Fear of Creating a Deity

What prevents people from inventing a new God?

Introduction

The core idea of the We-Create-God (WCG) doctrine differs from traditional religion because it proposes that humanity should consciously create a future, higher intelligence, moral authority, or divinity rather than merely worship an already-existing God.

A review of philosophical, religious, ethical, and AI-related literature shows that people are often reluctant to support such a project for a small number of recurring reasons:

1. Fear of "playing God",
2. Fear of unintended consequences,
3. Fear of loss of human control,
4. Fear of moral corruption, and
5. Uncertainty about what kind of deity might emerge.

These themes appear repeatedly in discussions of synthetic biology, artificial intelligence, transhumanism, and religion.

Five Fear Statements

Five Fear Statements About Creating a Future Deity

1. Fear of "playing God,"

"If we create a god-like power, it may eventually become stronger than humanity and no longer remain under human control."
This fear appears frequently in discussions about superintelligent AI and technological singularities, where a created intelligence might surpass its creators.

2. Fear of unintended consequences

"Human beings do not possess enough wisdom to design a perfect God, so we might accidentally create a tyrant instead of a saviour."
Many ethical discussions warn that human flaws, biases, narcissism, and political interests could become embedded in any artificial or human-designed higher authority.

3. Fear of loss of human control

"Creating a deity is an act of 'playing God' and crosses a moral or spiritual boundary that humans should not cross."
Research shows that many people react negatively to technologies or projects, they perceive as humans assuming a divine role.

4. Fear of moral corruption

"Once a new God is created, people may surrender responsibility for their own moral choices and become dependent on the new authority."
Several authors warn that artificial religion or god-like systems could diminish human autonomy and critical thinking.

5. Uncertainty on kind of deity-emergence

"Humanity cannot agree on what constitutes truth, justice, love, unification, or perfection, so any attempt to create a universal God may lead to global conflict."
Philosophical discussions about creator-authority and worship-worthiness repeatedly raise questions about whose values would define such a deity.

Condensed one-line version of arguments

1. We may create a power that eventually controls us.
2. Our imperfections could produce a flawed or dangerous deity.
3. Creating God may violate a deeply held moral boundary.
4. A created God could weaken human responsibility and freedom.
5. Humanity may never agree on the values that a new God should embody.