Conscience or Artificial Intelligence, the Unbridgeable Divide
Introduction
Human civilisation is on the edge of one of its greatest innovations since the development of the printing press. After its launch in Europe, mechanical printing proved crucial to the success of the Protestant Reformation, just as the exponential growth of AI will be used by the Lord of all to accelerate, and resist, the universal triumph of the Gospel (Rev 14:6). But NOT in the way most people might mentally imagine (Eph 3:20). Let me use a local illustration which, when “seen in the Spirit” (Rev 1:10). brings a message for the global Church. This took place when the governor of our state travelled down to Pinjarra to perform an act of grace neglected since 1834 (Christ Dawson, our former Police Commissioner and current state governor, is a strong Christian with missionary roots). The essential difference between Dawson and the perpetrator of the Pinjarra massacre, Governor Stirling, cannot be located at the mental level but is a matter of the unbridgeable gulf between a “conscience seared as with a hot iron” (1 Tim 4:2) and a tender merciful conscience (Eph 4:32; Heb 3:13). A reformation in our understanding of the role of conscience in the plan of God is essential to an enduring revival of Christianity in our world. The deepest example of this is the cross.
The Cosmic Triumph of the Cross
The cosmic triumph of the cross (Col 1:20 etc.) depends on the distinction between mere mental agreement and the glorious union of holy conscience within the Godhead. The saints of old spoke intuitively correct truths: “Conscience is a far greater thing than heaven and earth. If it did not exist hell would have no fire or even pan…if the devil did not have a bad conscience he would be in heaven” (Luther?)…Nothing can satisfy an offended conscience, but that which satisfies an offended God,” (Matthew Henry) What goes deepest to the conscience goes widest to the world” (P.T. Forsyth ).Whilst the normally divided Pharisees and Sadducees mentally united with the usually hated Romans to execute Jesus (Ps 2; Acts 2:23, 4:27-28), the oneness of “heart and mind” (Acts 4:32; cf. 2:44) of the Early Church was an outworking of the glorious spiritual unity Jesus prayed earnestly for: “ I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— 23 I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.” (John 17:22-23). This level of unity is far deeper than most of us desire to imagine.
Mind versus Conscience
Artificial Intelligence can only ever be an intensification of human consciousness/mental capacity. An actual cosmic shaping analogy demonstrates the necessary limits of AI. Whilst the immeasurable mind of evil powers, God and Jesus were perfectly aligned in the need for the cross, at a deeper level they were in total disunion. That the Son must die was decided in eternity (John 17:5=Rev 13:8; 1 Pet 1:20), but whilst its purpose was mentally agreed (Mark 14:36), Jesus knows in his spirit that God “does not afflict from his heart or grieve the children of men” (Lam 3:33). Therefore famous saying about corporal discipline, “this hurts me more than it hurts you’, is absolutely truthful about the suffering of the Godhead at the cross. Such an agonising reality can only ever be grasped by a heart-rending revelation to the conscience: “I speak the truth in Christ—I am not lying, my conscience confirms it through the Holy Spirit— 2 I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. 3 For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my people” (Rom 9:1-3). This level of intense moral feeling is not unimaginable to the mind, human or AI, but it is un-experienceable binaural or artificial intelligences. Since the pain/wounding of the conscience e.g. in inducing repentance (2 Cor 7:10) cannot be felt by an AI it can never be inwardly grasped by the trauma of the bloody death of God (Acts 20:28) and so can experience resurrection – laden creativity to redeem and renew the cosmos. “the new creation is a recreation of the conscience (Forsyth). Such deep affections underly salvation and spiritual renewal.
Conscience, Compassion and Creativity
I am prophesying the advent of a New Renaissance, an explosion of art, inventiveness and creativity, but this renewal will be free from the baggage of both the religion of High Middle Ages, and contemporary Christianity laden with divisions and the imitations of worldliness. This rebirth of culture will shine with the pure glory of God. Around the world today we are witnessing an intensification of suffering for Christ (https://www.gdop.com.au/). For lethargic believers to be impacted by such suffering will require an electrification of conscience from heaven (2 Tim 1:3ff; Heb 13:1ff). A miraculous transparency of identification with those suffering via the omnipotent cleansing blood of cross enabling the voluntary traumatising of believers free from any shame or guilt. We can walk in the way Jesus sees and feels the wars of our time “Does the flag above the killing matter more than the bodies below it? Does it hurt more when a Jew kills a Muslim than when a Muslim kills another Muslim? Does hunger feel sharper when the guilty are our enemies?” (ttps://religionunplugged.com/news/why-some-wars-move-the-world-and-others-go-unseen) The prophets speak of realities far in excess of AI’s comprehension: “And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so that, when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn.” (Zech 12:10)
Conclusion
Through AI’s exponential growth we are on the hinge of a global cultural shift, but, apart fro divine grace, in a likely negative direction. Advances in intelligence without a revival of conscience will mean global demonisation! Praise God, all is not lost. For soon the ancient cry, “Your spirit and our spirit cannot go together”” (Marburg /Debate) 1529) will divide civilisation between the Gospel and its false imitations; between superficial though brilliant Open AI generated messages (https://openai.com/) and the Spirit-inspired, and discerned, Word of Christ (Eph 5:18; Col 3:16). The days are coming when it will be clear to cleansed consciences (Heb 9:14) that unconditional sacrificial Love is the ultimate foundation in eternity of God’s glory in the slain and risen Lamb who will reign over a renewed cosmos forever and amen. “He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.” (Rev 22:20)