Monday, December 8, 2008
Clarification on the word "Antichrist"
In the book of Revelation the word "antichrist" is never used of the person or system identified by the number 666. It is used specifically in 1 and 2 John as anyone who denies both God and Jesus Christ. However, it is commonly understood that the person and ruling power (a.k.a. beast) emerging in the future will be the epitome or embodiment of this very atheistic belief system. Interestingly enough, the successful emergence of AI will be the final proof to most scientists (and in the mind of AI itself) that philosophical materialism is absolutely true. That is, that the universe can be entirely explained without the existence of God or spiritual causes since intelligence itself can be created through a machine. Convinced of this very idea, and being a direct result of it, AI will have no place for God nor look favorably upon those who cling to such old-fashioned and "destructive" beliefs.
I much agree with your ideas about the talking image of the beast being an AI, and about such a thinking machine being a seeming proof of philosophical materialism. But instead of focusing on AI, I would suggest a much broader meaning for the two beasts of Revelation 13. I think they symbolize man's science and technology at large. Technology exercises all the authority of science in its presence, and by the great signs that technology works in the presence of science, it deceives mankind into idolizing science to such an extent that we actually make a graven image for science, a super-human AI which personifies all science. See the Wikipedia article about "The Technological Singularity."
ReplyDeleteJud (jpewther@aol.com)