Why the Explosion of Artificial Intelligence Should Have Christians on Guard

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2 years ago

September 15, 2023

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September 14, 2023

The sudden explosion of artificial intelligence has left some Christians pondering the moral implications of this ever-expansive technology.

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And when it comes to the true size and scope of artificial intelligence, the future is anything but certain. Promises of profound technological advancement come alongside fear over job loss and lapsed ethics.

“One of the problems of the whole issue of artificial intelligence is that that landscape could change before I get to the end of this sentence,” Dr. Albert Mohler, Jr., president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, told CBN’s “The 700 Club.”

Mohler said new moral dimensions surrounding AI emerge as fast as the technology evolves.

“This is a truly frightening prospect,” he said. “And I don’t say that about everything. … What we don’t know, we don’t know, and this really is setting something loose in the lab.”

Mohler urged Christians to pay close attention to the claim AI could potentially develop a form of consciousness.

“There is no such thing as a feeling machine,” he added. “There may be a machine that mimics feeling; we are not merely feeling machines. We’re not merely machines that mimic feeling; we’re made in God’s image. And so there has to be a distinction there.”

Mohler continued, “But keeping that distinction straight and by the way, defending human dignity is going to uniquely fall upon Christians, because the world is cashing out its ability to argue for human dignity.”

Author Jeff Kinley agreed and added a warning about allowing AI to diminish human purpose and value.

“Obviously, one of the biggest concerns is that it replaces human intelligence,” Kinley said. “We’re moving as a society towards replacing humanity just about every way possible replacing human labor, human thought, human writing, trying to pretty much put humanity to the margins of the narrative here.”

Unrestrained surveillance and the ability to hack the human brain are two potential concerns. Kinley, however, calls censorship and informational control the more immediate threats.

“The idea of deception, because artificial intelligence is not human intelligence,” he said. “And so there’s obviously the capacity for a lot of bias in there prescripted, inherent bias, but also just the idea of putting out a false narrative and someone says, ‘Hey, the AI must know more than me. So, I’m going to trust the AI more than the people who could be called conspiracy theorists.’”

Christian apologist Alex McFarland echoed these concerns and said it all comes down to whos programming the systems and how theyre used.

“Technology is generally amoral,” he said. “Computers aren’t necessarily good or bad, but what you do with them on the moral issues.”

McFarland continued, “Christians need to be very concerned about AI, because so much of the code and the algorithms that run the internet come from the souls and minds of Silicon Valley liberals.”

While the overall impact depends on human intention, there are also positive opportunities. Some experts are using the tech to improve human health and well-being. And Christian groups are using it to translate the Bible into new languages.

Author Johnnie Moore, among others, believes America must pause, reflect, and offer moral leadership to ensure the right path forward.

“All the good and the bad of it is going to be realized by us,” he said. “The decisions we make now will determine the lives our children will enjoy. This is the moment to press pause, to gather together, to ask the right questions, and to make sure the United States isn’t just leading in technology, but that we’re leading with our values too.”

Only time will tell if these warnings are heeded.

***As the number of voices facing big-tech censorship continues to grow, please sign up forFaithwires daily newsletterand download theCBN News app, developed by our parent company, to stay up-to-date with the latest news from a distinctly Christian perspective.***

World

Trump could meet Putin as early as next week to discuss Ukraine ceasefire – White House official

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2 hours ago

August 7, 2025

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Trump could meet Putin as early as next week to discuss Ukraine ceasefire - White House official

Donald Trump could meet Vladimir Putin in person as early as next week to discuss a ceasefire in Ukraine, a White House official has said.

They said the meeting would be conditional on the Russian president meeting his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Sky News’s US partner network NBC News reported.

It came days before the White House’s deadline for Russia to reach a peace deal with Ukraine or face severe economic penalties, which could also target countries buying its oil.

Ukraine war latest

Asked during a news conference at the White House if the talks would take place, Mr Trump said: “There’s a very good prospect that they will.”

He said it had not been determined where the talks would take place, but added: “We had some very good talks with President Putin today.”

However, he said: “I’ve been disappointed before with this one.”

Asked if Mr Putin made any kind of concession to lead to the development, Mr Trump did not give much away, but added: “We’ve been working on this a long time. There are thousands of young people dying, mostly soldiers, but also, you know, missiles being hit into Kyiv and other places.”

Trump might finally be a step closer to ending the war

Seven hours is a long time in US politics.

At 10am, Donald Trump accused Russia of posing a threat to America’s national security.

At 5pm, Trump said there was a “good prospect” of him meeting Vladimir Putin “soon”.

There had, he claimed, been “great progress” in talks between his special envoy Steve Witkoff and the Russian president.

It’s difficult to gauge the chances of a meeting between the two leaders without knowing what “great progress” means.

Is Russia “inclined” towards agreeing a ceasefire, as Ukraine’s president now claims?

Is Putin prepared to meet with his Ukrainian foe Volodymyr Zelenskyy, too?

The very fact that we’re asking those questions suggests something shifted on a day when there was no expectation of breakthrough.

Trump repeatedly vowed to end the war within 24 hours of becoming president.

On day 198 of his presidency, he might, just might, be one step closer to achieving that.

More tariffs ‘could happen’

Mr Trump also said he could announce further tariffs on China similar to the 25% he announced on India over its purchases of Russian oil.

“Could happen,” he said, after saying he expected to announce more secondary sanctions intended to pressure Russia into ending its war with Ukraine.

Earlier, he imposed an additional 25% tariff on Indian goods, on top of a previous 25% tariff, over its continued purchases of Russian oil.

India’s foreign ministry spokesperson said the additional tariffs were “unfair, unjustified and unreasonable”.

It came after Mr Putin held talks with Mr Trump‘s special envoy Steve Witkoff in Moscow, with the meeting lasting around three hours.

In a post on Truth Social, Mr Trump said Mr Witkoff “had a highly productive meeting” with Mr Putin in which “great progress was made”.

He said he had updated America’s European allies, and they will work towards an end to the Russia-Ukraine war “in the days and weeks to come”.

‘The war must end’

Mr Zelenskyy later said he and Mr Trump spoke on the phone after the meeting. He said “European leaders also participated in the conversation” and “we discussed what was said in Moscow”.

He added: “Our common position with our partners is absolutely clear: The war must end. We all need lasting and reliable peace. Russia must end the war that it started.”

Mr Zelenskyy later said: “It seems that Russia is now more inclined to agree to a ceasefire.”

He added that the pressure on Moscow “is working”, without elaborating, and stressed it was important to make sure Russia does not “deceive us or the United States” when it comes to “the details” of a potential agreement.

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