Posts
 |
| Photo: Derrick Aarons |
 |
| Artificial intelligence |
For Christians, the day is celebrated as the day on which Jesus Christ was born in a manger as the son of God, of virgin birth to two young people, Mary and Joseph.
Christmas is preceded by the period of Advent, a four-week period during which there is a spiritual preparation for the coming of Christ and much foretelling of the birth of baby Jesus.
For individuals of more secular persuasion, the day is the cumulation of a period of anticipatory joy, punctuated by extensive shopping (consumerism), decoration of house and home, the purchasing of gifts for friends, family, and loved ones, and preparation of food and drink for the family gathering that brings together many from both near and far.
Expressing love at Christmas
The two approaches to the season are not, however, mutually exclusive. Many Christians prepare their homes lavishly, indulge in baking 'Christmas' cakes, the 'drawing' of sorrel, the preparation of ham, and the buying of gifts that are presented at Christmas as an expression of love for others. Many secular individuals, despite not actively involved in organised religion and its various manifestations, nevertheless express their spirituality in several ways. This may be expressed and shared through their involvement in charity to others, or in creative expressions or tangible offerings that may bring joy to many people.
Religion, religious expressions and spirituality lie along a spectrum. At one end of the spectrum are the strong, and in some circumstances fanatic believers in the existence of God. At the other end are those who avow atheism. Between these two poles are to be found people of varying faith, agnostics, and individuals seeking to make sense of the world. This pluralism exists in many societies around the world and individuals from all sectors of society have contributed positively to society's advancement and development.
Artificial intelligence
Mankind has made so much progress in technological innovations in recent times that artificial intelligence is now predicted to overtake human intelligence in the very near future.
Under these circumstances, however, for those who believe in Jesus as the son of God and his virgin birth, how might they reconcile the existence of an all-powerful God and his dictates for mankind going forward with the rapid advances in artificial intelligence that falls under no religious guidance?
Artificial intelligence has no religious beliefs or spiritual existence, emotions, or reasoning that may be swayed by political or other considerations. For instance, when artificial intelligence acts through computerised technology, mistakes are not made since mistakes are often a manifestation of man's poor judgement, while artificial intelligence functions solely on evidence, logic and computerised precision.
In light of this reality, therefore, some have been proposing that artificial intelligence may well present an alternative to organised religion. This possible role has recently emerged through the expansive effects of technology and its applications.
The capital of computerised technology is Silicon Valley in California, USA, where recently there has been what is described as religious 'start-ups'.
Start-ups are businesses that 'begin from scratch', supposedly on a novel idea or premise that may prove successful in the medium or long term. Google, Facebook, Amazon, and other technological giants all began as start-ups, requiring investments and confidence in the product that eventually proved remarkably successful.
Read more...
Source: Jamaica Observer
