The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Religion: Reconciling a New Relationship with God
July 2019
Melissa A. Rendsburg
Political Science – United Nations and Global Policy Studies, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
*To read this paper in its entirety, please visit Academia.edu:
https://www.academia.edu/40235300/The_Impact_of_Artificial_Intelligence_on_Religion_Reconciling_a_New_Relationship_with_God
Abstract
One day, within the foreseeable future, there will be a synergy between human beings and machines. In other words, humans and machines will evolve to co-exist, assisting the other to make better decisions. No longer will there be the fear that artificial intelligence (AI) will become so powerful that it will destroy and replace humanity.
AI engineers and scientists will build intuitive qualities into AI, and they will implement and train machines to have introspection, including showing compassion and empathy for all creatures on Earth. The machines of the future will be engineered to be benevolent, so long as they are kept out of the hands of those who intend to kill and spread discontent.
The bigger question is whether God will survive the advancement of science. Certainly, AI will shape and challenge religious beliefs as we know them transforming how humans turn to God and ancient scriptures to answer questions posed through the Hebrew Bible, the New Testament, the Qurāan, and other sacred texts. There is a high probability that humanity will no longer look to these sources for what they seek. Instead, humans will ask these questions through the lens of science, forever reconciling a new and improved relationship with God.
*PowerPoint Presentation without Audio, pdf:
the-impact-of-artificial-intelligence-on-religion-reconciling-a-new-relationship-with-god-1
[End]
December 2018
Melissa A. Rendsburg
Political Science – United Nations and Global Policy Studies, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
*To read this paper in its entirety, please visit Academia.edu:
https://www.academia.edu/112176820/International_Human_Rights_and_the_United_Nations_System_Origins_of_Human_Rights_Speaking_Up_for_Those_Who_Cannot_Speak_for_Themselves
[End]
AÄroGƤrdÉn ā Urban Aeroponic Farming System
Changing Lives as It Redefines Local Food
AÄroGƤrdÉn ā (mock) Business Plan
May 2019
Melissa A. Rendsburg
Political Science ā United Nations and Global Policy Studies, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
Introduction
The worldās food system is pushing nature to the brink. We see poverty, drought, and hunger as recurring threats around the globe with individuals and families left vulnerable. And even though the right to food is a universal human right, millions of people are still hungry, especially in African nations such as Ethiopia. Something must be done to change this situation to ensure that everyone has access to a healthy diet. Access to enough nutritious foods should not be for the privileged, it should be for all. A revolution of sorts needs to take place in finding better methods and solutions to feeding those in the ever-growing, over-populated cities of the world. This is precisely why Addis Ababa, the capital city of Ethiopia in East Africa, is ripe for a structural transformation when it comes to urban farming.
Urban farming is not a new concept to the Addis Ababa region, as farming has been a significant part of the urban scene since the beginning of the cityās development when it was permanently fortified as a city in the early-mid-15th century. In spite of there being a long history of urban farming in the surrounding area of the city center, research shows that there are no comparable commercial urban aeroponic farming systems today using AÄroGƤrdÉnās model. AÄroGƤrdÉn uses stacked trays of seeds in vertical greenhouses without the use of the sun, soil, fertilizer, or pesticides. AÄroGƤrdÉn can offer what no other agricultural farming system can offer in the bustling urban city of Addis Ababa: a way to change the cityās inhabitantās lives by redefining its local food. With the pressing need to feed the estimated 7.8 million people in Addis Ababa alone, not to mention the 110 million (2019) throughout the entire country, new models of urban farming and agricultural systems must be developed, and fast.
With this in mind, AÄroGƤrdÉn offers the perfect business opportunity for investors as urban aeroponic farming systems are the wave of the future. AÄroGƤrdÉn has the solution to keep pace with the need to feed growing populations.
Dedication:
AÄroGƤrdÉnās Business Plan is dedicated to those men, women, and children who lost their lives shortly after take-off from the capital city Addis Ababa on Sunday, March 10, 2019. In the midst of preparing this report for investors, I learned of the Ethiopian plane crash that killed more than 150 people, from 35 different countries. The deaths included 19 United Nations staff from the WFP, UNHCR, ITU, FAO, IOM, UNSOM, and UNON all who were working diligently to improve the lives of Ethiopians, as well as those from across the globe. We are saddened that so much potential for good was lost and gone forever on that day. AÄroGƤrdÉn extends its deepest condolences to all the families and loved ones of those that perished in such a horrible tragedy. You will always be held in AÄroGƤrdÉnās memory.
Melissa A. Rendsburg, Founder & CEO
AÄroGƤrdÉn, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, East Africa
Sunday, May 5, 2019
[End]
E Pluribus Unum
Presentation delivered in New Brunswick, New Jersey, U.S.A.
February 26, 2020
Melissa A. Rendsburg
E Pluribus Unum (Out of Many, One): Bhinneka Tunggal Ika (Unity in Diversity)
Two Countries, Different Paths: Millions United Under One Flag
Two nations a world apart, the United States of America and Indonesia,
and yet each holds a similar unifying principle of tolerance and ethnic plurality.
āThe truth is ā today more than ever ā diversity is the reality that informs human life. Diversity means embracing pluralism in nations and cities, tribes and villages, in ethnicities and identities, in beliefs, faiths, and traditions.ā
– Mr. Miguel Ćngel Moratinos, UN High-Representative for the Alliance of Civilizations
United States of America: E Pluribus Unum ā Out of Many, One
Good evening.
My name is Melissa, and I thank you all for inviting me here to speak with you.
The topic that I will speak on this evening has to do with two sovereign nations that you certainly would never have thought to pair together. Two seemingly diverse nations on the surface, and yet, each country holds an important historical message of unity and tolerance. I look forward to sharing my newfound research and understanding with you.
I wish to start by first taking you back in history from this proximate location here in New Brunswick to provide context to the founding of the United States of America. We will then fly across the Pacific Ocean to Southeast Asia to Indonesia, only to return to the New England area.
As I do this, together we will take a closer look at the meaning of diversity and how it came to be that these two nations, one in the Northern hemisphere, and the other, halfway around the world, a nation of archipelagoes located on the equator. I will explore how both these nations adopted a similar motto that rallied its people under its flags.
Thus, this lecture is entitled: E Pluribus Unum (Out of Many, One) Bhinneka Tunggal Ika (Unity in Diversity) Two Countries, Different Paths: Millions United Under One Flag.
I would like to begin by imagining a time, around 500 years ago, when Rutgers University did not yet exist, nor did the Johnson & Johnson buildings, not even the Landing Lane Bridge that spans the Raritan River.
In fact, the first people who had settled in the area more than 1,000 years ago were the peace-loving Lenape Indians. (āLeh-NAH-payā/ ātrue peopleā)
Also known as the āDelaware Indiansā as the Delaware River runs through the Lenape territory. The Lenape was a powerful Native American nation that roamed the forest to hunt, fished the river, and planted corn in the fertile soil, not far from where we are today.
1683:
In the late 1600s, the Dutch, English, and French started to arrive in the area for the same reasons that the Lenape settled here: the fertile soil of the Raritan Valley and an easily navigable river. The Europeans found it to be a good place to establish their lives. Soon after the Dutch arrived, they built their own Dutch Reformed Churches in the Raritan Valley and lived in freedom in this new land.
I mention this point as a personal aside, as I only recently learned that my ancestors were among the Dutch settlers of the Raritan Valley. Through my research, I discovered that many of them were baptized by the Rev. Frelinghuysen, who, in 1766, founded Queens College, now Rutgers University. To
have learned this information has been mind-boggling, to say the least, as there was never a hint of this ancestral history before my move to New Jersey.
This magnificent 70-mile long Raritan River allowed for the development of early industry around the New Brunswick area and the transportation of agricultural produce from central New Jersey. In turn, the Raritan became a very important trading center that helped in establishing communities.
As townships and cities continued to expand up and down the Atlantic Coast in the mid-1700s, the British colonists no longer wanted to deal directly with Britain, and instead, they began collaborating with one another.
1775ā1783 ā American Revolutionary War
This collaboration was the beginning of inter-colonial activities that would cultivate a sense of a shared American identity. And this is what led to calls for protection of the colonists.
If you recall your history, you will remember that the British Parliament levied taxes on the colonies without consultation, consent, or approval of the taxed parties. The political slogan āno taxation without representationā became one of the 27 grievances that the colonists filed against King George III. If they were to be taxed, then they demanded representation in the British Parliament.
The colonists believed that since they were not directly represented in the British Parliament, Britain had no authority to pass laws on them. This is what led to the American Revolution War of Independence in 1775. It was at this time that the term āThirteen Coloniesā became relevant in the context of the revolution for independence.
Even though the war was aided by the Kingdom of France, and to a lesser degree, the Dutch Republic and the Kingdom of Spain, it was General George Washington who led the American army to victory over the Kingdom of Great Britain.
And this brings us back to the Raritan River, as it was the Raritan that transported Washingtonās troops that would eventually help him to win the American Revolutionary War. This resulted in overthrowing British rule and the United States of America was established.
The year after the war started, the colonists met in Philadelphia and adopted the United States Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. A fun fact of New Brunswick history is that the city was the third location for the reading of the Declaration of Independence. This took place at Christ Church on July 9, 1776. And keep in mind that the Declaration of Independence was the first of its kind in history ā and is considered the most important American historical document.
Along with the Constitution, both these documents provided the ideological foundations for what would be a grand experiment in self-rule and democratic government of the United States. The country would no longer be ruled by a monarch.
Not only did it legally create the United States, but Thomas Jefferson ā the one tasked with drafting the Declaration ā stated that the declaration was to be āan expression of the American mind.ā And that expression is what has shaped the values and ideals that have become synonymous with the country and its people. And though these days we seem to take this declaration of nationhood for granted, it was these values āconceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equalā that are still significant for the American people. It is these ideas and values that form the adhesive material that holds the diverse American society together.
E Pluribus UnumāOut of Many, One
I bring this local history to your attention because I am laying out the foundation of how a new nation was shaped through the War of Independence, the signing of the Declaration of Independence, and what it meant to bring people from the original thirteen colonies with different nationalities, languages, and religious beliefs to form a new nation. And while the Congress debated the specifics of how the country and the government should be structured, all members found unity in the opening words of the U.S. Constitution, āWe the Peopleā¦ā It was this unity and diversity that strengthened the nation holding it together as it moved forward.
Almost immediately after the signing of the Declaration of Independence, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson, three leading intellectuals of the time, were responsible for designing a seal for the new nation. However, it took six years (1782) before the United States Congress would approve the final version. And thus, E Pluribus Unum ā Out of Many, One became the de facto motto. This motto expressed the certitude that the people from New Hampshire to Georgia took the collective step toward becoming citizens of one country.
This backstory into American history, helps to understand how the seal came into being.
The Motto’s Significance
The Latin term E Pluribus Unum was chosen as it was representative of the fact that the colonists regarded themselves as thirteen independent sovereign states. Out of these thirteen states (Out of Many), they became (One) the United States of America. By declaring their independence, those in the thirteen colonies were no longer subject to British rule, they were now a single country.
Let us now turn our attention to the Great Seal of the United States:
The first thing you see is the American Bald Eagle holding an olive branch in its right claw, and with 13 arrows in its left. The eagle was adopted as the national bird of the United States due to its majestic beauty, great strength, and long life. The bald eagle is also native to North America. I am not sure if any of you in the audience have walked the towpath past Landing Lane, but I often see a pair of bald eagles fly overhead there, and each time I see them I am reminded by the connection to the American flag, and to the native birdās splendor.
You will also notice that the seal incorporates a constellation of stars, a set of six shields representing the major nationalities of the people who lived in the United States at the time: the Dutch, English, French, German, Scottish, and Swedish. Obviously, the narrative excludes Native Americans and African Americans, tens of thousands of whom were slaves.
Over the eagleās head, there are 13 stars representing the 13 states that formed the union. In the eagleās beak there is a ribbon with the words E Pluribus Unum. For 238 years, this has been the seal of the United States of America.
Another point to note, starting already in the colonial period, before independence, the colonists of the New World were generally religiously tolerant.
Rarely is this spoken about, but from the beginning of the founding of this country, colonists were adhering to various religious beliefs. Within the colonies one could find: Roman Catholics, Jews, Dutch Reformed, Lutherans, Anglicans, Baptists, Methodists, and Quakers. In general, it was the first time that so many diverse groups found themselves living among each other. Religious diversity became a dominant part of the colonial American landscape.
At this point, America was welcoming all nationalities and cultures, and Jews and Christians, alike. And though the colonists continued to speak their own languages within their communities, it was English that became the national language by default as the majority of people were English speaking.
The motto, E Pluribus Unum ā Out of Many, One, succeeded to express the diversity of the country as it was representative of a variety of nationalities, cultures, languages, and religious diversity. It is this unity and this diversity that has bound the American people since its founding.
Indonesia: Bhinneka Tunggal Ika – Unity in Diversity
Let us now travel across the Pacific Ocean to Southeast Asia to look at a country that has long been known for its diversity, with 300 distinct ethnic native groups, and over 700 different languages ā the Republic of Indonesia.
During the 14th century the vast archipelago of 17,000 islands consisted of various people with different cultural, ethnic, linguistic, and religious backgrounds ā with Hindus and Buddhists comprising the two largest groups. To capture the moment, an Indonesian poet coined the term Bhinneka Tunggal Ika, an old Javanese phrase meaning āUnity in Diversity.ā This was to promote tolerance between the Hindus and Buddhists. Soon thereafter, though, the country became predominantly Muslim, but the motto remained as a collective piece of wisdom that was deeply rooted within the culture.
Next followed 500 years of European colonialism, until Indonesia became independent in 1945. The people reclaimed this phrase as the national symbol since it represents the remarkable ethnic, linguistic, and cultural heterogeneity of the Indonesians. In fact, the motto Bhinneka Tunggal Ika, is specifically mentioned in the Constitution of Indonesia.
In its narrowest sense, Bhinneka Tunggal Ika reflects a policy to promote ethnic and religious tolerance among the countryās diverse groups. It is taught in Indonesian schools to teach the young how to transform this concept into practice within the family, the school, and the wider community. Bhinneka Tunggal Ika reinforces the character of the Indonesian people, as it builds a civilization that is focused on a pluralistic nation. One way to view this perspective of what appears to be widely divergent cultures and religions, is to think of a prism that derives from a multitude of colors, only to create a single source of light.
Here we see a people opposing colonial rule, and wanting to become citizens of a single, unified nation with its own identity. This sounds very familiar to what I mentioned earlier related to the United States, doesnāt it?
Let us ask the question whether or not E Pluribus Unum (Out of Many, One) and Bhinneka Tunggal Ika (Unity in Diversity) mean the same thing. And whether these ideas are based on the same historical and philosophical materials.
First, let us look at the image to the right. Indonesia has adopted a seal and motto that is similar to that of the United States, and yet, Indonesia has a very different historical background.
Here, we can see that the Indonesian official coat of arms is centered on a Garuda ā a Javan hawk-eagle.
This national emblem is called Garuda Pancasila, āFive Principlesā representing the foundational philosophical theory of Indonesia that praises religious and ethnic plurality, but also certain aspects of nationalism, humanitarianism, democracy, and socialism. The Indonesian founding fathers decided that the state ideology should encompass all of Indonesian society, in which there was consensus for the common good and to strive for justice to be served. The motto Bhinneka Tunggal Ikahelped to unify this diverse country, declaring that unity of its members despite ethnic, cultural, regional, or religious differences.
What is interesting to note is that Indonesia is overwhelmingly Muslim, but it did not adopt political Islam, nor proclaim Islam as its official religion. Other than Islam, Indonesia recognizes only Christianity, Buddhism, and Confucianism as world religions.
The Pancasila (Five Principles) are represented on the coat of arms:
- Belief in the Almighty God (shield)
- A just and civilized humanity (ring of chains)
- A unified Indonesia (Banyan Tree)
- Democracy led by the wisdom in a consensus or representatives (Javanese bull)
- Social justice for all Indonesians (Sprig and cotton)
Notice the following:
- The Garuda clutches a ribbon with the national motto
- National colors of red and white
- Thick line symbolizing the Equator
- The feathers of the Garuda are arranged to represent the date of Indonesiaās Independence, August 17, 1945
- The number of feathers on the tail totals 8 (the month of August)
- The number of feathers on each wing totals 17 (the date)
- The number of feathers below the shield or base of tail totals 19 (first half of year)
- The number of feathers on the neck totals 45 (second half of year)
Unity in diversity seeks to celebrate the ideology that no nation must be composed of any particular ethnic group. It suggests that a nation is not weakened by various cultures, but rather is made stronger by the acceptance of the myriad of contributions to it through its diverse population.
Quoting Michael Novak, the American Catholic philosopher, and United States Ambassador to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights:
āUnity in diversity is the highest possible attainment of a civilization, a testimony to the most noble possibilities of the human race.ā
Though Novak did not directly relate this quote to Indonesia, it certainly embodies the idea of Bhinneka Tunggal Ika.
Strength and Dynamism:
In general, Americans and Indonesians accept their reality of its history and its diversity. It is something that is apparent on a daily basis throughout each country. And for the most part, the people in both countries have honed their ability to coexist peacefully, and view cultural and religious differences as the norm. The people within these countries understand that the most effective way to maintain order in a complex environment is to allow for these basic freedoms.
And though both mottos have been effective in bringing and keeping people together under their respective flags, at present the ideal is not always valued and promoted. Where enrichment of diversity was once celebrated, and unity preserved, the current political climate is shifting in another direction.
Rather than marveling at how thirteen colonies composed of many nationalities could unite to become the United States of America proving the symbolic reflection of the nationās strength and dynamism, too often today we witness a breakdown of the national unity, yielding a āclash of civilizations,ā as American democracy continues to be under attack.
On the other side of the globe, Indonesia suffers from widespread systemic corruption, discrimination, and violence against some minority groups. It also has one of the worldās worst environmental policy, destroying the rain forest, endangering the orangutans, and doing nothing to combat the rising sea levels that threaten hundreds of populated islands. Indonesia is ranked on the Environmental Performance Index at 133rd.
The United States is the longest standing democracy in the world. But you may be surprised to learn that the United States is ranked at 25, out of 167 countries, on the Democracy Index. And is considered a Flawed Democracy. Indonesia is much further down on the chart and is ranked 64th and is also a Flawed Democracy.
I would conclude that E Pluribus Unum (Out of Many, One) and Bhinneka Tunggal Ika (Unity in Diversity) are both unifying principles. Neither country, but especially Indonesia, is not living up to the ideal expressed in these mottos.
To paraphrase the author of the book Democracy in Crisis: Why, Where, How to Respond who writes about the challenges to democratic governments around the world states: āOne day Bhinneka Tunggal Ika might be complemented with the concept of democracy through diversity.ā
And may the United States, the cradle of democracy among the nations of the world, live up to the principles of E Pluribus Unum.
[END]
Universal Human Rights
āWhere, after all, do universal human rights begin? In small places, close to home ā so close and so small that they cannot be seen on any maps of the world. Yet they are the world of the individual person; the neighborhood he lives in; the school or college he attends; the factory, farm, or office where he works. Such are the places where every man, woman, and child seek equal justice, equal opportunity, equal dignity without discrimination. Unless these rights have meaning there, they have little meaning anywhere. Without concerted citizen action to uphold them close to home, we shall look in vain for progress in the larger world.
ā Eleanor Roosevelt, In Our Hands (1958 speech delivered on the 10th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
- Image credit: Flickr_C / blavandmaster
Ā©2024, Melissa A. Rendsburg, M.A.
England's Mountains Green 