We Are Not Saved

Transcript: https://www.patheos.com/blogs/dispatchesendofworld/2023/10/worthy-of-our-sufferings/

Dostoevsky wrote, "There is only one thing that I dread: not to be worthy of my sufferings." What does that mean? I think he meant that whatever suffering we're experiencing it's suffering God felt we were capable of handling. We need to prove worthy of that trust. This has always been hard to do, and now that we have numerous ways of mitigating suffering, it's not only hard, but confusing.

Transcript: https://www.wearenotsaved.com/p/can-we-eliminate-struggle-2023

Humanity has struggled and suffered for so long that we might be unable to survive without them. We dream of such elimination through technology, but will that dream turn into a nightmare?

Transcript: https://www.patheos.com/blogs/dispatchesendofworld/2023/10/tragedies-truths-and-technologies/

Historically we didn't worry about wars in far away places because we weren't aware of them. Now we're aware of them, but with the rise of AI we're going to have a similar difficulty acquiring accurate information. This is going to complicate our ability to intervene righteously.

1. Addiction by Design: Machine Gambling in Las Vegas by: Natasha Dow Schüll

2. The Evolutionary Limits of Liberalism: Democratic Problems, Market Solutions and the Ethics of Preference Satisfaction by: Filipe Nobre Faria

3. A Language Older Than Words by: Derrick Jensen

4. WTF?!: An Economic Tour of the Weird by: Peter T. Leeson

5. Blowback (Second Edition): The Costs and Consequences of American Empire by: Chalmers Johnson

6. The Sun Is a Compass: A 4,000-Mile Journey into the Alaskan Wilds by: Caroline Van Hemert

7. So Good They Can't Ignore You: Why Skills Trump Passion in the Quest for Work You Love by: Cal Newport

8. Sophie's World: A Novel About the History of Philosophy by: Jostein Gaarder

9. The Sandman 4 by: Neil Gaiman

10. American Gods by: Neil Gaiman

11. The Eye of the Bedlam Bride: Dungeon Crawler Carl, Book 6 by: Matt Dinniman

12. Letters to a Young Mormon by: Adam S. Miller

Transcript: https://www.patheos.com/blogs/dispatchesendofworld/2023/10/would-you-wager-on-pascals-mugging/

Imagine that someone walks up to you and demands all your money. If you fail to comply they threaten to kill all the inhabitants of some far off planet. How would you react? And is this similar to Pascal's Wager?

Transcript: https://www.patheos.com/blogs/dispatchesendofworld/2023/10/betting-on-the-future/

There are three obvious paths forward: religion, atheism and transhumanism. But each of these paths must be chosen. There's also a fourth path, that of apathy. Which should we choose?

Transcript: https://www.wearenotsaved.com/p/ai-risk-might-be-more-subtle-than

Depressed people are more prone to addiction. If social media engagement looks a lot like addiction, does that mean algorithms for increasing engagement also increase depression?

Transcript: https://www.patheos.com/blogs/dispatchesendofworld/2023/09/the-greatest-three-nephites-story-ever-told/

It is believed that, during his mortal ministry, Jesus granted immortality to three of His American apostles. Known as the Three Nephites they now wander the Earth until His return, doing good. This has lead to many stories of miraculous assistance. This is the greatest of all those stories.

Transcript: https://www.patheos.com/blogs/dispatchesendofworld/2023/09/faith-ufos-the-supernatural-and-transistor-radios/

Why are many people so willing to believe evidence of UFOs and Aliens, and so unwilling to believe evidence for God?

Transcript: https://www.wearenotsaved.com/p/speculative-attempts-to-complicate

When things aren't going well, those in power will sometimes introduce some speculative chaos in the hopes that what emerges on the other side will be better. It mostly doesn't work.