God writes the Gospel not in the Bible alone,
but also on trees,
and in flowers and clouds and stars.
~Martin Luther
An excerpt from the newest book in the Obsession Series: Release Your Obsession with Your PHONE: Heal from the Inside Out.
It seems the mobile device is taking front and center in most people’s lives, almost in a deity fashion. Can we say God and the phone in the same breath? They seem so totally separate from each other, and perhaps they are.
But I don’t think so.
Yes, one is a device, and the other is a belief. But, if man created the phone and God, or a higher entity, created us, maybe there is a connection. Everything created must have a connection to God.
And if this Divine Being is in everything and everyone, perhaps it’s not a bad idea to look at the connection between our God Source and our Digital Source.
No matter how sophisticated and intelligent the smart phone is, we all need guidance and inspiration from a natural source too.
We can’t go it alone.
Our mobile devices are brilliant company and quite entertaining but they’re missing that internal connection we all need.
When discussing artificial intelligence in Chapter 14 of my upcoming book on phone addiction, there was an awkward feel to the idea that a fake, imitated intelligence would mimic the human intelligence guiding us to decide and answer questions.
There’s something off with that when you mix God into the equation. Surely we humans did not develop this ability to create AI as our higher source creates everything.
The Missing Soul
This Divine Source, whatever you reader identify with, is the author of human consciousness and intelligence—not our devices. So man, from the gifts given to us, developed an artificial source of intelligence to answer our problems.
The Bible (Romans 1:21) says: For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.
Everything in its place, I say. The temptation that man can create anything can become futile in our reasoning. The artificial intelligence doesn’t feel and doesn’t have a soul. It’s a technical instrument created by man not to replace man or our creator.
Thinking about man creating an imitation of human intelligence, it’s hard not to think about the brain and all its miraculous and intricate functions. And letting the imagination wander back to Adam, created by God and from him Eve, it doesn’t seem like a far stretch humankind is imitating, or trying to imitate by creating this human robot or a device of some sort that seems to think.
I know, I know, you’re thinking, hold up just one second—isn’t this a bit of a stretch?
THE Message Is Everywhere
If God writes the Gospel, but not in the bible alone, but also on trees, and in flowers and clouds and stars (Martin Luther); then this rich Source is inescapable, right?
It would seem the message is everywhere in everything, if we are conscious of it. And so is the almighty phone or the artificial intelligence that’s sewn in such a device. It’s everywhere and inescapable and here to stay.
A computer designed to think like a human brain may be an attempt to step into God’s shoes, unconsciously, of course.
Where is it a problem and when is it a good thing? Making devices to deliver messages and information is magnificent on one hand, but it should give us pause? If it is possible, it may cross that line trying to create a god or messing with spirituality, perhaps sacrilegious.
A Catholic Siri?
As a cradle Catholic, when I learned there was a robot named Santo created to talk about Catholic faith filled with information to step in during the pandemic, it piqued my interest. The goal of such a statue was to give information to those who couldn’t get out, which was most of us.
Though fascinating, it’s a bit concerning to have a Catholic Siri rather than a human. Imagine a robot saying mass or preaching to the crowd instead of a man/woman of cloth?
The cool thing with Santo, one could learn the Christian thinking. Remembering it’s not in replacement for a priest, it might be interesting.
But the thought of sitting in the pew looking up at a statue that can talk is scary. But it’s coming and we need to brace ourselves for this change. Alexa answers many religious questions along with Siri and Google and other devices.
So, it’s not coming, but it’s here. Remembering it’s not a human with a soul, it could be a push towards our higher source.
There are apps that can be reminders to put forth daily prayer and teach the teachings. How could artificial intelligence for good be a bad thing? Yes, it is a beneficial if technology is used to improve our learning, but not so good if the machine controls the human and the religion.
Machine Before Human
Sometimes, when there’s good, there is always bad lurking in the background. We don’t want to put machine before human and also remember there’s no soul.
We don’t want a thing to decide and fill information over our human gift to teach and learn. We can learn from the information, but caution should be in place.
To worship in front of a fake statue or robot can be frightening if in the wrong hands giving information that is not true or stretched in a way to condition a human.
We don’t want to worship a machine but it’s not going away, it’s here to stay. We must be smart. For counsel we may turn to the attorney, and for medical needs the doctor of our immediate concerns or a therapist, financial expert or even a friend. But we also need spiritual guidance. So often we get caught in the business of life that we ignore how we want to live our life, our best life.
Searching in the sea of information through Google and the likes is exceptional, but it’s not touching our soul. If that’s you, then maybe there’s an emptiness, perhaps a void that’s not getting spiritually fed. So, if it seems the mobile device is taking front and center in most people’s lives, almost in a deity fashion, it is. But awareness of the addictive attraction held in our mobile device is a good thing.
Can we say God and the phone n the same breath? They seem so totally separate from each other, and perhaps they are.
What do you think? Are you spending more time with your smart phone than with people, prayer time, or spiritual awakening? Your thoughts are important and can light the torch for others….
And if you think this is a bunch of hog-wash—or I’ve missed the point or your point please—I want to hear from you as well….
Thank you for spending time with me and my thoughts throughout these pages. I hope my words lit your excitement to become your best self for you. I look forward to sharing my newest book with you on how to release your obsession with money. God bless you… and your journey through this life and all that awaits beyond…
Thank you for being a part of the reading blog forum of this blog. If you have something you’d like to say, I’d love to hear it. YOU are important and your words need to be heard. I’m here for you.
To learn more on recovery from food addiction, eating disorders, weight issues, dieting, and aging, please check out my Release Your Obsession Series.
Stay tuned…you never know where my mind will wander…
Hugs to you, I care!
And now my newest release:
Release Your Obsession with MONEY: Heal from the Inside Out
