BEING HUMAN; RETAINING OUR HUMANITY IN THE DIGITAL AGE
Smitten By Faith Issue Number : 000083 March 2nd 2024
When were the universe and humans created ? As a Catholic, I rely on the biblical story of creation in the Book of Genesis - my faith bed-rock. A collateral question which often comes up from some friends is how biblical time was measured. How were years calculated in Genesis ? How long did people live ? Well, according to the 17th century Anglo-Irish Bishop and Anglican Church theologian James Ussher, he postulated a theory that the Earth was created around 6,000 years ago in 4004 BC. Of course, this Christian scholar’s method of calculating the age of the universe has not been without without controversy. In any event, he did the calculations himself and certainly did not have Artificial Intelligence ( AI ) to help him in the 17th century !
Today, in the 21st century, we have AI but we are still no nearer to a precise calculation of biblical time and finding definitive and non-contentious answers regarding the origin of the universe and man, let alone the actual dates ! The scientists who range from the ‘Big Bang’ to the Evolutionist theorists continue to persevere for answers - this time, their endeavours they hope will be ‘successfully’ aided with AI at their fingertips ?
However, Christians have faith and Genesis to rely on. Christians and those who believe in God do not need AI or anything else. We are now in the digital or information age which began in the 1970s with the introduction of the first computer. This was followed in the 80’s and 90’s with rapid mind-boggling technological developments. We humans became so smart ! We created the internet, super-fast telecommunications, mobile phones, space technology, advances in science and medicine – there was AI implementation in every aspect of our everyday lives. Well, almost – but not all !
Left : A robot using AI technology to solve complex mathematics.
Right : A robot playing the saxophone.
In case you are wondering, this article will not at all be about AI. When it comes to writing about AI there are hordes of scientists and writers out there who could produce reams of paper on this. No, my tome is about BEING HUMAN in the age of AI; the importance of retaining our HUMANITY in the digital age; what it means to have faith; how important it is for humanity not be overwhelmed by the great digital transformations taking place and to maintain at the end of the day - this beautiful magnificent quality called ‘God-consciousness’.
GOD IS IN PLAIN SIGHT
Left : The amazing Kamakura Buddha in Japan.
Centre : The Golden Temple of Amritsar in India - sacred to the Sikh religion
Right : The Hindu Gods Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, beautifully carved in ancient stone.
AI is a matter of fact and is now in every facet of our lives. Most of us cannot live without using a gadget or equipment using information technology. However, there is one area where AI does not and cannot intrude into our lives – and that is faith and God. We do not need AI to find God. We do not need AI to have faith. Regardless of religion or beliefs, all the various religions accept that there is good and evil; believe in a creator and all do think ( actively or passively ) about GOD or Gods. Leaving aside the atheists ( and even they are not totally in God-denial ), the notion of God is the common denominator of all the 5 world religions - Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism and Judaism. The human mind – ordinary, beautiful and in some cases, absolutely brilliant is given to us by our creator – God.
Centre : The spectacled Wally with his familiar red striped shirt and hat
Left : Can you spot Wally in the maze ?
Right : Gosh - Where is Wally ??
The above pictures remind me of a wonderful illustrated series of books which I enjoyed and still enjoy called ‘Where is Wally?’ The character, ‘Wally’ or ‘Waldo’ ( as he is called in the USA) was a whimsical character created by the English author and illustrator, Martin Hanford, a sensitive and humorous artist who published his very popular book, ‘Where is Wally’ in the 1980’s. His main character, Wally was distinguished by his red-and-white-striped shirt, bobble hat, and glasses. Martin Handford used crowds of people in his illustrations - huge crowds – and somewhere inside these multitudes he would quietly place his ‘Wally’ hidden somewhere amongst them; and the reader would be asked to try and spot Wally in this maze of almost identical faces and bodies. Most of the time, he would make it really hard for the readers to find the real Wally as he would use many almost identical objects - as you can see above. Martin Hanford’s books actually help many children develop focus and concentration as they try to spot the hidden Wally. Today, many of us use the ‘where is Wally?’ moniker to show how difficult it is to spot something we are looking for - even in plain sight. Don't get me wrong. I am surely not comparing the existentialism of God to something as trite as ‘where is Wally ?’ But, I am using ‘Where is Wally’ to ask the question of whether God is difficult to spot and if so, do we need AI to help us find God in the maze of our lives ?
Can AI detect God? We must not forget that AI is a mere tool which humans created in the first place. So, how can AI created by us - mere humans to process data - be used to find a divine power which is God ? AI can make decisions based on information and copious data, patterns and configurations which we humans provide it. AI can now even speak to us. It can also provide us with all the information we ask of it including about the various religions from Buddhism to Catholicism. BUT and this is a BIG ‘but’, AI cannot communicate with God because AI does not have the spirituality to connect with, discern, pray or ask God for forgiveness and help. AI cannot have a relationship with the Divine Being which is God. But, as humans - we certainly can have this relationship with God. As humans, we have empathy, creativity, rationalization and emotional intelligence; and as humans, we are able to have very personal conversations with God. Our faith enables this ; our faith gives us this transcending essence of being human - being spiritual. Being human also means we are able to find God – everywhere ! God is everywhere in every religion.
Above : Michelangelo’s creation of man at the Sistine Chapel, Vatican Palace. You can see here enlarged details of this magnificent masterpiece of Genesis.
HUMANS SEEK GOD TO BRING JOY INTO THEIR LIVES
“ Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually.”
( 1 Chronicles 16:11 )
The main theme of 1 Chronicles above in the Old Testament is about how important it is for the human heart to find intimacy with God; to want to come before Him and speak to Him.
When we search for God; when we find Him – we are able to build a spiritual relationship that brings incredible joy in our lives.
The beautiful words below from Psalm 139, Matthew and St Paul resound for me.
“O Lord, you have searched me and known me !
You know when I sit down
And when I rise up;
You discern my thoughts from afar.
….
Where shall I go from your Spirit ?
Or where shall I flee from your presence ?
….
Search me, O God, and know my heart !
Try me and know my thoughts ! “
(Psalm 139: ‘Search me, O God and Know my Heart’)
Indeed, God knows all about us and he can always find us. God is always present whether you see him, feel him, or not.
“And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
( Matthew 28:20 )
When we look for God, he can be found in the kindness of others.
See the Letter of St. Paul to the Colossians.
“Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.”
( Colossians 3:12-14)
St. Paul says that when we seek the face of God, we find Jesus, luminous and present, throughout our lives and we are able to see God in all things.
“ For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness’, has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”
( 2 Corinthians 4:6)
GOD CONSCIOUSNESS
Above - Great artists through the centuries have been inspired by their God-Consciousness to create some beautiful artworks which show the indelible presence of God in the beauty of the universe.
Left : ‘The Day of God’ ; oil on canvas 1894 by the post-Impressionist artist, Paul Gauguin; Art Institute of Chicago. Gauguin painted his beloved Tahitian people on a beach and their Goddess Hina at the heart of the painting. For Gauguin, God is ever-present even in Polynesian mythology.
Right : ‘ Starry Night’ oil on canvas ( 1889 ) by Vincent Van Gogh shows the magnificent power of God, nature and man. He painted ‘Starry Night’ while locked down in an insane asylum but, as his paintings show, Van Gogh was indelibly touched by the presence of God. This painting was a contemplation of his own mortality and God. About the stars, Van Gogh said that “…the sight of the stars always makes me dream…”.
The Museum of Modern Art, New York City
The quality of God consciousness is a conscious spiritual awakening and it is pretty unique - only to humans because God chooses to reveal himself to us personally. With this God consciousness we can live each day with not just increased joy but also our lives will become more purposeful as we try to emulate the virtues of a good Christian in everything we do.
In his letter to his beloved disciple Timothy, St. Paul tells Timothy that having a good conscience is an imperative as a Christian leader.
“ Deacons …must hold the mystery of faith with a clear conscience”
( 1 Timothy 3:9 )
And Paul also spoke about always having had a good conscience; even before he became a Christian.
“ Brothers, I have lived my life before God in all good conscience up to this day.”
( Acts 23:1 )
“So, I always take pains to have a clear conscience towards both God and man”
(Acts 24:16)
FLOURISHING AS HUMANS; WE SEEK ONLY TO PLEASE GOD
“ For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God ? Or am I trying to please man ? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ .”
( Galatians 1:10 )
In his letter to the Galatians above, Saint Paul asks us whether we live to please others or to please God.
Being human means hearing the voice of God in one’s soul – surely such a wonderful feeling of the human heart !
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