Being human means more than just being alive. Most people intuitively understand that, but that understanding is under constant attack. Attributes that we commonly identify as human such as empathy or self-sacrifice, are explained away as evolutionary adaptations that allow us to achieve some evolutionary advantage. Our species is simply acting in its own self-interest. The same analysis is applied to individuals. We are said to be hardwired to pursue our self-interest, and the enlightened pursuit of self-interest is seen as the key to the good life and a well-functioning society.
But the enlightened pursuit of self-interest is not what faith is all about. Self-interest is based on one’s own desires and goals. Faith is based on our imperfect understanding of God’s will. For better or worse we can summarize faith’s view as ‘Thy will be done.’ Our modern view is that our will should be done. Faith is about living in harmony with the world God gave us. Modernity tries to create a new world based on our own desires, our own understanding of justice and equity. We seek to become gods and create an ever more perfect world in our own image.
Faith says no and warns that the current effort to build the perfect society will end as did the first attempt to build the Tower of Babel. The conflict is obviously not new. Satan’s offer to us is to become like Gods (Genesis 3:5). The offer has not changed, but the path to realize it has. The Tower of Babel was to be made of baked bricks and tar (Genesis 11:3), our tower is to be made of silicon and software. And our ability to say no to the new tower is no better today than was our ability to say no to the first.
A major task of religion is to answer the question of why we are here. Traditionally the answer involves living as the creator intended for us to live, loving others and loving God. But the world and Satan also offers an answer, and that answer is to become like gods and create a better world in our image. Our creations, such as AI, will no doubt be used to create that better world. But that world may not be a human world, and the spirit behind our creations such as AI, may not be the spirit of God, but a darker spirit and what we are creating may be our new idols. The Bible warns that we become like our idols (Psalm 115:8). As our technology becomes ever more powerful, we need to become ever more mindful that God did not create us to be machines, but to be human. Our task is to retain our humanity in an increasingly technological world.
But the enlightened pursuit of self-interest is not what faith is all about. Self-interest is based on one’s own desires and goals. Faith is based on our imperfect understanding of God’s will. For better or worse we can summarize faith’s view as ‘Thy will be done.’ Our modern view is that our will should be done. Faith is about living in harmony with the world God gave us. Modernity tries to create a new world based on our own desires, our own understanding of justice and equity. We seek to become gods and create an ever more perfect world in our own image.
Faith says no and warns that the current effort to build the perfect society will end as did the first attempt to build the Tower of Babel. The conflict is obviously not new. Satan’s offer to us is to become like Gods (Genesis 3:5). The offer has not changed, but the path to realize it has. The Tower of Babel was to be made of baked bricks and tar (Genesis 11:3), our tower is to be made of silicon and software. And our ability to say no to the new tower is no better today than was our ability to say no to the first.
A major task of religion is to answer the question of why we are here. Traditionally the answer involves living as the creator intended for us to live, loving others and loving God. But the world and Satan also offers an answer, and that answer is to become like gods and create a better world in our image. Our creations, such as AI, will no doubt be used to create that better world. But that world may not be a human world, and the spirit behind our creations such as AI, may not be the spirit of God, but a darker spirit and what we are creating may be our new idols. The Bible warns that we become like our idols (Psalm 115:8). As our technology becomes ever more powerful, we need to become ever more mindful that God did not create us to be machines, but to be human. Our task is to retain our humanity in an increasingly technological world.
