Within the midst of all the election stuff taking place, a good friend that I attend church with sent me this very interesting article (knowing that I would be very “interested in something non-political”) about Kevin Warwick, the world’s only cyborg.

I read with very keen interest the story of how Warwick had, as Forbes described it..

…a 100-electrode array implanted in his forearm that allowed a computer to tap into the neuroelectric signals coursing through his arm.

for a period of three months that was used to control an artificial hand and an electric wheelchair. The article went to explain that his body neither ‘rejected’ the implant nor did it have any pain or infection. However, the rest of the paragraph really caught my attention and in many ways ‘bothered’ me where it states:

His wife also had two electrodes inserted into her arm, and the Warwicks connected their nervous systems from separate rooms over a computer network. “It was very, very intimate. Of all the different scientific experiments I’ve done, that connection with my wife, the communication of nervous system to nervous system, was the most scientifically profound thing I’ve felt,” says Warwick.

The first thing that came into my mind was this verse from the Rush song “Natural Science”

Science, like nature
Must also be tamed
With a view towards its preservation
Given the same
State of integrity
It will surely serve us well

After reading the article, I had to ask myself this question

Where is the thin line between Science and Intimacy to where we will know where to draw the line between what is the natural and biological instinctive reaction of intimacy and sexuality versus a man-made transmission that cheapens and reduces the beauty and expression of intimacy and sexuality to an explanation of electricity and a digitized logic of zeroes and ones?

As I thought about this over a couple of days (my friend must be wondering what my thoughts are), I felt as the intimacy portion of cybernetics is the establishment point is one of those actions that help us draw the line between the natural and ‘creationist’ aspect of humanity and the ‘evolving’ of technology to as a superseding force to mesh the physical and Spiritual together as a substitute to the authentic intimacy.

As Warwick discussed “the communication of nervous system to nervous system, was the most scientifically profound thing I’ve felt”. The first thing I thought about was human sexuality. I thought that the ‘two becoming one’ was not only the merging of the physical and sensual side of Sexuality between man and woman in the holy state of matrimony, but also the Spiritual side of sexuality as the covenant bond between man and wife was being formed and strengthened as the Bible teaches. It seemed that intimacy was reduced to volts, current, and logic where expression, unity, intimacy, and aerobic actions not only ruled, but clearly showed the divine plan of relations between man and wife.

I feel that (as Rush said in the lyrics above) this it the time and area where Science and nature needs to be tamed and controlled for the preservation of truth, authenticity, and intimacy. I really have no problem with the concept of the cyborg if properly used within the original intent (documented in the rest of the article) of looking for ways to help people who suffer from Strokes, epilepsy, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and Dementia to make life better or recover to complete wellness. It is when we attempt to transcend from the physical and Scientific realms into the Spiritual arena (like the Tower of Babel or a monster gone awry in Frankenstein) and possibly attempt to reach the ’state of immortality’ where the coup d’etat of conquering the creationism of body, soul, and spirit is highly possible through an ‘evolving’ technology. Or even worse, a person controlled by a government to ruthlessly go after any person or group that may be viewed as ‘contrary’ to their ‘agendas’.

Where do we further define the line? Especially in the realm of ‘life support’ where the line is still blurred and still undefined in the eyes of many Christians? We have Christians who tell us that it is murder to ‘pull the plug’ while other Christians see the two words separated where normal life is not lived via the use of life support devices normally found in a hospital. A normal human being does not use an iron lung to breathe. He breathes naturally by inhaling and exhaling oxygen in and out of his lungs.

This form of science interests me in the name of healing. However, it does scare me because of the high (and unknown) potential of damage and futile attempt to overcome / transcend a boundary of life, body, soul, and spirit established by God when he created Adam.

The line needs to be revealed, defined, and enforced very quickly to preserve the integrity of science at the same time enforce the integrity of nature. I am afraid if we fail to adequately define the line, we will create a monster that will need to be destroyed at the expense of losing the potential knowledge that may save or prolong a life.