Is AI Useless to Christians or Worse... is it Evil?

I was watching a sermon recently from Pastor Austin Hamrick at Cornerstone Church. Cornerstone Chapel in Leesburg, Virginia. His sermon was titled The Rise of AI and the Future of the Church. In this sermon, Hamrick presents his reasons for why Christians should be concerned about AI. During his sermon, Hamrick highlighted three main practical benefits of AI which included.

• Productivity and Utility: AI can perform tasks that normally require human intelligence, such as advanced spam recognition, transcribing meetings instantaneously, and streamlining medical procedures.

• Language Translation: Hamrick highlighted AI’s ability to translate content into multiple languages flawlessly, something that can bridge communication gaps.

• Spreading the Gospel Globally: This was the primary ‘pro’ Hamrick mentioned with regards to AI. It can be used to translate and distribute Christian teachings globally, making them accessible to diverse cultures.

Hamrick’s Arguments Against AI

• Widespread Deception: With AI-generated ‘counterfeit people’ and deepfakes, AI is making it increasingly difficult to distinguish truth from lies.

• Risks to Children: AI Chatbots have been found to lead youth towards harmful behaviors, including exposure to sexually explicit content, and suggestions of self-harm.

• Replacement of Human / Spiritual Connection: Christians are seeking emotional and biblical counsel from AI and Large Language Models (LLMs) like ChatGPT rather than God, Scripture, or parents.

• Threats to Democracy and Markets: Citing industry experts, Hamrick warns that AI can be used to manipulate elections and financial markets through persuasive lies on an unprecedented scale.

• Alteration of Sacred Texts: AI could be used to ‘rewrite’ the Bible or create new AI-centered religions and cults.

• Biblical Prophecy (The ‘Image of the Beast’): Hamrick links the speaking ability of AI to the ‘image of the beast’ described in Revelation 13, suggesting it could be a tool for a future system of global control and false worship.

• Loss of Patience and Discernment: AI encourages ‘quick, easy, fast solutions,’ which discourages the spiritual discipline of patiently waiting on God for answers.

Should Christians Avoid AI Altogether?

At first look, this is a formidable list of complaints against AI and LLM use by Christians. Without doing a deep dive into each point, I largely agree with all the negatives Hamrick mentioned in his sermon. While AI gives human beings so many capabilities we never had before, it also introduces a number of harms that cannot be ignored.

With so many negatives, I wouldn’t blame Christian leaders if they recommended to their people that they avoid artificial intelligence altogether. There is one major problem with rejecting the technology wholesale, you and I can not get away from. Pandora’s box has been opened. AI is here to stay. This technology is already influencing so many facets of modern day life. Avoiding it altogether is very difficult and will only get more difficult as the technology matures.

There is no denying that AI is leading to massive deception of our perceptions of sight and hearing. It can now create almost any kind of photo, any kind of video, and clone any person’s voice. Video technology is advancing so rapidly that even Hollywood is potentially threatened. Early AI generations were clearly fake. What is now being generated today is already almost indistinguishable from the real and sometimes it is actually indistinguishable. Therefore, the fear that AI will lead to confusion of what is true and what is false is well grounded. You should absolutely learn to be skeptical of your senses.

Is Deception a New Phenomenon with AI?

Deception was born in the heart of Lucifer, that ancient serpent called the Devil, and Satan. Jesus stated as much to some religious rulers who were attacking him in the gospel of John.

You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. (John 8:44)

Even now, Satan and his fellow fallen angels are working in our midst mostly undetected. They are interdimensional beings capable of coming in and out of the physical realm but also able to influence human beings while in the spiritual dimension that is their native home.

Since the beginning of time with the fall of our first parents Adam and Eve, he has been working to deceive and manipulate human beings to reject God. He is at war with God and God’s government and will stop at nothing to accomplish his purposes. Will he use AI in his battle against God, Jesus Christ, and the Bible? Absolutely! Without a doubt.

Did these deceptive efforts begin with AI? No, they have been present since the very first lie the serpent told Eve when she mentioned that if they touched or ate the forbidden fruit, they would die. That first lie in Genesis 3:4, “You shall not surely die,” was calculated to lead Eve to distrust God’s word and take matters in her own hands, which she did. As a result of that deception, Eve then influenced Adam to disobey as well. Every evil action and thought since that time is traced back to that original deception.

Given its Deceptive Nature, Should Christians Reject Technology?

By now you realize that deception and lies have been present in human beings since the fall. Deception isn’t a new phenomenon. AI is not the originator of deception and lies. In fact, every single technology invented by human beings has been used for good and for evil. Technology itself is usually neutral. I say usually because bombs and weapons are clearly created to kill. If the world didn’t have sin and evil, these would be unnecessary. Even with weapons however, they can be used by governments, police, and military to subdue and eliminate enemies who refuse to bow to any authority or be guided by any reasonable moral code.

Let’s say we reject AI because it can be used for evil. What about the Internet and the massive amount of Porn and other evil? What about Television and its steady diet of violence, sex, negative news, and general filth? What about Radio? Many of the stories and information shared on radio is not aligned with biblical truth. What about the printed word? Printing presses can be used to print smut magazines like Playboy, Hustler, and also sexually explicit novels, and heretical books.

Why stop at information technology? Maybe we should be using anything with a gas engine in it because all kinds of horrible things have been done by people with access to gas engines. Major wars have been fought using gas and diesel engines. Besides, gasoline and the petroleum industry overall is basically poisoning the earth. Let’s stop using any products that derive from petroleum. No more plastics of any kinds which would eliminate almost all modern conveniences.

Do you get the picture? Where do we stop?

Yes, technology can be used for evil but it can also be used for good. Yes, technology can be used to spread lies and manipulate people into making different election choices, purchasing decisions, and can lead good people to make bad choices. Technology can also be used to influence people towards the good and the right.

Move away from Fear towards Trust in God

As a Christian, I hope you believe as I do that God is ultimately in control of this world and the universe in general. He has allowed evil to have its day but the Bible makes it clear that evil will one day come to an end. The day is coming when the last lie will be told and Jesus Christ will say ‘enough!’ and it will end.

Yes, horrible things are being done with technology. Real people are being hurt. Wars are being prosecuted. Powerful people and powerful nations are using technology to oppress and hurt others. You don’t need to worry though, because God is their judge. Every action, every thought will one day be judged by God. Nothing that is hidden will remain hidden. It is one of Christianity’s major truths that make it superior to Atheism. If atheism is true and there is no god, then there can be no justice. Millions of people have gotten away with doing truly evil things to others will little to no consequences. If the Bible is true and God is real, every single human being who ever lived must answer to God. Not one evil person gets away with anything.

Exercise Discernment

Stop playing the victim. Yes, there is a concerted effort by Satan and the world to deceive you and pull you away from God. This isn’t new to modern times, it has always been true. Learn how to distinguish between what is right and what is wrong. God’s Word, the Bible is a key ally in your battle against deception and lies.

For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. (Hebrews 5:13-14)

The author of Hebrews here encourages you to use the Bible as your guide for what is true and what is false. Without a foundation of truth you can be led to believe anything. How can you and I know what is true and what is ultimately false? Only a solid and deep knowledge of the truths of the Bible can protect us.

As a Christian, you should be actively guarding what you watch, what you listen to, where you go, and who you hang out with. Are you a parent? Don’t leave your kids without protection. Teach them to discern between what is false and what is true. Don’t be passive about what is being shown to you and your family. While there is wholesome entertainment available out there, the majority of the content being produced today is not biblical nor godly.

You must also learn to exercise self-control. Every good thing must be done in moderation. There is all kinds of good food you could eat but not in unlimited quantities. There is good content you can consume but not to the exclusion of time with God, time with family, or doing something productive. Part of the process of maturity is learning to do things in their proper time, in their proper measure.

Let the Holy Spirit be your guide

We are not abandoned by God. He has sent us the Holy Spirit to be our teacher and our guide.

And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you. (John 14:16-18)

But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. (John 14:26)

Make sure to spend time daily in personal worship with God. Dig into the Bible and learn what it contains. Spend time in prayer and ask God to lead you and protect you and your family from deceptions. Lead your family in family worship every day. By your actions, show your family that God comes first and what God teaches us is truth that you can build your life on.

Let God guide you in your use of technology and AI in particular. He has promised to be with you and to lead you.

Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying,
“This is the way, walk in it,”
Whenever you turn to the right hand
Or whenever you turn to the left. (Isaiah 30:21)

When you are properly grounded in God’s truth and led by His Spirit, your use of AI and other technology will ultimately be pleasing to Him.

Joseph Duchesne writes to help Christian Leaders navigate the ethical challenges that artificial intelligence poses to the Church today. He is the author of a couple of books, The Last Crisis and Discover the One, both available on Amazon.

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