Top of the Week: Did AI Predict That We’re Already Doomed?
Following are the top stories posted over the past week on cn.mycharisma.com. We encourage you to visit the links to read the stories in full.
Did AI Predict That We’re Already Doomed?
Fear and consternation mixed with faith in the inerrancy of the Bible play a large role in how Christians view news that relates to the subject of the end times.
People scramble for answers outside the Bible and prayer about what exactly is going to happen, as if what God has provided is not enough to go on.
Now, Artificial Intelligence is weighing in on the exact nature on the end of the world.
Outrage Ensues Over Graphic Depictions of Jesus
The words of Jesus in John 15 were not just a lesson for His disciples to learn as they encountered resistance for teaching the gospel message. They were prophetic.
Some 2,000 years later, Jesus and His image are attacked in ways no other religious figure has or will ever be, and He knew this would be the case until He returned.
Recently, Swedish artist Elisabeth Ohlson portrayed Jesus surrounded by gay men wearing BDSM gear that are being described by critics as “sadomasochistic slaves.”
Nashville Pastor Placed on Leave for ‘Unhealthy’ and ‘Hurtful’ Conduct
Christ Presbyterian Church in Nashville, Tennessee has placed Senior Pastor Scott Sauls on an indefinite leave of absence.
The good news is that Sauls, who has pastored at Christ Presbyterian for 12 years, in a video message to his congregation made it clear he had not been involved in any sexual sin or substance abuse. And while it is refreshing to hear that considering many kingdom leaders in recent years have fallen into such traps, the bad news is that Sauls says he has committed other sins against staff members and congregation members that he must repent for.
Religion News Service reported in his video message to his congregation, Sauls apologized for an unhealthy leadership style that he says harmed the people who worked for him—and the church. He even used the public venue of social media to do so.
Christians Killed, 50 Churches Burned as Thousands Flee
Extreme violence erupted over the past week in Manipur in northeast India, with 50 Christian churches being burned or destroyed and killing at least 58, many of whom were Christians, media reports claim.
Beginning mid-last week, violence had been reported in several areas of Manipur, mostly in the Imphai Valley and Churchandpur. Christian survivors of the attacks have identified the “predominantly Hindu Meitei ethnic community as the attacks,” The Christian Post reported.
The Christian Post also reported that the local Christian community has accused the Hindu nationalist government of supporting the attackers.
Conflicted Megachurch Pastor Resigns Over Book’s Hyper-Spiritualization of Sex
Joshua Butler says he found himself and his church in “an impossible situation.” And it was that situation that he says forced him to resign as the co-lead pastor of Redemption Church in Tempe, Arizona, this week.
“The impossible situation” centered around the publishing and backlash from his book, “Beautiful Union: How God’s Vision for Sex Points Us to the God, Unlocks the True and (Sort of) Explains Everything.” The description of the book on Amazon reads: “A powerful call for Christians to understand sex as a window into God’s story of redemption, and a validating guide to living with authentic love in a changing culture.”
An excerpt from Butler’s book titled “Sex Won’t Save you (But it Points to the One Who Will)” was published on the website of the Gospel Coalition, a union of evangelical and Reformed churches in March, and his book was officially released in April. {eoa}
To purchase Charisma founder and bestselling author Stephen E. Strang’s latest book, “Spirit-Led Living in an Upside-Down World,” go to SteveStrangBooks.com.
