October 18, 2025
The Image of the Beast
Timothy Birdnow
AMDG
In Roman times there were multiple cults that worshipped specific gods or goddesses, and since Romans believed in signs and spiritual prophecy (like the Oracle of Delphi, or the Oracle in Pompey, or anywhere else) it was often necessary to stage miracles and other manifestations in the temples of these false gods. Objects would seem to float. Fire would appear seemingly out of nowhere. It was all conjuror's tricks, sleight of hand, magician stuff. But it gave the worshippers a feeling of something that they craved, that they were close to the gods or goddesses.
This essay made me think about the Romans (and Greeks before them) who worshipped a flim-flam god or goddess and whose false faith was crushed when the One True God made his appearance.
The author is discussing the rise of AI and how it will affect Christianity and spirituality in general.
He doesn't come right out and say it but I suspect he realizes what he's describing is a graven image, a golden calf, an idol. That is what we are going to get from the melding of AI and faith.
He states:
But radio preachers were real people speaking in their own words (or guided by the Holy Spirit) and while many were frauds, so were many wandering preachers in the Middle Ages or whatnot. And internet prayer circles are just people communicating in a new way. AI is different; it is a machine pretending to be a person, or eve God Himself.
Nobody ever prayed TO a radio preacher or an internet prayer circle. But they will pray to this electronic god we've created. These other things were just tools.
I am reminded of the line in the Sound of Silence by Simon and Garfunkle "and the people bowed and prayed to the neon god they made". Ours isn't just a neon sign, but a powerful entity capable of mimicing human responses and that thinks at a speed far higher than do we. People are going to worship it.
Just as Revelations foretold:
Sound familiar? To me this sounds amazingly like AI.
The author rightly worries we may well wind up worshipping this creation of ours. And he warns there may be punishment for not doing so. Already we are seeing such punishment as the economy becomes increasingly dependent on smartphones and other tech and it becomes increasingly difficult to live without taking this particular beast's mark. If you don't buy the tech and maintain it at your own expense you are finding it increasingly difficult to just live. Eventually you will not be able to buy nor sell without it.
Now where did we hear THAT from?
AI ultimately must be viewed as a tool and must be limited lest it become our masters. And don't forget our political would-be masters are going to be the ones who control the AI. We've seen that aready as AI tends to provide far-left ideology based on the wishes of the techno-priests.
We are playing with a loaded gun. Sadly we need that gun to survive because our enemies are pushing forward with their own.
Things are spiraling out of control. How long before God judges the world?
AMDG
In Roman times there were multiple cults that worshipped specific gods or goddesses, and since Romans believed in signs and spiritual prophecy (like the Oracle of Delphi, or the Oracle in Pompey, or anywhere else) it was often necessary to stage miracles and other manifestations in the temples of these false gods. Objects would seem to float. Fire would appear seemingly out of nowhere. It was all conjuror's tricks, sleight of hand, magician stuff. But it gave the worshippers a feeling of something that they craved, that they were close to the gods or goddesses.
This essay made me think about the Romans (and Greeks before them) who worshipped a flim-flam god or goddess and whose false faith was crushed when the One True God made his appearance.
The author is discussing the rise of AI and how it will affect Christianity and spirituality in general.
He doesn't come right out and say it but I suspect he realizes what he's describing is a graven image, a golden calf, an idol. That is what we are going to get from the melding of AI and faith.
He states:
There will be those who call this blasphemy and others who call it progress. Both sides have a point. Every spiritual revolution begins with suspicion. The first radio preachers were dismissed as frauds. Online prayer circles were mocked as empty mimicry.
Yet each innovation that once threatened the church eventually became part of it. The question now isn’t whether faith can adapt, but whether adaptation will leave it in the dust.
Yet each innovation that once threatened the church eventually became part of it. The question now isn’t whether faith can adapt, but whether adaptation will leave it in the dust.
But radio preachers were real people speaking in their own words (or guided by the Holy Spirit) and while many were frauds, so were many wandering preachers in the Middle Ages or whatnot. And internet prayer circles are just people communicating in a new way. AI is different; it is a machine pretending to be a person, or eve God Himself.
Nobody ever prayed TO a radio preacher or an internet prayer circle. But they will pray to this electronic god we've created. These other things were just tools.
I am reminded of the line in the Sound of Silence by Simon and Garfunkle "and the people bowed and prayed to the neon god they made". Ours isn't just a neon sign, but a powerful entity capable of mimicing human responses and that thinks at a speed far higher than do we. People are going to worship it.
Just as Revelations foretold:
14: "And [the beast from the earth] deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live."
15"And he [the beast from the earth] had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed."
15"And he [the beast from the earth] had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed."
Sound familiar? To me this sounds amazingly like AI.
The author rightly worries we may well wind up worshipping this creation of ours. And he warns there may be punishment for not doing so. Already we are seeing such punishment as the economy becomes increasingly dependent on smartphones and other tech and it becomes increasingly difficult to live without taking this particular beast's mark. If you don't buy the tech and maintain it at your own expense you are finding it increasingly difficult to just live. Eventually you will not be able to buy nor sell without it.
Now where did we hear THAT from?
AI ultimately must be viewed as a tool and must be limited lest it become our masters. And don't forget our political would-be masters are going to be the ones who control the AI. We've seen that aready as AI tends to provide far-left ideology based on the wishes of the techno-priests.
We are playing with a loaded gun. Sadly we need that gun to survive because our enemies are pushing forward with their own.
Things are spiraling out of control. How long before God judges the world?
Posted by: Timothy Birdnow at
07:50 AM
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1
Well, you might say we got increasingly dependent on technology when we became able to deposit checks via ATM machines. I welcomed it, frankly; I was having difficulty depositing checks at my bank, where I often had my wife (not my current one) deposit my checks and found one of the tellers thought she was me, when I took one of my checks in and this teller told me I wasn't who I said I was! I asked my wife about it and she admitted that she wasn't producing ID. Shortly after that ATMs came online and I was able to do everything automatically.
And I was also able to clean up a few other things, like get a better wife, but that's another story...
And I was also able to clean up a few other things, like get a better wife, but that's another story...
Posted by: Dana Mathewson at October 18, 2025 10:15 PM (kRAxH)
2
I agree; the ATM was the beginning. I love the ATM and use it all the time, but it was the beginning of the rise of the machines Now look where we are.
You sooooo traded up Dana!
You sooooo traded up Dana!
Posted by: Timothy Birdnow at October 19, 2025 06:23 AM (riDsN)
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