of advancement, pride, and humility.

I. Jerusalem - Judaism/Christianity - The Story of Babel

Babel, as told in the Old Testament, is a cautionary tale about the consequences of pride and overreaching.

The basic premise is that humans sought to construct a tower which touched the clouds in order to show their greatness. The pursuit of this lofty goal required an accumulation of assets amongst a few folks. As the story goes, God disliked that man placed their value in themselves (not Him) and failed to look after their neighbors in the process. This resulted in punishment. Folks were dispersed without the ability to communicate with one another.

Step 1: Worship advancement. Step 2: Ignore its impact on society. Step 3: Suffer the consequences.

II. Mecca - Islam - The Story of Ad

The story of Ad, as told in the Quran, shares similarities with the story of Babel.

Citizens of Ad were technologically advanced and wealthy. They too sought to build tall structures in order to show their prowess. The focus of becoming increasingly powerful resulted in the few accumulating more and more wealth, while the poor were ignored. As a result, God destroyed their land (including the structures that man worshipped) because of their pride and disobedience.

Step 1: Worship advancement. Step 2: Ignore its impact on society. Step 3: Suffer the consequences.

III. Bodh Gaya - Buddhism - The Story of King Mahasudassana

The story of King Mahasudassana, as told in the Digha Nikaya, shares similarities with the stories of Babel and Ad.

King Mahasudassana was a powerful ruler. He was obsessed with constructing a magnificent palace as a symbol of his dominance. The peoples’ needs were ignored in place of affirming the king’s greatness through the palace. The gods took notice of King Mahasudassana’s immense pride, and they made the palace crumble which sent the king into a state of poverty and humility.

Step 1: Worship advancement. Step 2: Ignore its impact on society. Step 3: Suffer the consequences.

IV. Silicon Valley - Tech Worship - Present Day

Today, we continue to worship advancement, ignore its impact on society, and suffer the consequences.

Here’s an example - social media. The platforms that proclaimed society would be “more connected than ever” have made us lonelier than ever.

Perhaps the most interesting thing about this is how the relationship between the few and the many has been flipped on its head.

In ancient texts, the elite demanded the physical labor of the many to showcase the “greatness” of the few (Babel, Ad, King Mahasudassana).

Today, the few demand the intellectual capital (namely, the attention) of the many. In exchange, the few promise to make the masses’ lives “more convenient”…but:

1. Are we sure that such high expectations of convenience and constant connection makes for a healthier society?

2. If these tools are supposed to make our lives more convenient - and free up more of our time - then why can’t we put them down? Why are we addicted to them?

Or is the “you’re getting convenience” proposition just a bait and switch that would make a prideful King Masudassana beam?

The general populace went from getting used for the construction of palaces to becoming users - a sign that, no matter how far our tech advances, human nature remains.

V. Conclusion - the more things change, the more they stay the same.

The origins of the stories of Babel, Ad, and King Mahasudassana range from 2000 BCE to 600 AD. They are literally thousands of years old, but we’ve yet to learn from them.

Don’t get me wrong. This world has improved a great deal due to innovation.

It’s not that we shouldn’t work towards innovation. It’s that we shouldn’t worship its advancement or the people behind it.

Instead, we should heed the ancient warnings from Babel, Ad, and King Mahasudassan and follow these 3 steps:

1. Pursue progress. 2. Consider its impact on society. 3. Ensure all folks are looked after - particularly those on the fringes of society.

Perhaps by studying a bit more about where we’ve been, we’ll be better equipped to set a path towards where we’re going.

What I’m paying attention to:

Technology ain’t all bad considering I forecasted this piece via twitter, and had Luke (the writer who influenced this piece) get back to me.

Photo of the week:

Thanks for reading

What do you think about the intersection of tech and theology?

Reply and let me know!

Josh

Want more Build content? Check out the links below

Previous Newsletters // Essays // Twitter // LinkedIn