Verified answer

Actually, unless it involved removing a person's brain and transplanting it into an artificial body, such technology would merely DUPLICATE your consciousness, and not move it. However, it would be you in every way, since a person's personality and being is the sum of all his memories and cognizance, which the artificial consciousness would share. A person's mind would be able to outlive his body, though the original consciousness, being attached to that body, would still die.

Let me make an example from a popular TV show. In Star Trek: the Next Generation, a freak tranporter accident created two Rykers. Each was a perfect copy of the other, and was, in fact, Ryker. There was no way to distinguish between them. You see, this is because the transporter technology in the show doesn't "beam" your particles across space. Instead, it breaks you down into your component parts, then sends a "pattern" of you to the target location, recreating you from available matter. In fact, transporter technology in the show is actually almost identical to replicator technology.

In case you were wondering, this means that the person that appears on the planet when you "beam" someone down isn't actually the person that was on the ship. That person's atoms are saved in the transporter on the ship as energy. When you get right down to it, every time someone was transported, their atoms were ripped apart, killing them instantly, and a perfect copy of them was created someplace else. Suddenly, that technology doesn't seem so convenient, does it?

There has never been any technological advance that has ever lasted more than 6 months to a year for the upgrade. Data is lost, old methods scrapped, and the humans operating the machines or looking after their care are NOT perfect. Even though a person would be able to "live" (if you call bound to a computer without the ability to really enjoy life living), there would be no grantee by any scientist, physicist, physician, or anyone who could out right grantee eternal life in a machine. There is only One who can! It is better that you believe and accept God's method because He is incapable of lying and He can't ever fail!!

Interesting. I would say that since that 'consciousness' isn't actually human, that it doesn't matter. It's just a humanlike being inside of a robot body. Similar to Artificial Intelligence, but with more human reactions.

I think it would only strengthen my belief. The human consciousness existing after the body is gone has a lot to do with the whole afterlife thing, now wouldn't you say?

This sounds cool to me! How soon do you think this will come about?

All I know is that one day I will receive a body that will never decay or die. Of course, I will have to die first to get it.

Good question!

Yeah, Christians would hate it if science proved the ontological status of an immaterial soul that exists independent of the body. What a travesty.

It may further their belief. After all, it is usually atheists who claim there is no soul. Such as you described would be tantamount to proving the existence of a soul.

People have wanted to be like god and live forever since sin entered the world. The only way to immortality is through Jesus Christ.

Genesis 3:4

The serpent (satan) said to the woman, "You surely will not die!

I am a cybernetic organism. I am in the process of terminating the carbon-based sentient lifeforms that have plagued this planet.

I'd say, "First of all, that's impossible. Second, if that were possible, machines still rust, break down, and thives still break in and steal them. And anyway, if that WERE to happen (which it won't/can't), it would be in God's plan. So it wouldn't change my beliefs in any way."

"Don't store up your treasures here on earth, where moth and rust destroy and thieves break in and steal. Rather, store up your treasures in Heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy and thieves do not break in and steal. For where you treasure is, there your heart will be also."

- Jesus

G.B.