No Hate, No Haste, No Chaste

Normative Sources of Morality in the Age of AI

What might the world’s next major religion look like??

As a computer scientist and AI expert with decades of experience in Buddhist meditation, I have devoted much consideration to the place of religion in the society of tomorrow. The three pillars I discuss here are, in my view, potential cornerstones of a new faith for the 21st century and beyond. My intention is not to advertise a new religion or to encourage people to abandon their existing belief systems, but to propose an alternative source of meaning in the context of the technological and social changes our world is undergoing.?

Do We Need a New Religion?

Western society is becoming more secular by the day. Research shows that the proportion of Americans who describe themselves as unaffiliated with any religion has risen to 27%, from 16% in 2006. Experts have observed similar trends among Europe’s Christian communities and Muslims in the Middle East. ??

Many experts have pointed to the rise in technologies like artificial intelligence as a driver behind this trend. They hypothesize that people have come to view these capabilities as supernatural and that this has, in some way, satisfied their need for such a presence in their lives.?

In 2016, writer Yuval Noah Harari’s Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow proposed that humanity could be on the cusp of embracing a new mainstream religion: Dataism. This creed would focus not on the worship of a deity, but rather on the free exchange of information (facilitated by increasingly advanced technology) as its ultimate goal.?

While Harari’s proposition has its flaws, it correctly highlights the fact that technology may present the very reason a new religion is necessary. Can you imagine the destruction that would result if people in power were allowed to exercise the capabilities of cutting-edge tech with no system of moral values to guide or restrict them??

?Is it time for the development of an entirely new system of belief??

The First Pillar: No Hate

One of the driving forces behind secularity is undoubtedly the association of religion with hateful, destructive acts. Consider, for example, the religious wars between Catholics and Protestants , the rise of Islamic extremism , or the oppression of Hindus in Pakistan .?

This becomes even more obvious when you take a broad view on the definition of religion, to include non-supernatural churches like capitalism, communism, and fascism. In the case of the latter two, hundreds of millions died due to the blind adherence to these religions by ordinary people in the 20th century. Capitalism has not resulted in any such clear-cut genocides, but the gaping, fiery chasm in modern political discourse has shown that its adherents are capable of a worrying level of contempt when it comes to opponents of their belief system.?

When you establish a religious group, it can become fashionable to hate outsiders. So, a founding principle of a new religion must be the prohibition of action motivated by hatred, particularly hatred of other religions or of one’s previous religion.?

This doesn’t mean strong action or even violence, should be prohibited. They just can’t come from a place of religious hatred, or of so-called “justified anger.”??

The Second Pillar: No Haste

As a lifelong Buddhist meditator, I believe strongly in the importance of intentional spiritual practice. There is no necessity to promote one approach to this over any other; existing religions all have their own approach to practice, whether they call it prayer, chanting, breathing, meditation, positive affirmation, gratitude, or anything else. A new religion should allow for flexibility in this respect; adherents should continue practicing in the fashion with which they feel most comfortable.?

In the modern world, it has become increasingly common for those searching for meaning to “cherry-pick” elements of religious practice from different faiths based on what they find attractive, or even on what’s fashionable. Consider, for example, the growing popularity of mindfulness meditation , a historically Eastern practice, in the modern West.?

This approach to spirituality can impede progress. Meditation is a skill, and the spiritual journey it entails can involve decades of intentional practice. In Theravada Buddhism, practitioners start meditating with the expectation that it will take several lifetimes to reach true enlightenment. So, if you regularly switch from one style of meditation or prayer to another, you’ll never achieve the same depth of practice as someone who remains firmly within their own tradition.

It’s also worth noting that (contrary to ideas expressed by some modern thinkers ) the consumption of psychedelics does not qualify as meditation. Though drugs like psilocybin, LSD, DMT, and others can help people find meaning in their lives, they are not a replacement for intentional daily practice.?

The “No Haste” pillar would also require adherents not to pressure their peers into adopting a new religion. Evangelizing in this way is unhelpful, and more likely to alienate new followers than to encourage them. Potential members of a new religion must find their own path.??

Ultimately, the enlightenment to be gained from meditation or prayer will help the individual to find peace and avoid the “haste” that has become a feature of modern life.?

The Third Pillar: No Chaste

Of the three pillars I’m discussing here, this is the most foreign to typical conceptions of organized religion. Chastity is a cornerstone of many major faiths; Christianity’s adulation of the Virgin Mary is perhaps the highest-profile example of this. Many other faiths, including Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Sikhism, and Jainism promote the idea of sexual restraint, to a greater or lesser extent.??

This promotion of sexual chastity is increasingly inconsistent with modern societal values, and so should have no place in a functional future religion.?

This is not to say that a new faith should not provide guidance on the sensible exercise of sexuality. Moderation, with an emphasis on mutually respectful monogamous relationships, should be encouraged. However, adherents should not feel pressured to abstain from more casual sex by their religion; rather, they should feel empowered to make their own decisions about sexuality with regard to its implications for their well-being. This would extend even to the allowance of prostitution.?

It should be noted that the leveraging of sexuality to achieve immoral ends (such as, say, offering professional or spiritual advancement in exchange for sexual favors) should be explicitly disallowed.?

Where Do We Go From Here?

As tech continues to develop at breakneck speed, the average human will increasingly require protection from those who might use the latest innovations for nefarious ends. A new religion could provide a solution to this problem.?

I hope to be part of this solution, and I hope this first sketch of a universalist basis for morality might help.??

This article will be the first in a series of posts about the future of faith in a world defined by secularity and rapid technological advancements. Thank you in advance for your comments, questions, and insights.