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Artificial Intelligence and the New Paganism

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“In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth… God said, ‘Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness.’” (Genesis 1:1, 26) Aside from telling us that it was God who created the world, there is another important truth conveyed in the opening lines of Genesis. Namely, the truth that it is us who are created in the image of God, and not the other way around. Since the fall, a constant temptation for humanity has been not only to worship ourselves and our own image, as I have talked about in other places, but also to worship creation as if it were a god. Whether it is the nature worship that the prophet Elijah battled, or the golden calf in the desert, humanity has long had a desire to create its own gods. It is a mark of particular hubris that we tend to think we are somehow better or different than those who came before us which C.S. Lewis called “chronological snobbery”. However, the truth is that we are not. Technology may have changed, but we have not. The same proclivity that plagued our forefathers still plagues us. In this article, we will examine the latest manifestation of that proclivity: artificial intelligence.

Ever since their invention, computers have been anthropomorphised. Even the word “computer” itself has its origins in the Latin word computare which is related to the concept of thinking. Used as an analogy, there is some truth to this idea since computers aid in our thinking and calculations. On the other hand, as computers become more sophisticated there is an increasing risk that we stop viewing this sort of language as an analogy. In many ways, this risk has been evident since the beginning. Alan Turing, a major pioneer in modern computing, famously put together an evaluation system for the question of whether or not computers can think, which he called the “Imitation Game”, and it has come to be known as the Turing Test. Aside from the question of whether or not imitation of thinking is thinking, the point here is that the temptation to view computers in our own image has been there since the beginning. Unfortunately, artificial intelligence seems to follow the same trend. If we take the meaning of the words literally, artificial intelligence means man-made understanding. Once again, as an analogy there is some truth to this idea. Insofar as A.I. aids in our understanding it is a man-made tool for understanding. However, there are many who do not take this idea as an analogy.

Mathematicians and technologists have long talked about the concept of the singularity. This hypothesis states that at some point in the future the capacity of A.I. will surpass our own and will become uncontrollable. Though the dates seem to vary quite widely for this hypothetical singularity, many in the field of A.I. agree that it is coming at some point in the future. There are even some in the technology space who take this idea to mean that we are creating a god out of A.I. One such example, is when renowned computer scientist Ray Kurzweil, speaking about A.I., stated in a documentary, “Does God exist? Well, I would say, ‘not yet’.” In recent years, the odd religious habits of Silicon Valley have been documented in places like Carolyn Chen’s Work Pray Code so it should come as little surprise that some have turned to not only anthropomorphizing A.I., but deifying it. The most striking example of this is a former Google executive who founded a church to A.I. called “Way of the Future”. A.I. is quickly becoming our golden calf.

At this point, it is worth further examining the concept of the singularity as it resembles a religious system of beliefs. First, it gives the believer an eschatology. Stephen Hawking once said in an interview, “The development of full artificial intelligence could spell the end of the human race”, and while some are not as pessimistic, what seems to be universally agreed upon is that the singularity will signal some sort of fundamental shift in humanity. This brings us to the next religious belief: apotheosis and the promise of eternal life. Apotheosis takes on a different meaning depending on the religion, but it is broadly the idea that human beings can become divine or come to share in the divine. In Christianity, this belief is typified by St. Athanasius’ famous line, “God became man so that man might become God.” However, in pantheistic religions this belief refers to the idea that we simply merge into the divine. The singularity refers to apotheosis more in the pantheistic sense. In a 2001 essay, The Law of Accelerating Returns, Ray Kurzweil stated,

Within a few decades, machine intelligence will surpass human intelligence, leading to The Singularity — technological change so rapid and profound it represents a rupture in the fabric of human history. The implications include the merger of biological and nonbiological intelligence, immortal software-based humans, and ultra-high levels of intelligence that expand outward in the universe at the speed of light.

Not only do we see a sort of end times prophecy here, but also a promise that on the other end there will be eternal life in the form of “immortal software-based humans”. In other words, eternal life is achieved through a kind of apotheosis with the machine. Much in the same way that Christianity can respond to suffering with the cross, this belief becomes a justification for the suffering created by the singularity. This might help to explain why people like Elon Musk continue to work on advancing A.I. despite continually saying that its advances are “concerning”.

So the question now is what are we to do about this? Should Christians simply retreat from the space of A.I. and technology completely. Is A.I. intrinsically wrong for the reasons I have described above? Ultimately, the answer is no. A.I. is no more intrinsically wrong than building a tower is, and yet the Tower of Babel wreaked havoc and division on humanity. A.I. is a powerful tool that, perhaps, will surpass some of history’s greatest inventions like the Gutenberg Press. And just like the Gutenberg Press was used to widely distribute the Bible, A.I. could be used for tremendous good. Unfortunately, the fall of the best is the worst, so the flip-side of that is A.I. could be used for tremendous evil. It could and already in many cases has, fool man into thinking he can make his own gods and elevate himself to that status. Humanity has proved over and over again throughout history it is perfectly capable of falling into this error with far less powerful technology, thus, as usual, the problem is us. So, how do we avoid this trap? Since this is a religious problem, it demands a religious answer. That answer lies in Christianity. Paganism, new-age religions and philosophies, and even technological worship all assume that the divine is something we must seek after. If one follows the right path or set of principles then he can come into contact with the divine. However, Christianity tells a completely different story, a unique story. It is a love affair where God seeks after us. We must allow ourselves to be continually transformed by God through the sacraments, prayer, and scripture. Paul’s words to the Romans still ring true today, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God – what is good and acceptable and perfect.” (Romans 12:2) Even if we avoid the problem of A.I., unless we truly heed Paul’s words, then there will just be some other false god we seek after.

If Harry Met Paul

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The former Chief Exorcist of Rome, of pious memory, Fr. Gabriele Amorth is well known in Catholic circles for his books on the demonic.  He is well known outside of Catholic circles for his repeated criticism of the Harry Potter series.  Speaking mainly from the experience of casting out thousands of demons, he once said, “behind Harry Potter hides the signature of the king of the darkness, the devil.”  This was met by mockery outside the Church and deaf ears within.  Many Catholics, clergy included, see “nothing wrong with Harry Potter” and thus allow and encourage children to read the series, see the movies, visit amusement parks and play video games.  Fr. Amorth is not the only exorcist who has warned against the series and even Pope Benedict cautioned against it during his time as Prefect of the Congregation of the Faith.  Deaf ears can often lead to blind eyes and thus it is imperative that we have a coherent explanation and not merely scare tactics of why Harry Potter is dangerous.

To begin, we must concede that for a parent to offer an “it is harmless” defense of anything is not good parenting.  Even if there is such thing as a “harmless” story (as opposed to helpful or harmful), it is questionable parenting to use that as a criteria for what you expose your children to.  Junk food for the body might be permitted, junk food for the mind ought not to be.  But in truth it is an attempt to feign neutrality when in fact there is really no such thing as a neutral story.  Inundated by television and movies, which condition us to accept views of the world uncritically, we can easily forget how powerful a story is to convey a world view.  We tend to equate entertainment and goodness.   

Why Stories Matter

Stories are, to borrow a phrase from JRR Tolkien, a sub-creation.  The author creates a world of his own imagining and then animates that world.  But it is not a creation ex-nihilio, but a sub-creation.  To be intelligible it must rest upon reality as it really is. A good story should also be entertaining, but to be good it must wrap a narrative around a particular aspect of reality so as to let the light of truth shine upon it.   A bad story may also be entertaining, especially if we are uncritical of what we are reading or seeing.  In fact, it often is in order to mask the ugliness of the story.  Ultimately what makes it a bad story is that it distorts reality.  It puts forth a false idea of truth and goodness, redefining them in subtle ways.

Stories have such a powerful effect on children because of their unbridled capacity for wonder.  Wonder gives them a much more expansive view of reality which makes them particularly apt to see the message attached to the narrative.  They don’t just read a book or watch a movie, they insert themselves into the world created by the author and move about.  This is why a whole generation of now adults grew up playing Star Wars and why another generation is growing up playing Harry Potter.  If you don’t want your children pretending to be magicians, using magic for good or ill, then you would not want them to read these books.  Children will play in the stories they hear and read.

There is also a bit of a mixed message that is being sent.  Magic, sorcery and divination are all presented as intrinsically evil by the Church (c.f. CCC 2117) but presented as something that can be used for good by the Harry Potter books.  Since “intrinsically evil” implies one can never use it for good, this sends a rather mixed message.  In short, on the one hand we have a story where the hero uses it and on the other we have stories in Scripture where it is strongly condemned regardless of how it is used.   Deuteronomy 18:9-12 describes magic as an abomination before God and tells how a believer should respond in the face of it.  One need not wonder what would happen if Harry met St. Paul given the latter’s interaction with the magician in Acts 13:6-12.  The point though is that a child will not naturally allow a contradiction to exist and thus will reject one story and accept the other.  One can hardly imagine that, without proper guidance and formation, the child will almost always choose the more entertaining story.

What is Magic, anyway?

A fuller understanding of magic itself will help us better grasp the inherent danger; a danger that is growing daily as our culture is re-paganized.  There are about 20,000 books on Amazon that describe different Wiccan spells so we are talking about more than just mere sleight of hand or some fringe movement if we merely follow the market. Magic is not a sub-creation created in the mind of the author, but something that exists in the real world. Magic is about harnessing superhuman power and using it to overcome our natural limitations.  So, when we speak about magic what we are really talking about is angelic power.  Angels by their nature can act upon material creation simply by willing it.  They can manipulate pre-existing matter in any matter that they wish.  This is exactly what those schooled in magic and the occult are trying to do.

The problem is that evil angels, demons that is, are willing to share this power with human beings.  Not in order to help them but to entrap them.  They give them superhuman powers through spells and the like in exchange for control of them.  By grasping at a power beyond them, they submit their own human strength to the demons.  The demons are only too happy to comply because it makes them “like God” because it is a cheap imitation of God’s power of miracles.  Ultimately it is an attack on God and the humans are simply pawns who end up bearing the brunt of it.

The Harry Potter books never say where the magic comes from, but it comes from the place that all magic comes from hell.  It can seemingly be repurposed for good, or else it would lack appeal, but ultimately this good is a mere smokescreen for the evil that lurks behind its power.  This repurposing of magic for the good is the theme behind another fantasy story, one that acts like the magic elephant in the room anytime Harry Potter is discussed–The Lord of the Rings.

Magic is a key element in the Lord of the Rings as well, and yet, most would say these would be categorized as good stories.  To grasp how it is different from Harry Potter we must return to what was said earlier about the source of magic.  If magic, at its core is angelic power, then there is nothing wrong with angels using it.  It is their natural power.  Those who naturally use magic in the story, namely the Elves and Gandalf, are not human.  Gandalf is not a man but an angelic being called a Maiar who had taken human form.  He and the Elves are, in Tolkien’s sub-creation, angels.  It is natural for them to use “magic” and thus they are not seizing something that does not belong to them, but applying their given powers in pursuit of the good.  The story makes clear that all those lesser creatures who ultimately try to harness that power, even if for good use, ultimately come to ruin.  It is a story ultimately against magic and not for it.  And in that way it is vastly different than Harry Potter which celebrates its use by men and women.

Separation of Church and State?

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In a letter to the Danbury Baptist Association written on New Year’s Day in 1802, President Jefferson wrote what, especially in recent times, has become his most often quoted words.  In offering an interpretation of the First Amendment he said,

“Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between Man and his God, that he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship, that the legitimate powers of government reach actions only, and not opinions, I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should ‘make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,’ thus building a wall of separation between Church and State” (emphasis added).

The Catholic Church invents the Separation of Church and State

Jefferson was offering nothing novel.  Christians have been preaching the separation of Church and State for millennia.  If we look at the great cultures throughout history, the idea of a separation between the State and Religious powers was anathema.  Whether it was Egypt or Rome, the Emperors were believed to be gods themselves and religious veneration was due to them.  When Christ uttered His famous “render unto Caesar,” He did so in a culture in which Caesar thought himself divine and the High Priest or Pontifex Maximus of the official Roman pagan religion.  This was the norm throughout the ancient world, except for a single country—Israel.  In Israel, the role of king was distinct from either the priests or the prophets.  The first king, Saul, was anointed by the Prophet Samuel (1Samuel 10) and even King David himself was beholden to the Prophet Nathan who accused him of murder.

Christians have always interpreted Christ’s admonition to “render unto Caesar” as a call to keep this Jewish tradition of separating the governance of the State from the governance of the Church.  On the one hand, we can see why Our Lord thought this necessary simply by looking at man’s nature as both spirit and body.  We live two distinct, although related lives—temporal and eternal.  His utterance baptizes these two distinct powers to govern each of the lives.  Like the body and soul, there is a certain precedence of the spiritual governance over the temporal governance, but still the two should work in a complementary fashion.

Why We Need the Separation

Why the Church and State should remain distinct is not entirely clear until we add into the mix man’s fallen nature.  As an effect of man’s prodigious fall, the body tends to drag the soul down and corrupt it.  When the Church and the State are essentially one, it is the Church bears the brunt of it.  History reveals this repeatedly, especially if we look to the Middle Ages, culminating in Henry VIII’s foundation of the Church of England.  The circumstances may change but the Church always becomes corrupt when it gets too closely tied to the temporal power.

To use an American parlance, the Church/State distinction is a form of checks and balances.  The temporal authority, because he is first and foremost is trying to save his own soul in addition to his subjects, is always subservient to the Church.  The Church would, in turn, make itself the servant of the Imperium in her conduct of temporal affairs.  Each serves to keep the other in line—when the Church oversteps her bounds and gets too caught up in temporal affairs, the State is there to remind her of her mission to souls.  When the State oversteps its bounds and puts the souls of its residents at stake, the Church is there to remind it of its proper place.  While this practice may have been abused, the power of the Pope to excommunicate a rogue Christian King was very effective in bringing about conditions that were good for the soul.

When the two function in this way the citizens of the State thrive and are holy.  The culture becomes Christian, rather than a mere State that happens to have a majority of Christians in it.  The Church recognized the importance of building a Christian society—one in which being a Christian is made easier by the culture—and therefore worked out her understanding of Church/State relations shortly after the time of Constantine.  Pope St. Gelasius I (492-496) who is often credited with “inventing” the separation of Church and State said:

“Christ, mindful of human fragility had discerned between the functions of each power… His reason for so doing was twofold. On the one hand, it is written that no one warring for God should be entangled with secular things. The raison d’être of the royal power was to relieve the clerics of the burden of having to care for their carnal and material wants. For the temporal necessities the pontiffs indeed need the emperors, so that they can devote themselves to their functions properly and are not distracted by the pursuit of these carnal matters, but the emperors, Christian as they are, need the pontiffs for the achievement of eternal salvation.”

The Jefersonian Distinction

Even if Jefferson did not invent the notion of the Separation of Church and State, he did endorse an important twist to it.  What was new about Jefferson’s position—which was subsequently read into the Constitution by Justice Hugo Black—was his belief that a wall of separation had to be erected.  In other words, he thought Church and State should remain completely separate.

Returning to the analogy of the human person, you can no more put a wall of separation between the Church and State than you can between the soul and the body.  To sever the one from the other leads to death—be it the death of the person or of society as a whole.

When the complementary role of Church and State is denied, the State will go unchecked in its power.  When the State finds no authority above it then it simply does as it sees fit without any regard to the moral law or the eternal salvation of its citizens.  In order to pull this off though the State needs to promote “bread and circuses” to keep the populace from focusing on their souls.  The “bread and circuses” can take various forms, but the form of choice today is sexual license.  It is not as if the Church merely disappears in this setting.  The State sets up a new Church, one that is merged with the State.  In other words, when you set up a “wall of separation” it will always end up merging the two.

 

Return of the Church-State of Paganism

Much of the West is returning to paganism in the form of liberalism, worshipping the god of freedom.  Like all pagan gods, it demands child sacrifice, even if is cleaner this time because it is done in utero.  Its churches are universities (really all public schools) and its high priests are the judges.  The State will “tolerate” other religions and grant “freedom of worship” but any public expression, especially when it comes in conflict with the State Religion, will not be tolerated.   The Little Sisters of the Poor may have ultimately won their lawsuit, but that is only a harbinger of things to come.  The next battle will likely come for not complying with the demands of the law for gay marriage.  You must be willing to profess the new pagan creed which many Catholics, even bishops and priests, have shown themselves willing to do.

This is really a project of the Enlightenment, it simply took a few centuries for the Christian roots of Western society to actually die out.  Those roots are now, for all intents and purposes, dead.  We are living in Rome in reverse and the only way we can act redemptively is the way of the Church—martyrdom or an appearance by Our Lady.  Throughout history those are the only two ways that a society has been saved from the clutches of paganism.  Let us pray that as we ready ourselves for the 100th Anniversary of Our Lady of Fatima that it is the latter.