Kirby was ultimately interested not in the future of the relationship between religion and technology, but the prospect of technology as religion. Citing Martin Heidegger’s essay “The Question Concerning Technology” throughout, Kirby posits the existence of a religion of technology.

“It seems to me arguable that a certain kind of commitment to technology, an unquestioning commitment that technological advancement is progressive and beneficial to humanity, is a kind of religious commitment itself,” Kirby stated.

Most people view technology as means to an end: tools that we control in order to better serve our lives on Earth. However, what if technology actually controlled us? What if the way in which we used technology determined our actions, and the technological progress we made was pre-determined by the technology we already possess?

Kirby explained that society tends to assume that technology is ethically neutral. It is merely an instrument of progress that we as human beings control. He told The Daily that Heidegger calls this common assumption into question. “Technology is a way that we as human beings have a relation to truth,” quoted Kirby.

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