Let's take a quick survey of our hearts. How would you feel in the following scenarios?
- You discover that last Sunday your pastor preached a sermon that was written by ChatGPT.
- During the Monday meeting, your boss announces that the company now expects everyone to use generative AI to enhance productivity.
- On Tuesday, a woman in your home group who is considering a major life decision tells you she asked for advice from an AI bot.
If you're like most readers, at least one of these scenarios would genuinely disturb you, one might not make much difference, and perhaps one would fall into a gray area. And for those bothered by one or more of these situations, you probably felt troubled before you engaged in conscious reasoning. In other words, one or more of these scenarios felt wrong before you knew why it was wrong.
This emotional response isn't something to dismiss—it's often wisdom speaking through our God-given moral intuition. But it's also worth examining more carefully as we navigate this brave new world of artificial intelligence.
The Speed of Change
Artificial intelligence technology has evolved faster than most Christians have been able to think through its implications. Just when we learned that these systems could write amusing short stories in seconds, the age of generative AI was fully upon us, reshaping everything from education to employment, from creative expression to spiritual guidance.
When massive cultural shifts happen this rapidly, most people tend to go along automatically. "This is new" becomes synonymous with "This is good." The momentum of technological change carries us forward without giving us time to ask the deeper questions: What are we gaining? What might we be losing? How is this technology shaping us, even as we use it to shape our world?
For Christians, these questions are particularly important because we believe that how we live matters to God. We're called to be wise stewards of the gifts and tools He provides, using them in ways that honor Him and serve human flourishing.
The Push and Pull of Opinion
Some people have embraced AI enthusiastically, seeing it as a powerful tool for enhancing human productivity and creativity. They argue that these technologies can free us from mundane tasks, help us solve complex problems, and even assist in ministry and spiritual growth. From this perspective, resistance to AI is simply fear of the future or attachment to outdated ways of doing things.
Others have pushed back strongly, warning about what we stand to lose—in our thinking, our creativity, our capacity for deep relationship, and our fundamental understanding of what it means to be human. They worry that by outsourcing more and more of our mental and creative work to machines, we risk atrophying our God-given capacities and losing touch with essential aspects of human flourishing.
"For the last couple of years, I have traveled to many places and spoken to thousands of people about the powers and perils of digital technology. By far the most common question is this: 'What do you think about AI?'"
Both perspectives contain important truths, but neither offers a complete framework for Christian engagement with AI. What we need are biblical principles that can guide our decisions about when, how, and why to use these powerful new tools.
Principle One: Remember the Image of God
The first and most fundamental principle for Christian AI use is remembering that humans are created in the image of God. This truth has profound implications for how we think about artificial intelligence and its place in our lives.
When we say humans are made in God's image, we're affirming that we have unique capacities for creativity, relationship, moral reasoning, and spiritual communion that reflect something of God's own nature. These capacities aren't just tools we use—they're part of who we are as God's image-bearers.
This means that when we use AI, we should ask: Does this enhance or diminish my exercise of image-of-God capacities? If I let ChatGPT write my sermon, am I failing to exercise the calling God has given me to wrestle with His Word and communicate it from my own heart and experience? If I rely on AI for major life decisions, am I neglecting the wisdom, discernment, and prayer that God expects me to develop?
This doesn't mean AI is always wrong to use—sometimes it can free us to focus more energy on uniquely human tasks that better reflect our divine image. But it does mean we should be intentional about preserving and developing the capacities that make us most fully human.
Principle Two: Seek Authentic Relationship
The second principle flows from the first: we should use AI in ways that support rather than substitute for authentic human relationship. Christianity is fundamentally relational—our relationship with God and our relationships with one another are at the heart of the Gospel.
This has implications for how we think about AI in various contexts. In ministry, for example, the power of preaching isn't just in the information conveyed but in the relationship between pastor and congregation, in the authenticity of someone who has wrestled with God's Word and speaks from personal experience and conviction.
In counseling and spiritual guidance, the healing power often comes not just from good advice but from the experience of being truly seen, heard, and understood by another human being who cares about our well-being. An AI might offer helpful information, but it cannot provide the presence, empathy, and genuine care that characterize true pastoral ministry.
This doesn't mean AI has no place in ministry or helping relationships. It might assist with research, suggest discussion questions, or help organize thoughts. But it should supplement, not replace, the irreplaceable human elements of care, presence, and authentic relationship.
Principle Three: Cultivate Wisdom and Discernment
The third principle is perhaps the most challenging: we need to actively cultivate wisdom and discernment rather than allowing AI to do our thinking for us. The Proverbs repeatedly emphasize the value of wisdom, understanding, and sound judgment—qualities that must be developed through practice, experience, and reflection.
AI can process vast amounts of information quickly and identify patterns we might miss. But wisdom is more than information processing. It involves understanding context, weighing competing values, considering long-term consequences, and making judgments that align with God's character and purposes.
If we consistently outsource our thinking to AI systems, we risk atrophying our capacity for the kind of deep reflection and careful discernment that Scripture calls us to develop. Like physical muscles that weaken without exercise, our mental and spiritual faculties need regular use to remain strong.
This means being selective about when and how we use AI assistance. For routine tasks that don't require much thought or creativity, AI might be perfectly appropriate. But for decisions that require wisdom, for creative work that expresses our unique perspective, or for spiritual reflection that deepens our relationship with God, we should be much more cautious about relying on artificial assistance.
Living with Intention
None of this means that Christians should avoid AI entirely. These technologies offer genuine benefits and can be used in ways that serve human flourishing. The key is intentionality—being thoughtful about when, how, and why we use AI rather than simply accepting it as an inevitable part of modern life.
We need to ask ourselves regularly: How is my use of AI shaping me as a person? Am I becoming more or less capable of deep thinking, authentic relationship, and spiritual discernment? Am I using these tools to become more fully the person God created me to be, or am I allowing them to diminish my humanity?
These questions don't have simple answers, and they'll likely require ongoing reflection as AI technology continues to evolve. But by grounding our engagement with AI in biblical principles—remembering our identity as God's image-bearers, prioritizing authentic relationship, and cultivating wisdom and discernment—we can navigate this technological revolution with both wisdom and grace.
The Path Forward
As artificial intelligence becomes increasingly integrated into every aspect of our lives, Christians have an opportunity to model thoughtful, principled engagement with these powerful tools. We can demonstrate that it's possible to embrace beneficial technology while maintaining our humanity, to use AI as a tool while refusing to let it replace the irreplaceable aspects of human flourishing.
This will require ongoing conversation, careful discernment, and a willingness to make counter-cultural choices when necessary. But it's precisely this kind of thoughtful engagement that the world needs from Christians—not blind acceptance or fearful rejection, but wise stewardship that honors both the gifts of human creativity and the ultimate authority of our Creator.
The question isn't whether AI will shape us—it already is. The question is whether we'll be intentional about that shaping, ensuring that it serves the purposes of God's kingdom rather than undermining the things that matter most. With prayer, wisdom, and community discernment, we can chart a path forward that embraces the benefits of AI while preserving the irreplaceable elements of human flourishing that reflect the image of our Creator.
Comentarios