

Technology and Transformation
Technology shapes and impacts our lives. Christians should wisely consider how we use and consume it.
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Introduction
The Technology Revolution
Technology is transforming our lives at a rate that is nearly impossible to underestimate. While technology itself is neither inherently good or evil, it is a tool that can magnify the impact of human efforts. Therefore to consider whether technology is a force for good or not, we should analyse the desires of the human heart both at an individual and also a society level. The late Queen Elizabeth II made this observation on the pace on social change in her 1960's address to the Commonwealth.
Trouble is caused by unthinking people, who carelessly throw away ageless ideals as if they were old, outworn machinery. They would throw religion aside, morality in public and personal life made meaningless, honesty counted as foolishness, and self-interest set up in the place of self restraint.
Queen Elizabeth II
Technology has made quantum leaps since 1960, but the principle the Queen espoused remains as true as ever. Technology has helped deliver many benefits to our lives and our society. This module seeks to analyses facts and shines the light, truth and hope of Jesus Christ on the transformational effects that our technological revolution is having on us as individuals and as a society. As Christians we know that we are in a battle for the mind. Therefore, we remind ourselves of this truth.
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Romans 12:2
Social Media
Breaking Free of the Fear of Man
Social media burst onto the world scene barely 20 years ago, yet its effects are only beginning to be felt. Psychologists describe the advent of social media more as a massive social engineering experiment. The viral speed with which ideas spread has created a term known as 'social contagion'. Technology is addictive and the volume of online use has come at the expense of real and fulfilling relationships. Social media users find they do not freely expressing themselves, but are crafting their posts to gain likes from their connections.
The fear of man brings a snare,
But whoever trusts in and puts his confidence in the LORD will be exalted and safe
Proverbs 29:25
In the social media world, truth and reality dies. Truth is replaced by a false image. Anything that does not live up to that image or the accepted narrative is ignored, shadow banned or outright censored. Far from providing greater connection, social media has herded our community into tribes and made us more lonely and disconnected. In the longing for connection, people are creating AI wives, boyfriends and even AI Jesus. Products like Apple's Vision Pro will increase artificial relationships. Online images are not real life and they leave us struggling with mental illness and seeking meaning. The volume of knowledge shared may have increased, but the quality of communication has decreased. The motive of the social media behemoths is not our well-being, it is to harvest our data and keep us addicted to their platforms and products.
In the information age, data is the new currency. With big data about individuals, corporations and central planners can determine what is in our best interests. Increasingly those determinations are not made by individuals but by algorithms and artificial intelligence which does not have a conscience. This change has profound implications for the health and future of humanity.
Playing God
Building a New Tower of Babel
Many of today's global thought leaders act like they are playing a game of The Sims. They see their role as engineering every aspect of our lives, but they hold a very different ethical standard to a Biblical worldview. Recent technology advances provide the means for a few people to collect all-knowing god-like powers. Brain computer interfaces such as Neural-ink have recently been approved. Globally, nations are rapidly developing digital currencies which can control the use of money. Corporately, Microsoft have registered a cryptocurrency system using body activity data and registered it with patent numberWOWO2020060606. These digital payment systems are control mechanisms that can force people to think 'correctly' and enforce compliance to that end.
Transforming the way people think is an act reserved for 'gods'. Dismissing thousands of years of human history and biology, many elites are seeking to redefine truth. As an example, the ideology of Scientism denies historical biology and instead advocates that gender is interchangeable. Biotech and medical procedures will help ‘make it so’. Culturally, this false religion says words and definitions must change and it co-opts the state to use technology to enforce that change. If laws can change definitions, then state institutions will be used to enforce compliance with those definitions.
"If God does not exist, everything is permitted"
Fyodor Dostoevsky
The pinnacle of God's work is the created human life. God gives children as a gift to parents. But 'scientists' are creating synthetic embryos to eliminate God's design. President Biden says there is 'No such thing as someone else's child. Our nation's children are all our children.' Canada is pursuing taking children from parents while promoting euthanasia for 'mature minors'. While the devil's activity is increasingly ferocious, God is not threatened. Neither will He be mocked. In their foolishness, modern humankind has bought the lie that they can become like God - but the results will not go well.
Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools
and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images
Romans 1:22-23a
And so society adopts Satan’s garden lie ‘you shall not surely die, but you shall become like gods’. If we won’t die, we negate the penalty of sin. If we live forever, then we have become like gods’ who create our own rules and morality. And if we can become like God, then we will have become our own Saviour. Yuval Noah Harari predicts that AI will create a new religion. Humans are creating their own AI god. If we can control our destiny and save ourselves, then there is no need for Jesus as the Saviour of the world. Instead we have transformed our minds into a rogue way of thinking and created a new, yet old, religion that worships idols and ideology. But as Christians our minds and thinking is to be renewed in Christ.
Trans-humanism
The Attempt to Replace God
Trans-genderism, trans-humanism and even trans-speciesism (bestiality) are the natural extension of an evolutionary theory which tries to replace God with ourselves. Deep fake technology is now so advanced, that it can fool the human senses between real and fake experiences. Computer generated algorithms are becoming the new Holy Spirit determining for us what is 'right and wrong'. We outsource our thinking to AI bots like ChatGPT. For the first time in history, the means to attempt trans-humanism has arrived as biotech and quantum computing technology fuses to created the ‘Internet of Bodies’.
Governments are advocating for AI to take a leading role in addressing what they deem as 'mis-information'. Through a process of machine learning, the algorithm can train itself to further program itself without the need for human intervention. But if AI makes a decision, is the machine or the programmer responsible for its action. If AI becomes sentient (self-aware), it could start a war on an individual or groups of humans based on decisions that it determines.
Professor John Lennox is a Christian and professor of mathematics at the University of Oxford and author of a new book called 2084 - Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Humanity. Recently he sat down with John Anderson, Australia's former deputy Prime Minister for conversation about science, technology and faith. Consider how a Biblical worldview contrasts with the words of the leading trans-human advocates.
From a Biblical perspective, John Anderson and John Lennox discuss truth, technology, AI and social credit systems. At 37:56 they analyse trans-humanism and its advocate, Yuval Noah Harari. Harari is the Israeli author of Homo Deus (Human gods) and Sapiens. Recently, he presented at the World Economic Forum on ‘Will the Future Be Human?’ and the 21st Century.
Harari makes a series of blasphemous claims including that God is fiction, humans are hackable animals, and that embedded technology will speed up evolution so we can become gods. He boldly says 'Jesus rising from the dead is fake news' and 'death is a technological problem to be solved'. Harari has called A.I a super intelligence that will rewrite and correct the Bible.
The Code of Life
Jesus, Not Technology, Is Our Saviour
When the laws of nature have been re-written, the morality of actions can be reset. Computer Scientist, Ray Kurzwell, predicts that AI will see humans gain eternal life by 2029. The pursuit of immortality continues. Celebrities such as Walt Disney and Jeff Bezos have elected to freeze their bodies so their brains may be resurrected when technology 'allows'.
"My own mind is my own church"
Thomas Paine - Author of The Age of Reason
Nancy Pelosi said that Mother Earth gets angry from time to time, and that we must sacrifice to change the weather and save the planet. This appeasement language is similar to Hindus sacrificing to Lord Vishnu. The philosophy of humans 'saving humanity' is anti-God because only Jesus can save us from judgement. Collective rebellion is not new. The ancients tried to usurp God with the Tower of Babel. 2 Peter 3:7 says this world is reserved for fire and only Jesus’ blood can save us. While it is good to care for creation and limit our pollution, conflating climate worship and Christianity is synchronism. We are not to worship this world's system, but rather pursue the new Kingdom that God is building.
Do not love the world or anything in the world.
If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them.
The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.
1 John 2:15, 16
Many eastern religions have belief systems build on re-incarnation. If death is just moving from life form to another, then death is not the sad result of our sin, but rather part of the 'circle of life' to be embraced. As such when our relatives die, it is not the end, but a return to the earth which we need to worship as part of a greater matrix eco-system. Movies such as the Lion King, Pocahontes, the Matrix, Avatar, and Yellowstone (TV series) pick up on these concepts, and so does the Welcome to Country. If we redefine death as moving between dimensions, then we adopt a 'new age religion' which advocates connecting our awareness to mother earth to achieve godhood. The underlying ideology is about becoming the matrix (matrix is Latin for mother) or the ultimate enlightenment. Christianity stands in contrast to this worldly ideology. This life is important and valuable - because it is only in this life that we have the opportunity to be made right with God for eternity.
Implications
Contrasting Worldviews
Christians don't need to become Amish, Luddites or hermits. Technology can and should be used for the growth of God's kingdom and for His glory. However, we should consume technology with our eyes wide open. Are we letting God and His Word shape our minds, or are we letting our minds be formed by algorithms and worldly ideologies? Managing this dynamic requires wisdom and pro-active convictions.
LIMITS ON TECHNOLOGY
Soul Liberty
Prayer and Meditation
Critical Thinking
People are valuable
Clarity
Decisions by ethics
NO LIMITS ON TECHNOLOGY
Surveillance
24/7 Connectivity
Short attention spans
Data is valuable
Mental Illness
Decisions by algorithm
Psalm 2 provides comfort. Even in Old Testament times, the kings of the earth plotted against God and attempted to throw off the limitations of humanity. Today, as in the future, God’s response is the same. The One enthroned in heaven laughs. The Lord scoffs at them. There may well be some yet unknown and earthly 2nd order consequences to those who pursue the trans-human transformation. While we should be watchful and aware of the global thought leaders' plans, we should take comfort in the power of God and His already assured victory of the King of Kings. Because all of God's promises are true, one day we will live forever in the new heaven and new earth. Therefore, we need not fear what men may plot and conspire.
Books, Videos and Blogs
AC Contributors recommend books, review videos and write blogs that help us to study and digest these topics well.