While watching Be Right Back and discussing The Uncanny Valley in class, I could not help myself from thinking about our discussion from the Catholic lens with which I often catch myself viewing the world. My faith is an important part of who I am and therefore way I think. The following is the way I see humanity, as a Catholic and discusses what scripture tells us about the characteristics of mankind.
When the criteria of what makes us human came into question, I immediately thought about the inmost being within each of us as humans, our soul. This divine breath of life makes something wonderful out of us and provides us with an opportunity to reach a place specifically made for us to be with God eternally, heaven. To me this is something only inherent of true, organic human beings. It separates us from other forms of God’s creation, even the most intelligent or compassionate animals. Genesis 1:26 says that God made mankind in His likeness and image so we may “rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”
I feel that the question of what constitutes something as a human being or not would be almost impossible to be answered by someone without a faith background that acknowledges an existence of a soul. The existence of our souls separate us from any human-like creation. No matter how close a man-made thing can come to a human being, it can never possess a soul which is given to us by God as hope for eternal life. My belief is that humans are fearfully and wonderfully made and in no way here by accident. Psalm 139:13 praises God by saying “For You created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.” Every human was carefully crafted out of God’s love for us and created for a specific purpose. We are separate from other living creatures and anything that may come close to being human. Even the things that are close to humans in every way possible besides the possession of a soul.
No matter how much Ash 2 appeared to be human, he was never truly because he was created by man and therefore lacking an inmost being and hope for eternal life which only God can provide us with.
1 comment:
Loved your post Sofia, not only because I am a Catholic as well, but also because I found your last sentence to be so very true.
Androids (like Ash 2) can simply never be human. I believe (as you do) that we are made to serve and love God. And I believe that to be literally the only reason why we were created.
That is what makes human life so precious!
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