A Christian Perspective

AI, ChatGPT, and the Gift of Speaking

September 23, 2023September 22, 2023 Loring Schultz

“Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you. Do you have the gift of helping others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen.” 1 Peter 4:11 NLT

Living in the 21^st century certainly has its advantages. The advances I have seen in my lifetime could never have been imagined as coming into being. Most advances are aimed at making everything easier and more efficient. This is especially true in the area of technological advancement. Who would have thought a program could be invented to assist in writing an essay or term paper for you, along with helping you through the most difficult math exam. I could have used that in my college days for my Math of Finance exams. These advancements come under the auspices of what is known as AI, (Artificial Intelligence), and the creation of ChatGPT. It almost sounds futuristic, but it is not, it is now.

How should a Christian view AI and all its components such as ChatGPT with its learning, reasoning, language, and problem solving through “the ability of a digital computer or computer-controlled robot to perform tasks commonly associated with intelligent beings.” (1) As Christians we should always take advantage of every opportunity to spread the gospel. It started back in the 15^th century when Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press. Radio airwaves were introduced in the early 20^th century and television broadcasts followed in the mid to late 20^th century. Before the turn into the 21^st century we had the establishment of the internet taking place and now we have advanced to the point in possessing technology in the palm of hands to listen to, watch, or read anything we choose.

We should use all the avenues and vehicles available to us in advancing the message gospel, but we need to be careful that our message is the truth of Scripture through our words and not words artificially generated. Ours words that are spoken or written are to be our words. Basic rules in writing apply to cite any references made that are not your own. Quote and document with accuracy statements and writings from other authors giving them credit. This may seem elementary but if words, phases, sentences, and even projected thoughts are extracted from ChatGPT are they yours, and if not, you can’t claim them. This is not to say we cannot edit our work to ensure proper grammar, punctuation, etc. with proper sources. But our work needs to be ours.

The apostle Peter gives us good advice, although I’m sure he never anticipated AI or ChatGPT in his day. He writes in 1 Peter “Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you…….…. Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ.” (4:11) Our responsibility as Christians is to be truthful and honest in all we do, especially in presenting the gospel of Jesus Christ bringing glory to God.

(1) https://www.britannica.com/technology/artificial-intelligence

God’s Justice, Mercy, Compassion, and Social Justice

September 16, 2023September 15, 2023 Loring Schultz

“This is what the LORD Almighty said: ‘Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another.’” Zechariah 7:9-10 NIV

“He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” Micah 6:8 NIV

Are you an advocate for the administering of true justice with mercy and compassion? Where do you find the source for true justice, mercy, and compassion? There can only be one source, the Word of God. The prophet Micah confirms this by saying ‘He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.’ (Mic. 6:8a) Therefore by following the principles and guidelines found in Scripture we have a solid foundation to build upon in administering justice with mercy and compassion.

Every Christian is to be outspoken with the injustices committed in our society. Whether it is the neglect of the poor and homeless, or discrimination based on race, ethnicity, gender, or religion, Christians should be out front not only with calls for justice, but with the actions to back it up. The New Testament book of 1 John tells us, “If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.” (3:17, 18)

The key word in in I John 3:18 is ‘truth.’ Our advocacy must be based on truth. The truth of God’s Word. There is a problem today for many Christians and it has made its way into many Christian churches. God’s justice (Biblical justice) is being intermingled with the world’s term of ‘social justice.’ They are not one and the same. It is true caring for the poor, the homeless, and standing in the face of discrimination are some tenets of ‘social justice’, but not all the tenets of ‘social justice’ are tenets of ‘God’s justice.’

As Christians we are to be wise and discerning in what constitutes ‘social justice’ of our day. The cries of each injustice are to be examined in the light of Scripture to test and prove it is a Biblical principle that has been violated. It is to be understood that it also does not contradict any other of God’s principles in Scripture. If it passes the test then we are to be an advocate for the injustice by following Micah’s exhortation, “And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” (6:8b)

A Christian Perspective

Climate Change

September 9, 2023September 9, 2023 Loring Schultz

“Climate change refers to long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns. Such shifts can be natural, due to changes in the sun’s activity or large volcanic eruptions. But since the 1800s, human activities have been the main driver of climate change, primarily due to the burning of fossil fuels like coal, oil and gas……Because the Earth is a system, where everything is connected, changes in one area can influence changes in all others. The consequences of climate change now include, among others, intense droughts, water scarcity, severe fires, rising sea levels, flooding, melting polar ice, catastrophic storms and declining biodiversity.” (1)

The above statement is furnished to us from the ‘United Nations Climate Action’ page. The following are from the pages of the Bible which concurs with the United Nations at least to the effects of climate change. “Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse. But with eager hope, the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay. For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.” (Ro. 8:20-22 NLT) Scripture confirms the created earth is under the curse of God and it came about after sin entered the paradise of the Garden of Eden. “And to the man he said, ‘Since you listened to your wife and ate from the tree
whose fruit I commanded you not to eat, the ground is cursed because of you. All your life you will struggle to scratch a living from it.’” (Gen. 3:17 NLT) The earth experienced its first ever change of climate during the great flood of Noah’s day, for it had never rained before that time in history. Scripture records for us in Genesis 7:11-12, “When Noah was 600 years old, on the seventeenth day of the second month, all the underground waters erupted from the earth, and the rain fell in mighty torrents from the sky. The rain continued to fall for forty days and forty nights.” (NLT) Waters bursting up from the ground with rain falling from the sky for the first time ever no doubt that is climate change.

The point is, climate change is not restricted only to the last 200 years. But the recent noticeable changes cannot be denied. Every individual living on planet earth, especially Christians, has a responsibility to be a good steward of God’s creation for our generation and the generations to come. We are to praise God for His magnificent creation and work to maintain its wondrous beauty as far as it depends on us with what we can do.

The Bible also gives us encouragement that we will not destroy the earth. Our planet will not succumb to our increasing manmade climate change. After the great flood, God told Noah, “While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease.” (Gen. 8:22 ESV) The seasons will not change regardless of our recklessness, but will remain. They will remain until the next disastrous climate change effect takes place during the tribulation period described in the book of Revelation. “I watched as the Lamb broke the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake. The sun became as dark as black cloth, and the moon became as red as blood. Then the stars of the sky fell to the earth like green figs falling from a tree shaken by a strong wind. The sky was rolled up like a scroll, and all of the mountains and islands were moved from their places.” (Rev. 6:12-14 NLT) We can eliminate fossil fuels entirely, but it will not save the planet from the sure destruction during the tribulation period.

The earth as we know it will be radically changed in the future, but not by us driving our electric vehicles. Jesus Christ will return at the end of the tribulation and established His Kingdom and will rule on earth for a thousand years with Satan bound and cast into the bottomless pit. What will our environment and climate be like, we don’t know. But we do know that Christ, God the Son, will be here on earth ruling, I’m sure the ‘son’ will shine.

The ultimate and final climate change will be at the end of Christ’s thousand year reign on the earth. Satan will be sent to his eternal final destination, the lake of fire, along with all those whose names were not found written in the book of life. The apostle John writes in Revelation 21:1-4, “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever,” and no worries about carbon emissions, fossil fuels and climate change. https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/what-is-climate-change

A Christian Perspective

Education Starts in the Home

August 26, 2023August 25, 2023 Loring Schultz

According to The Tech Edvocate in June 2021, the number one reason for failing schools in America is ‘parents are not involved enough.’ (1) The Public School Review in June of 2023 ranks parents involvement at number thirteen below overcrowding, bullying, teacher tenue, standardized testing, teacher salaries, school safety, and their number one reason for failed education in schools is deficits in government funding for schools. (2) We definitely have a problem with the education system in the United States in 2023.

As tragic as failing education is today in all subject matter in the traditional sense, a more troubling factor is the ever evolving curriculum that is subject to change as the current culture demands it. With no solid basis to instill programs and agenda driven ideology into already established course curriculum, educators and school boards across the country have caved to the loud cries of diversity, equity, and inclusion. They are at the same time discriminating against Christians and those who hold to a moral view of ethics.

How do we begin to address these issues? Time and space will not allow a thorough investigation on the subject with proposed solutions, but as Christians, especially Christian parents, there are plenty of recommendations from the God of the Bible to help us along. First of all, parents are responsible for the education of their children. We can say education starts in the home. The book of Proverbs says, “Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.” (22:6) The apostle Paul in writing to the early churches says, “Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.” (Eph. 6:4) Christian parents are to teach their children from an early age the teachings of Holy Scriptures. Setting the foundation of learning from God’s Word and His moral standards will help when instructing your children in all other stages of life, including their formal education.

If you are fortunate enough by God’s grace for your children to attend a private Christian school or to homeschool them, rejoice in God’s blessings. But perhaps it is the Lord’s will for your children to attend today’s public schools. A firm Biblical foundation instilled in them from an early age will guide them through their educational journey. It is an on-going guide for every student, whether homeschooled, in Christian schools, or in secular public schools.

Education starts in the home, and God has given that responsibility to every parent and not to the state, especially in matters concerning how His Word commands us to live. We are to continually teach our children about the Lord and His commandments from the beginning of the day until the end, and while inside the house and outside. This is as old as Moses’s instructions to the nation of Israel in what is known as the ‘Shema’ or ‘hear.’ Let us follow through with the ‘Shema’ of the Old Testament as we teach our children in 2023.

“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.” Deuteronomy 6:4-9 NIV