A Christian Defense of Elon Musk and (maybe) Neuralink

For autistics, language isn't all its cracked up to be

For those still willing to glean wisdom from curmudgeonly old boomers, it’s tough to beat The Theology Pugcast. The hosts are not only deep thinkers, but godly men with a loving concern for the Church and its future. However, Monday’s episode had me a bit more frustrated than usual.

The gang was commenting on old comments from Elon Musk, regarding Neuralink, which he predicted would make language obsolete. Neuralink is a project that wise Christians (or anyone who has seen The Matrix) are skeptical of, and for good reason. Musk’s claims sound like the standard script of Utopianist thinkers throughout history, from Winwood Reede to Bill Gates and Noah Yuval Harari.

Many fine things were said in the podcast about the role of language, and the importance of the arts, but there was an aspect of the discussion that didn’t quite make it to the surface. In trying to decipher what Musk meant by his prediction that language would become obsolete, C.R. Wiley mentioned that he thinks in language, a fact they recognized as less true for others.

Musk certainly falls into the category of technical thinkers who might relish the opportunity to simply show ideas and images to others instead of describing them through language, hoping that their words are sufficient to recreate the image in the other person’s mind.

The fear of powerful technocrats controlling the means of communication is a perennial one, and not just for dispensationalists. But those fears often mask an idolatrous lack of trust in the sovereignty of God. One of the key purposes in scrambling the language at the tower of babel was to slow down the process of technical innovation, but the effects were largely reversed by the time of Christ, when the (partial) uniformity of language, and unity of the empire aided the rapid spread of the gospel.

A case could be made that we are just exiting another Tower of Babel, one that many didn’t recognize, as the internet has shattered the unified narratives of mass media, a new reality for which Elon Musk is largely responsible. Which points to an important distinction; Techno-Utopians are not all created equal.

If Harari and his globalist friends had succeeded in gaining control of the levers of mass manipulation, I would be very worried about our future. Yet almost everything Musk has done with his money and influence has been a stumbling block in their plans, and if his ideas don’t exactly line up with a traditional Christian worldview, they are not in direct opposition to the continued growth of the Kingdom.

But there is one detail about Musk the crew overlooked, one more difficult to relate to, but intimately connected to the topic of language and its understanding. Musk is autistic. He has self identified as having aspergers, a high-functioning form of autism now called ASD 1.

Autism is a spectrum, and people are diagnosed along that spectrum according to their ability to communicate and interact socially. Musk is on one end, the ASD 3 kids confined to wheelchairs from The Telepathy Tapes (a fantastic subject for the guys to tackle on a podcast,) are on the other. But Musk’s outward ability to speak with intelligence and clarity, if lacking a warm and friendly tone, does not equate to anything like a full or normal ability to understand, or be understood, by those who do not share the same pattern of neurological development.

Musk certainly fits many of the cultural stereotypes of autism; good with tech, bad with people. Because our culture places a high value on technical brilliance, it tends to overlook the abrasive personality traits that accompany it, even making them the basis of comedic characters like Sheldon Cooper on The Big Bang Theory.

Autism is not innately tied to an aptitude in the STEM fields; that comes from social reinforcement. The autistic mind finds solace in the straightforward and logically rigorous domains of math and science, and, depending on when they are diagnosed, they may find their time and energy is better spent expanding their technical proficiency, rather than trying to overcome their social ineptitude.

But that path is only available to the autistic individuals who discover a love and aptitude for the technical fields. The same patterns of neurological developmental lead to drastically different outcomes for others, and also manifests differently in men and women. There are autistics in the humanities who write beloved tales, often filled with characters who showcase the peculiarities of autism as it appears in a variety of contexts.

The whole cast of Anne of Green Gables exhibit autistic tendencies, with Matthew presenting the most classic traits, pointing towards the safe assumption that L. Maude Montgomery was also autistic. Garrison Keillor, a self identified autistic, crafted the town of Lake Wobegon as the perfect place for regular folk with a secret penchant for writing operas and poems about their special interests.

In centuries prior, monasteries were filled with autistics of both the literary and technical bent, alongside another population with strong autistic tendencies, Christian mystics. But while there are myriad examples of suspected autistics who achieve great success, (DaVinci, Aquinas, Calvin, Newton, Mozart, Jefferson, Einstein,) none of them got there easily.

For autistics, flourishing only comes through painful perseverance, especially in social interactions. The failure to intuit emotional and non-verbal communication leads to painful rejections, misunderstandings, and can even result in violence.

Autistic people must choose to trust the words spoken by others with a truly blind faith, or filter everything said and done through a matrix of secondary observations. They are extremely vulnerable to predatory sales and recruiting tactics, and other forms of social manipulation. They are overrepresented in cults, and socially contagious movements like the anorexia boom in the 90’s, and the current LGBTQ movement. Autistic women face a high risk of sexual assault by “consenting” to situations they misunderstand, while autistic men are more likely to be accused of assault for the same reason.

Those who fail to find some means of navigating normal life, of understanding others, and being understood, inevitably fall into the largest population of undiagnosed autistics; drunks, drug addicts, prostitutes, and drifters. Those addictions are also the hidden coping mechanisms of people on the spectrum who flounder on the borders of failure and success.

Ideally, the place one would hope to find people on the spectrum living up to their full potential is within the Church, but sadly, the track record leaves quite a bit to be desired, especially in evangelicalism. Jon Machnee embarked on a massive ten-year research project to discover why deconversion was so common among autistics, while stories of reconversion, such as his own, are so rare, on his podcast, Christianity on the Spectrum (another worthy topic for a Pugcast episode).

Many of the problems stem from the church’s struggles to adapt to the rapid changes of modernity and postmodernity, issues that have caused many people to walk away from the faith. But they are exacerbated in autistics, who, along with a greater sensitivity to overwhelming stimulus, have a lower threshold for cognitive dissonance than neurotypicals.

Asking questions leads to accusations of belligerence. The theological and philosophical reasons given are only sufficient to walk away from a community where they feel ostracised, isolated, and unseen. It is the failure of Christians to love according to their beliefs that pushes them out the door.

I count myself as being immensely fortunate in this regard; my parents walked out their faith in a pattern of great consistency. I have had more than a fair share of painful experiences in the church, and almost always felt alone and misunderstood. But in evaluating the alternatives, the words of Peter echoed true “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” Despite being confused, shocked, and hurt by the surprising and unpredictable actions of others, I knew that Christ saw me and loved me, and He would never change.

Yet despite this strong foundation, I eventually came to a place where my abilities to cope and navigate were outstripped by the increasing complexities of life. At 39 years old, I had a full time career, a ministry position at our church, a wife, three kids, and home to take care of. But lacking the support of consistent friends and mentorship, I was starting to crack. Providentially, God intervened before my marriage blew up. I came across a series of testimonies from late-diagnosed autistics, and my entire life came into sudden focus.

Most were not Christians, and as such, their ideals and solutions centered around convoluted notions about minimizing trauma, and advocating for social changes through awareness campaigns and legislation. The desire for accommodation with no responsibilities or change on their part mirrors the ethos of the liberal elite, showcasing the tendency of autistics to fall in line with whatever social movement is most accepting of them.

But beneath that veneer of political activism, there is a profound truth; the autistic experience mirrors the suffering of “the least of these”. When their cries go unanswered, they drift into the ditch; but those who receive a modicum of love and compassion often direct their energy towards making the world a more hospitable place, according to whatever notions of justice and mercy they have adopted.

This natural response to the embodied love of the gospel aligns, if somewhat crudely, with the culture mandate of Genesis 1:28. This is why, for good or for ill, autistics who rise to positions of power and prominence have had such a profound impact on the shape of this world.

The autistic desire to understand and be understood has shaped the architecture of the internet, from the founding of silicon valley by Bill Shockley, to Bill Gates, right up to Mark Zuckerberg and Elon. Musk’s plans make all kinds of Christians nervous, but the motivation behind them, while tinged by a fallen nature and the noetic effects of sin, remain rooted in the imago dei.

Musk’s plan to escape to Mars, often cited as a hubristic plan to glorify human achievement, also seems like the extreme fulfillment of the autistic desire for peaceful solace. At the same time, it invites us to question of the limits of the cultural mandate; when Jesus says God sent His son into the kosmos to save the kosmos, why would we exclude that bright red ball of untilled adama floating above the horizon?

Musk is a technocrat, and some of his ideas seem ripped from the pages of That Hideous Strength, but his free speech advocacy, and what he has done with X and DOGE stand in stark contrast to the likes of Gates and Hararri. Nor does his pronatalist bent align with the globalist new world order, even if his strange, non-sexual form of polygamy via IVF causes Christian ethicists to break out in hives.

And it is this last point that gives me pause in regards to his Neuralink project, which is his most controversial. Musk’s human side is most apparent in his affectionate love for his son, who accompanies him regularly, even at the White House.

I am fortunate to have developed a skill and habit of writing that allows me to examine my own feelings, but it only serves me in retrospect. In the immediacy of the moment, my ability to perceive and process the words and meanings of others are quickly overwhelmed, placing me on the back foot in moments of confrontation. Early embarrassments from misread social situations led me to adopt an aloof posture that shielded me from conflict, but also isolated me from intimacy.

Learning more about the symptoms of autism helped me understand myself, but it does not eliminate the pain and difficulty of misunderstanding, and being misunderstood, or close the gaps in communication with my wife. She can (sometimes) understand intellectually that my failure to recognize emotions, or notice her struggles with the kids, is not an intentional slight, but it does nothing to make her feel less alone.

It explains the pattern of our arguments, but does little to change the outcomes. I would repeatedly say the exact words I wanted her to hear and understand, then become baffled when she took it to mean the opposite, because of the tone I used. As my exasperation increased, I would instinctively raise my voice, asking “What tone!?” destroying any chance of my message getting through.

But my greatest frustration stems from my failures to express love and affection as my family deserves. My love and admiration for my wife is such a strong feeling inside me that seems to barely come across in speech. I can navigate situations that have a clear protocol, and I relish them. I never miss the chance to say “I love you” before bed, or at the end of a phone call.

My desire to show kindness and affection in organic and spontaneous ways wells up whenever I think of her, when I am by myself. But when I try to read the room, I can’t find the moment. When I encounter the stressful environment created by a long day alone with the kids, my words are rebuffed, or they stick in my throat.

These experiences give a far better insight into why Elon Musk would want to create a device that surpasses the need for language. While I can’t say for sure, I have a strong suspicion what drove his pursuit. Elon is thrice divorced, and his oldest son Xavier, who, while petitioning to change his name and gender on his birth certificate (a request approved by a California judge at the age of 18) stated that “she” (now Vivian Wilson, taking his mother’s surname,) no longer wished to be related to Musk "in any way, shape, or form".

In his interview with Jordan Peterson, Elon showed a surprising degree of emotion, shedding tears when he spoke about being "tricked" into granting permission for gender-affirming treatment for his under 18 son.

“Musk ultimately described her as having been "killed by the woke mind virus" in conjunction with her transition. Musk has said that Wilson's gender transition is primarily what sparked his drive to "destroy the woke mind virus". Wilson disputes this account and has described it as "a convenient narrative".”¹

Is Musk’s action purely retributive? Of course not; he is trying to spare other parents from his ongoing experience. Nor should the fact that he did consent be held up as some proof about his character. His repentance speaks much clearer. In my own experience as a parent, navigating similar controversies like immunization schedules, and the initial panic surrounding Covid, is incredibly difficult when you don’t know who to trust.

Christianity has clear answers to the trans issue. But people, and especially autistics, don’t believe Christianity because it's objectively true, but because of the credible witness of faithful Christians. In the absence of such convictions, it’s not hard to imagine caving to the manipulative proposal of choosing between “a dead son or a living daughter.” Yet despite relenting, Musk has no relationship with his child.

“She describes Musk as largely absent as she grew up and, when he was around, he could be "cruel" and allegedly harassed her for displaying "femininity and queerness". According to Wilson, Musk was "cold", "quick to anger", "uncaring", and "narcissistic".

These characteristics, while not to be excused, are all easily explained by the experience of autism, shaped by negative reactions and a lack of positive guidance. Those who listen to Musk soon find that he doesn’t care about money, and he shows contempt for people’s willingness to sell out what truly matters to gain more of it. But he found a way to make it to pursue what truly matters most to him. His funding of Neuralink has been directed towards its most obvious and unobjectionable use cases. But the long term goal, I believe, is rooted in his own inability to communicate how much he loves and cares about those closest to him.

Even Musk’s strange breeding program makes sense in the light of his disability. Trusting the motives of women is always difficult for wealthy men; especially after divorce. Removing the ability to properly express and understand emotions makes it virtually impossible. But children love their parents regardless of their shortcomings, at least at the start. If you can’t fix the mistakes made with one child, avoiding them with your other children is the next best thing.

People tend to assume Musk is trying to create children who will be exceptionally gifted, which is likely considering his own intellect. I think he’s also hoping for children who will recognize and understand that he loves them.

Jacob and David both made tremendous mistakes as fathers. But God continued to bless them with sons, and they learned from their mistakes. It doesn’t seem fair to Reuben, or Amnon, or Xavier Musk, but it’s only through learning and repenting that the world was blessed with Joseph and Solomon.

I can’t speak for Elon, but because I can write a bit better than many of my autistic brethren, I feel responsible to share. Neuralink is a scary idea; I think much of the fear is rooted in the fact its widespread adoption would eliminate our ability to hide how often we break the tenth commandment, and by extension, how often we break the rest of the commandments in the depths of our hearts and minds.

But if I had access to Neuralink, there is nothing I would wish to convey more than the depth of love, wonder, and admiration I feel for my wife and my children, feelings that come across far too weak and muddled in my clumsy spoken words and mannerisms.

I take solace that while they may never fully understand the way I feel about them, at least in this life, there is one person who does. Christ sees both the good and the bad in my heart, and loves me. I hope Elon comes to recognize the peace and joy that comes from being loved in that way, but perhaps God has a purpose in holding back, something still to be accomplished through the drive and pursuit to be heard and understood.

I don’t think we will ever do away with language, but someday, God “will change the speech of the peoples to a pure speech, that all of them may call upon the name of the Lord and serve him with one accord.” Despite the fears and dangers, Neuralink may play a role in bringing about that change.

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vivian_Wilson