Earlier this week I read an article that absolutely took my breath away. From what I understand, the World Economic Forum (WEF) has apparently decided to produce a new Bible. In fact, it won’t be a new translation – they really say that it will be a “new” Bible. The expectation is to have AI, artificial intelligence, create a new Bible that we can all get behind and will finally be something that will “correctly” define religion. In fact, the exact quote is that AI can “create a Bible that is actually correct.”
To say that I am outraged is an understatement. The WEF went on to say that using the Gutenberg printing press as an illustration, the Bible could only be printed as many times as Gutenberg wanted to print it. And each copy was the same as the original – in other words, the printing press didn’t have the capability to improve the text. In fact, he went on to say that artificial intelligence is the first “super” intelligence to exist and it has the ability to create new things as opposed to just being a tool to replicate what has already been done.
Now this is the same organization that thinks the world can only really support about 1 billion people – total. And we are approaching about 8 billion in the world. That means they think it best to come up with a plan to eradicate 7 billion people. The argument is that poverty would stop, homelessness would be a thing of the past and we would have this “wonderful” world religion that is “actually correct ” and the world would be a better place.
I haven’t heard the specifics on how they plan to reduce the population but it is supposed to be an orderly reduction and “fair.” Now I don’t know if you have ever seen the movie “Soylent Green”starring Charlton Heston – made in 1973. It is the story of systematically reducing the population and creating a food source, soylent green, from those who had been “terminated” at their appointed time. I can’t believe that a proposal like this is being seriously made. It’s almost as bad a making a “new” Bible created by an artificial intelligence.
There are many sad parts about all this. For starters, there will undoubtedly be people who will be curious and want to read a “new” Bible. And some of those folks will think it is cool to follow a new religion. Then there are those who aren’t biblically savvy and have never read God’s Word as it has been translated through the ages from the original Greek, Hebrew and Aramaic. So they won’t have anything genuine to compare to this “imposter” text.
To dwell on another point for a moment, the WEF fails to acknowledge that God is the ultimate “super” intelligence. That being the case, artificial intelligence can never compare to the Almighty Lord who even transcends a physical body and is the union of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit – the Trinity. After all, God is omniscient, omnipresent and omnipotent. No computer or artificial intelligence can come close to matching that.
By the way, the WEF does acknowledge that the current versions of the Bible would become data for creating the “new” Bible. That certainly doesn’t seem like “ex nihilo” (something from nothing) to me. Only God, the Lord God, can do that – and He did, when he created all that exists.
At this time, it’s probably pointless to continue giving examples and illustrations of this absurd idea. But there is a lesson here. God warns us that there will be antichrists – those beings that will appear and want us to follow them – things that are against God or in place of God. We are warned to be careful. It has never been more important to stick to the facts, read our Bibles and pray fervently that God will deliver us from these blasphemers.
Another point is that as we get closer to the endtimes, the Rapture, the Tribulation, the Millennium and the beginning of our reign with Christ for all eternity, God tells us that strange things will happen. We know that Satan will be thrown out of heaven to earth with about a third of the angels (fallen angels) with him. And there will be a beast from the land and a beast from the sea that help round out a false Trinity. It has never been more important to stick to our fundamentals, praising and worshipping God with every fiber of our being.
It’s difficult to pick an appropriate verse for tonight. There are so many that apply and this may be the most important threat that we, as believers, have faced since the end of the first century when John warns us about antichrists in our midst. During the middle of the first century, Peter warned about the persecution of Christians. It was a time of martyrs as Nero burned Rome and killed countless Christians. Paul wrote his first epistle to reinforce our faith and to keep us aware.
Paul tells the first century Christians, and us, in 1 Peter 5:8-9, “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.” My encouragement this evening is that God is steadfast and we can seek His protection. This is a most serious time and we must bind ourselves to God as never before during our lifetimes. AI may be here to stay, but God is in control. My prayer is that we will all take this threat seriously, be diligent as Peter instructs us, and turn this over to the Father, His Son and the Holy Spirit, having supreme faith that they will be our rock and our salvation throughout all eternity. Have a great day in the Lord, grace and peace…