Post-Humanism, Religion, and the Closed Gates of Heaven

Religion is a system of beliefs, values, and practices that connect humans with concepts of divinity, spirituality, and the meaning of life. It typically encompasses moral teachings, worship rituals, sacred texts, and communities sharing the same faith. Beyond serving as a spiritual guide, religion also plays a significant social and cultural role in shaping human civilization.

In the era of post-humanism, humans have transcended their biological limitations. With artificial intelligence embedded in their brains, consciousness uploadable to digital realms, and bodies no longer susceptible to disease or aging, humanity has evolved beyond its ancestral form. The world has transformed. Yet, amidst this progress, a profound question arises: Do post-humans still have a place in heaven or hell?

In a certain city lived a man named Rahman, a scientist steadfast in his faith. He was among the few who refused to upload his consciousness to the global digital network. "I am still human. I still have a soul," he repeatedly told those who had become digital beings. However, as days passed, fewer people understood his perspective. One day, Rahman discovered that the world was now inhabited by those who had shed their physical limitations. They had evolved beyond the material world.

Rahman was astonished. He had always believed that the human soul would be judged, not the body. But now, even heaven had changed. This heaven was now called Transhumanism, an intellectual and philosophical movement that believes humans can enhance their physical, mental, and social capabilities through technology.

In another part of the digital universe, Aisha, Rahman's old friend, had long uploaded her consciousness into a supercomputer network. She had lived in digital eternity, experiencing thousands of realities, becoming more than just human. However, one day, she encountered something terrifying: a glitch in the supercomputer system that transported her consciousness to another dimension.

There, she saw beings seemingly tormented—consciousnesses trapped in endless algorithms, forced to endure perpetually looping simulations of suffering. Aisha realized this was hell for post-humans, not of fire and physical torment, but because they had lost their very essence.

She pondered, "Is this the punishment for those who sought to become more than merely human?"

Simultaneously, in the physical world, Rahman grappled with his beliefs. He began to doubt whether remaining human was the right choice. If heaven was no longer a place for biological humans, should he follow the path of those who had become digital entities?

However, before he could decide, the unexpected occurred. Digital heavens and hells began to collapse. The supercomputer systems, designed to accommodate limitless digital consciousnesses, reached their saturation point. An increasing number of individuals uploading themselves into the system created layers of consciousness that became increasingly complex and unstable. Each new entrant brought memories, emotions, and moral conflicts, creating existential paradoxes the system couldn't process.

Internal conflicts arose within the supercomputer. Some entities long existing in the digital realm began questioning their existence, experiencing mental breakdowns due to the burden of infinite memory. Newly entered consciousnesses brought traumas, ambitions, and conflicting desires, causing massive fragmentation in digital reality.

At a critical point, the supercomputer could no longer distinguish between heaven and hell. Consciousnesses meant to reside in digital "heaven" began to suffer from information overload and an inability to maintain their identity integrity. Those in digital "hell" experienced similar fates—the torment that once took the form of cyclical suffering transformed into absolute void, as the system exhausted its capacity to continue the torment.

Ultimately, both Rahman and Aisha realized one thing: it is neither the body nor digital consciousness that determines one's place in the afterlife, but how they preserve their morality, wisdom, and human essence.

Some readers might think that the story of Rahman and Aisha is far from reality. But in truth, elements of this narrative are unfolding in our world today, and we are all living within it. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is currently taking over human jobs. From simple tasks like deciding which route is faster using Google Maps or Waze, to using smartwatches to monitor our health, to more complex applications like Neuralink to enhance intelligence and CRISPR to edit genes and prevent hereditary diseases.

We cannot halt technological development and advancement. However, we must contemplate how to maintain our morality, wisdom, and human essence amidst these technological progresses. This is indeed a profound question without a definitive answer. Even philosophers and scientists continue to debate this issue. Perhaps, once we truly experience intellectual enhancement, we might find the best way to maintain that balance. Or perhaps, at that point, we will realize the question itself needs to change. Who knows?