Ethics Over Technology
Father Pablo Gadenz
January 1, 1997
About ten years ago, one of my college friends explained to me his rather unique theory on immortality. Since we were both engineering majors accustomed to discussing arcane technical problems, I welcomed the opportunity to converse on a topic of more transcendent value. My friend first mentioned how the life expectancy of human beings is always increasing because of the rapid developments in science and technology. He then half-jokingly but half-seriously predicted that the rate of the increase would itself increase; it would increase so fast that it would be faster than the rate of aging. Therefore, he confidently could expect not to die since he figured that no matter how old he became he would always remain younger than the current life expectancy.
Needless to say, my friend's theory did not convince me. After reading the last issue of rq, however, I began to think once again of his theory. It seems that the theory has elements of both the positive and negative aspects of technology. On the one hand, it is wonderful to observe how developments in technology have improved and lengthened the life of man on earth. These are examples of man rightfully exercising his dominion over creation (Genesis 1:28). On the other hand, it is disturbing to see how technological advances often give man a false sense of self-sufficiency that leads to a practical atheism, which can be labeled "technolatry"--the worship of technology about which Gregory Wolfe speaks. Technolatry (or scientism) is a man-made religion that looks for the answer to life's ultimate questions in technology and science. The result is a secular society, stripped of both its origin and its destiny in God (note, for example, the rise in secularism in Western, technologically ...
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