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Posted on 10/12/2026 2:57:21 PM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum
Religious leaders are weighing in, creating a new political risk for the creators of the technology
Pastor Joseph Hutchinson began a recent Sunday sermon by pointing to the Book of Revelation, the final part of the New Testament best known for apocalyptic prophecy. And he quickly argued for how artificial intelligence will fit into end times.
“AI wants to be God,” the pastor warned those at Gospel Light Baptist Church in Orangeburg, S.C.
The sermon, the 74-year-old later told me, was inspired by the questions he was getting from the congregation, which numbers around 150. In his roughly 50 years preaching, Hutchinson says the anxiety he is hearing about AI outranks everything. Wars. Economy.
“The more you see people that are projecting doom and despair coming out, then the more people say, ‘Well, the preacher must have been right, and the Bible must be right,’ ” Hutchinson told me.
Already a polarizing political issue this fall, the AI industry’s latest challenge is emerging from the pulpit. Unlike recent generations of technology, the Christian community appears poised to put its stamp on AI early in an attempt to ensure it benefits all of humanity rather than a few tech billionaires.
The risk for the likes of OpenAI and Anthropic is getting further sideways with a large swath of the American populace, some of whom are already unhappy with AI data centers and Flock cameras in their communities.
“A lot of pastors are realizing when people get freaked out about institutions they depend on, they try to find their voice to advocate for themselves and their communities. And churches are really good at giving people a vehicle for advocating for their vision of the common good in broader society, especially...
(Excerpt) Read more at wsj.com ...
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The article describes growing concern among Christian leaders about artificial intelligence, arguing that religious communities are becoming an influential voice in debates over the technology’s development and its effects on society.
Pastors, evangelical organizations, Presbyterian leaders and Pope Leo XIV have raised questions about AI’s implications for human dignity, morality and the concentration of power. The pope’s May encyclical compared AI development to the biblical Tower of Babel, warning against technological ambition that excludes God and treats people as instruments.
Some Christians find the idea of humans creating potentially conscious machines unsettling, particularly when technology leaders appear to assume godlike powers or suggest that advanced AI should operate under their exclusive control. Concerns are reinforced by the technology industry’s record with social media and by fears involving surveillance, job losses and potentially dangerous AI systems.
Religious organizations are increasingly issuing policy statements and holding discussions intended to influence AI development. Their involvement presents a political challenge for companies such as OpenAI and Anthropic, which must contend with public distrust extending beyond conventional concerns about employment, data centers and privacy.
The article also emphasizes that religious critics are not necessarily opposed to technological progress. Many recognize AI’s potential to advance medical treatments, scientific discovery and economic prosperity. Some support rapid American development to maintain an advantage over China while insisting that safeguards are necessary.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has expressed discomfort with attributing religious significance to AI models or encouraging people to surrender their judgment to them.
Ultimately, the debate concerns more than technological risks and benefits. Religious leaders are seeking a voice in determining how AI should be developed, who should control it and what its growing capabilities mean for human identity, responsibility and society.
AI just gives preachers another straw man to rail against to whip up the sheep into coughing up more money for their mansions jets, and limos.
I doubt the preacher mentioned in the article with a 150 member congregation has a jet. People have legitimate concerns about AI and ignoring them lets someone else set the agenda.
That would be 1500+ years or so after Jesus died for our sins.
The Baptist movement can go with the Queen of Somalia (Ilhan Omar) to the North Pole and they can become matching popcycles.
My personal opinion is that consciousness has a quantum mechanical component that can never be replicated by software running on digital hardware.
That’s why they are interfacing with brain tissue of various origins.
Mary Shelley had nothin’ on those guys.
So do all progressives.
God is the only ONE who can give out a CONSCIENCE.
No conscience = no problem = no right, no wrong.
Machines CAN be shut off. :)
SI/AI is a tool that can be used properly or improperly, for good or for evil...just a other tools like a knife, gun, car, etc can be used for good or evil.
It is the duty of each and every techie and user to use if for good. Just as we passed laws for how fast cars can go and when they have to yield the right of way, and when they have to stop at a stop sign or red light, so we need to develop “standards” that limit SI/AI.
Religious leaders have less power than ever. And a lot of that is on them.
AI doesn’t ‘want’ anything. Its trainers might; but AI can’t.
The good Rev. Kenneth Copeland only has 36 Breitling watches not including the diamond encrusted one in his Bentley. He has only three private jets. I’m not saying he’s a pauper but he needs to be fairly compensated for his work. Don’t you agree?
I don’t know. Last night I uploaded a word document that was 64 pages each page is an individual sheet for an individual Home. I asked AI to put them in an addressed .I don’t know. Last night I uploaded a word document that was 64 pages. Each page is an individual sheet for an individual Home. I asked AI to put them in address order and change the date on every page. AI did it in three seconds maybe 30 seconds it would’ve taken me an hour. I’m sorry but AI is good for some stuff.
I don’t disagree. I bought a tower PC with an 8-core Ryzen CPU, 64 GB of RAM and a 16 GB NVIDIA GPU so I could learn PyTorch and run local LLMs on Ollama.
The topic being discussed was whether digital AI would ever achieve sentient consciousness.
I have been saying this since “AI” has been a buzz word.
I patiently await the AI-Christ. probably running on an NT kernel
not that I think it could ever be the A(NT)I Christ.
for it is a Human set of numbers..
It may sound wacky, but I always suspected that Satan will use ai. He might enter it with his spirit, as a possession, to use as his earthly avatar; or just let it manage his beast system. I’ve always enjoyed tech, but I’m reaching the stage where I view it with scepticism.
The Bible does tell us that it is the number of a man. A MAN. Not a system, although for many, many years I’ve seen this taught. I do believe he’s working behind the scenes, waiting in the wings right now for that moment where he’ll insert himself into the mix.
I believe it will be at a moment of an earth wide emergency event, within moments after The Return of Jesus Christ. The numbers who have believed on Christ and have been taken up with Him, along with all those that believed on Him and have been snatched from their graves, will likely be in the billions.
Will the maternity wards, NICUs, and babes in arms and children at home who’ve of course not reached the event of accountability (understanding The Gospel, the Truth that God / Jesus Exists) be brought up into the Loving Arms of Christ upon His Triumphant Shout?
I would think they will. But I don’t know. Why would these innocents be left to suffer for a penalty they’re not guilty of as yet? The Bible teaches that we are all born with the sin conscience, we all have seen that first defiant “No!” coming from a toddler or the temper fit or a toy sailing towards a sibling’s head.
There may be my answer.
This world has become so scary and violent, nauseatingly so.
May many more receive Christ before He Returns.
Come quickly, Lord Jesus. I know He tells us that He would not no one perish, be destroyed by delaying or refusing His Free Gift of Salvation.
Every morning wake, I wonder is this going to be that Day when all the world’s evil events hit critical mass?
Will Ezekiel 38-39 strike before we as believers and followers of Christ are taken away, or after, as these nation-kings see the opportunity they’ve been waiting for to descend upon Israel?
I also do remember how The Lord tells us, that The End will not come until there be a falling away first, and the son of perdition be revealed.
We all see quite the many congregations that have gone way out there, so far out that were left standing with Bible in hand asking where are they coming up with this nonsense?
Well when you don’t follow the recipe exactly you’re going to end up with maybe a really pretty cornbread but it’ll taste awful.
Good forbid anyone preach or teach a false or reprobate thing to any congregation. Teach the whole Word of God, from Genesis to Revelation. Let’s pray for folks. Let’s bring a pot of stew to a family that doesn’t have anything to eat. Invite them after church for lunch.
Get those coffee shops and book shops out of buildings unless it’s Bibles they’re giving away.
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