The Greeks had a god for everything, and temples were erected all over their cities to facilitate the worship of them. As time goes by, America is becoming much the same. Here is a list of a few of the most popular gods within our culture.
- Self– Certainly self absorption is nothing new for mankind, but previous generations didn’t have the amazing technology that we have to assist them. American’s are completely consumed with making sure everyone knows their status (Facebook, Instagram), hears their opinions (Twitter, the Blogosphere), see’s their images (selfies, YouTube, Snapchat) and is appraised of their likes and/or dislikes (all social media). The cumulative effect is that it keeps most people focused on themselves, and on what everyone else is thinking & saying about them.
- Technology– Americans pay billions of dollars a year to be a part of the newest technological craze. Whether it be the latest i-Phone, or a hover-board, or a GoPro, or self-driving cars… we can’t stand the idea that there is something newer, and possibly more advanced, than what we have already. Sadly, the emerging generation has so much faith in the power of technology that they’ve become largely disconnected from the lessons of the past.
- Humanism– We’ve become a society that willingly disparages the character of God in order to substantiate the inherent virtue of mankind. We shun the “Holy Spirit” and celebrate the “human spirit”. Collectively, we’ve decided that if God has a problem with us, He must not be as loving as we’ve been told, and thus we have every right to ignore Him.
- Convenience– Our culture is absolutely obsessed with making everything fast, easy, and achievable with the touch of a button. We have an “app” for just about anything you can think of, and a huge amount of an average person’s life is channeled through their electronic devices. But with every advance in this direction, we become less tolerant of things that require any sort of sustained effort on our part, or things that take time. We also become more dependent on the technology for even the most basic of functions. Given the fact that life is a long journey, which requires genuine determination, perseverance and patience, this trend doesn’t bode well for our future.
- Sensuality– Without a doubt, sex is meant to be one of life’s great pleasures, but just as doubtless, there is a context within which it was meant to fit in our lives. In the decades since the “Sexual Revolution” began, our culture has found ways to inject sex into all sorts of settings, circumstances, and contexts where it doesn’t belong. This has not only resulted in confusion and dysfunction, for many it has reduced sex to little more than a bodily function. That’s sad, because it was intended to be so much more.
- Voyeurism– My kids have no idea what a “Peeping Tom” is, and I would submit that this is due to the fact that (figuratively speaking) peeking into people’s windows has become a national pastime. While it may have started with a litany of “Reality TV” shows, there are now surveillance cameras everywhere, a host of scammers combing the web for personal information, and millions of would-be photographers/reporters carrying portable electronic devices, and looking for that next viral sensation. Indeed, there is little within our present culture that could accurately be characterized as “private”.
- Celebrity– The insatiable craving for notoriety within our culture continues to fill our screens (both large and small) with images of people willing to eat bugs, wife swap, gender swap, submit themselves to dangerous circumstances, fix bad tattoos, torment their kids, wrestle alligators/snapping turtles/wolverines, bully their wedding planner, search for Bigfoot… And all of this has created a new breed of celebrity that includes people like the “Reality TV Star”, and the “You-Tube Star”. Many of these folks are not known for a specific talent, or some meaningful contribution to society, they’re simply famous for being famous (e.g. the Kardashians); which somehow manages to take the superficiality of “fame and fortune” to a whole new level.
- Autonomy– In our culture, we don’t generally admire people who follow the rules. More typically, we revere those who make up their own. Increasingly, people don’t feel as though they should have to abide by a rule that they think is stupid, or unwarranted, or that they simply disagree with. This trait is commonly reflected in the people our society raises to the level of “hero”, and in the characters popular entertainment presents as “super-heroes”. While a life with “no boundaries” may sound appealing, it is by definition a state of lawlessness.
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Artificial Truth
Posted in Commentaries, tagged AI, Artificial Intelligence, Babel, evil, knowledge, manipulate, mankind, mind, programmed, spiritual, technology, truth, wisdom on July 15, 2026| Leave a Comment »
I believe that it is worthwhile to remember that the fruit mankind chose in the garden was the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. It’s what facilitated man’s moral autonomy to decide for himself what is good and what is evil, which ultimately freed him from dependency on God’s perspective. So when well-meaning Christian folk declare that something is evil, without specific insight from the Lord, we might inadvertently be exercising this autonomy rather than reflecting the Father’s heart.
Indeed, Peter felt as though he was being a guardian of orthodox religious practice when the Lord chastened him, “do not call anything impure that God has made clean” (Acts 10:15) and Saul was sure he was doing the Lord’s work when God knocked him to the ground and chided, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me” (Acts 9:4). Thus, I also need to choose my words carefully, as I share a warning that I do believe comes from Him.
As technology continues to advance at a rapid rate, mankind’s confidence in itself, and in what it thinks it knows, seems to grow; as Humanism has become the prevalent ideology within western culture. We have rationalized that our “evolution” as a society somehow exempts us from the lessons of human history, and embraced a faith in technology, which has come to embody our hope for the future. Much like the tower of Babel (Gen.11:1-9), mankind continues to try to make its own way to heaven apart from “the Way” (John 14:6) that God ordained for us.
Perhaps nothing reflects this pursuit more clearly than the rise and application of Artificial Intelligence (AI). With alarming ease, AI has quickly ascended to a place of prominence within our culture and established its presence in our daily lives. It has largely been welcomed like an old friend and has rapidly become the go to resource for information. Many would rationalize that it is simply a tool, and there is certainly some amount of truth to that. But like every “tool” man creates, it has the very real potential to be corrupted and even weaponized.
The “artificial” component of artificial intelligence is that it only knows what it has been told, and it only sees what it is programmed to look at. In that regard, the output is highly susceptible to manipulation. More importantly, for those who count themselves as spiritual beings, AI is a soulless and spiritless entity. It has no conscience nor any spiritual discernment (1Cor.2:14). For those who ascribe to a biblical worldview, that ought to be problematic (Gal.5:17-18).
Some might argue that it is simply information, like a really good set of encyclopedia’s. But I have already witnessed folks (young and old) consulting ChatGBT for relationship advice, seeking guidance on significant life decisions, attempting to arbitrate disagreements and even with regard to spiritual matters. These “tools” have been strategically positioned to become our source for truth, and there is mounting evidence that they are being embraced as such.
But genuine truth has a spiritual dimension that transcends information that could simply be classified as factual. Indeed, only Christ has the words of life (John 6:68) and only He can do exceedingly, abundantly more than we could ask or imagine (Eph.3:20-12). Paul warned against succumbing to “human wisdom” and exhorted that through the Spirit we have been given access to the “mind of Christ” (1Cor.2:6-16), just as John spoke of an anointing that is meant to teach us “all things” (1John 2:27). Nevertheless, it will always be easier to pull up an app on our phone than to access the things of God.
Am I saying that AI is evil? No, it really is just a tool. Which is not to say that there aren’t forces at work behind the advancement of AI, who may well have dubious intentions. To be sure, a tool that can be used for our benefit can also be aimed toward our destruction.
Am I saying that using ChatGBT is immoral or unbiblical? Not necessarily. Within the right context, it is perfectly reasonable to take advantage of this technology (e.g. to expedite research).
But for those born of the Spirit, these things cannot become our Source, or even a source, for truth (John 14:6). Devoid of the Spirit, the best they can deliver is rooted in hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ (Col.2:8). They are ultimately an accumulation of the way that seems right to mankind, which amounts to foolishness to God (1Cor.1:25) and pushes us toward death (Prov.14:12).
Just as this intelligence is classified as artificial, so too should the “truth” which is derived from it.
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