Somehow I recently got caught in the world of AI when browsing youtube to find something entertaining to watch on a lazy afternoon. I’ve always enjoyed stories set in our Victorian age so when a short series popped up as an option, I quickly clicked on the photo describing the story. Upon finishing one story–in natural progression for streaming apps–suggestions for similar videos appeared on my screen. I found myself enjoying some short dramas, yet soon I began to notice that all the men and women were beyond extremely beautiful people, the sceneries were of great perfection and dialogues seemed almost robotic. Feeling a bit foolish, I soon discovered I’d been watching productions without the benefit of “real” actors or actual sets for incredible homes or wardrobes beyond my imagination of design. Good or bad, I’ve fallen into one aspect of AI’s capacity to “create” and “duplicate” what years of cinema production have given us in great movies, etc. While enjoying my short distractions through these shows, I must remember that though they are quite entertaining, I’m watching mere fabrications of reality. Is that scary? Not in the sense that they are dramas, meant for entertainment purposes and I admit pose no harm. In one sense, they are like reading a good book where words on pages bring stories alive using vivid descriptions and dialogue to weave the plot for the enjoyment of its reader.
As I thought about my new experience with AI related to these short stories, I began to wonder about Christianity as compared to other world religions. Although not my “go-to” as a trusted source, my inquiry using Google as a search engine answered my question–”number of world religions”. The answer shocked me; there are an estimated 4,000 to 10,000 distinct religions worldwide according to global studies on religious diversity.
By population Christianity is at the top of the list with 1.9 to 2.0 billion followers, followed by Islam with 1.9 to 2.0 followers. Unaffiliated believers make up 1.9 billion people. That’s a lot of souls represented within the chart of religions. The variety and number of religions also reflect man’s ability to “create” faith in “someone” or “something” other than the God of Abraham, Issac, and Joseph. In Jesus’ own words as recorded by Matthew He spoke those exact words. Christ followers believe and follow a living God, not a manufactured deity to suit selfish desires and purposes. How sad that man has created thousands of false religions to capture the souls of people while also rejecting God, denying salvation alone through His Son Jesus Christ. Of all the lies in our world, this one has come under greatest attack as evidenced by creation of those world religions previously mentioned.
In John’s gospel he wrote that Jesus declared to Thomas that “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me”. In a world and culture that loves placing boundaries in relationships, I’d dare say that God Himself placed a very clear boundary line regarding salvation from one’s sins. Unlike anything AI or Satan can conjure, God is the “real deal”.
Admittedly, I’ll still enjoy my variety of AI produced dramas as unharmful distractions on a busy day. Above all, I will continue to pursue God’s reality in my life by reading His Word, applying it to behavior and decisions that honor Him. And I’ll become more fervent praying for those in our world who are one of the thousands following a different path laid down with lies and deception. Why? Because every soul matters to God.
John 3:16 is likely one of the most quoted scriptures. “For this is how God loved the world: He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.” But, lest we overlook what comes next, we may miss the additional beauty of God’s love for mankind. “God sent His Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through Him.”
Billions of souls. One God. One plan of salvation. Not AI generated. Divinely and miraculously created before the beginning of time as we know it.
