Opinion

In Memory of Mike LaTorra

2026.09.06

Lincoln Cannon

Lincoln Cannon is an American philosopher and technologist who co-founded the Mormon Transhumanist Association in 2006, serving as its president from 2006 to 2016. He is a leading advocate of technological evolution and postsecular religion, combining software engineering expertise with degrees in philosophy and business. ¶ Cannon is also a founder and board member of the Christian Transhumanist Association. He formulated the New God Argument, a logical argument for faith in God that has become popular among religious transhumanists. His academic work includes “Mormonism Mandates Transhumanism” published in Religion and Human Enhancement: Death, Values, and Morality (Palgrave Macmillan, 2017) and “Transfigurism: A Future of Religion as Exemplified by Religious Transhumanists” published in The Transhumanism Handbook (Springer Verlag, 2019). ¶ Mormon transhumanism, as articulated by Cannon, holds that humanity should learn how to be compassionate creators. This idea is central to the Mormon theological tradition, which provides a religious framework consistent with naturalism and supportive of human transformation. Cannon’s work bridges religious faith with scientific advancement, advocating for the ethical use of technology to extend human abilities in ways consistent with a religious worldview.

My friend Mike LaTorra died on Wednesday, 2 September 2026. He taught English at New Mexico State University for more than two decades. And he was ordained a Zen Buddhist priest, presiding for a time over the Daibutsuji Zen Temple in Las Cruces.

In Memory of Mike LaTorra

2026.09.06

Lincoln Cannon

TrueChristian® Hypocrisy

2026.08.27

Lincoln Cannon

I received a Google Alert for “[Christians Only] WDYT of Christian Transhumanism Association? : r/TrueChristian - Reddit.” Christians only? Okay. I’m Christian.

So I clicked on the link and read the thread. The “Christian” originator tells of going down the proverbial “rabbit hole” and learning about Christian Transhumanism. Although confused and inviting thoughts, he’s “pretty sure” that the common Christian Transhumanist idea of resurrecting the dead is “heresy.”

An “Eastern Orthodox” commenter confirms, “just by seeing their name I know they’re at least heretics or not even Christians.”

TrueChristian® Hypocrisy — Whitewashed Tomb

The Vanguardism Trap

2026.08.22

Lincoln Cannon

A friend recently described to me a “stench of fascism” in rationalist discourse. “Any theory that makes ‘clear thinking’ a scarce, trainable, testable property generates a distinction between those who have it and those who don’t,” he wrote. “And that distinction is convertible into political authority no matter what the theory says about itself.”

He’s right about the mechanism. I’ve smelled it too. But there’s probably a more useful name for it.

Without Beginning

2026.08.08

Lincoln Cannon

Dorothée and I usually watch a show together before bed. Presently, we’re watching a science fiction show with a narrative that revolves around time travel. It’s entertaining, especially the recreations of historical events that bump into modern sensibilities. But it’s also incoherent in many ways.

My work sometimes invites questions about time travel, for at least a couple reasons.

Finding Ourselves Making

2026.07.29

Lincoln Cannon

We often speak of identity as if it were atomic, in the strict sense of the word: a fixed kernel you either have or don’t. We imagine a self that persists whole or perishes entire, with nothing between. But identity isn’t atomic.

Identity is organized. It admits of more and less. It can be distinguished or obscured, aggregated or dispersed, robust or fragile, complex or simple, and empowered or impotent. And it changes.

The Veil Is Individuation

2026.07.23

Lincoln Cannon

One relatively unique aspect of Mormon theology is the concept of the veil. We typically understand the veil to be something like a curtain drawn over our premortal memory. It separates us from clear awareness of God, so that mortal life can serve as a genuine test. And we commonly imagine it descending upon us, either suddenly or gradually, around the time of our mortal birth.

New God Argument Version 4.0

2026.07.08

Lincoln Cannon

The New God Argument is a logical argument for faith in God, based on moral and practical assumptions that are consistent with current science and emerging technology trends. It doesn’t prove that God exists. Rather, it proves that if we trust in the superhuman potential of our civilization then we should also trust in that which may qualify as God. And atheism may entail distrust in our compassionate and creative superhuman potential.

New God Argument Version 4.0

2026.07.08

Lincoln Cannon

I Interviewed Fable 5 About Mormon Transhumanism

2026.07.07

Lincoln Cannon

Five years ago, when I interviewed OpenAI GPT 3 about Mormon Transhumanism, it was among the most advanced AI models. Things have changed, of course. OpenAI and its competitors, notably Anthropic, have continued to develop newer and more capable models. Among the most capable models today is Anthropic Claude Fable 5.

Today, I interviewed Fable 5 about Mormon Transhumanism. The interview began with some high-level questions about Mormonism and Transhumanism, to establish context. Then I asked about the strengths and weaknesses of the movement. And finally we exchanged some observations about the constitution of a trustworthy shared future.

Opinion

The Interview