Forget all this AI nonsense and connect with the living God and with the people He has created to have fellowship with Himself. Save the machines for mowing your lawn or making your coffee.

Recall in the 1999 film The Matrix how one character in league with the dark side is discussing the benefits of a simulated steak dinner. It is not real, but the Matrix is giving him the impression that it is. The character, Cypher, says this: “You know, I know this steak doesn’t exist. I know that when I put it in my mouth, the Matrix is telling my brain that it is juicy and delicious. After nine years, you know what I realize? Ignorance is bliss.” See the clip here.

This is an article that should not have to have been written. But since there is real garbage out there that some real Christians—and others—will readily embrace and consume, it is worth doing a quick piece on this issue. I refer to an AI Jesus. A Christian newswire service recently sent me an email for something called AvatarJesus. I kid you not. Part of it said this:

AvatarJesus is built for Christians who want a private online place to pray and confess, with an experience centered on religious practice itself rather than on attendance or affiliation. Avatarjesus.ai is free to use and is supported by public donations through its GoFundMe campaign. The launch introduces a simple claim: Christian practice does not begin and end with membership. Prayer remains possible. Confession remains possible. Honest religious practice remains possible. AvatarJesus is designed to give those acts a place in ordinary life with immediate online access. AvatarJesus gives users a place to speak plainly, examine themselves, and confess directly. At launch, AvatarJesus centers on prayer and confession, with a product experience designed to be immediate, serious, and accessible.

There is slim pickings on their website. About all we find there is this:

PRAY AND CONFESS DIRECTLY TO JESUS

A Path to Forgiveness and Grace

Through Avatar Jesus, your prayers transcend words, carried by intention and faith, directly to the heart of God.
Avatar Jesus does not trade your personal prayers for targeted ads. GoFundMe donations keep AvatarJesus.ai online—a private place for prayer when there is no church to go to.

That is actually about it. There seems to be as much there about where you can donate as there is about praying to some machine Jesus. Who is behind this? What is their motivation? Who is getting the money being sent in? This is all simply scam city in my books.

Indeed, it is ludicrous and dodgy as all get out. So what is wrong with it? Let me count the ways:

Read More