About Marsha West

Marsha West is the owner and managing editor of Christian Research Network, Apprising Ministries (the late Ken Silva’s blog) and On Solid Rock Resources. She is also co-founder of Berean Research. For two decades Marsha was the owner and managing editor of Email Brigade website as well as the EMB News Report, a bi-weekly email report for conservative people of faith. For many years Marsha was a regular contributor to several blogs including CRN, RenewAmerica, News With Views and Web Commantary as well as popular websites she no longer endorses: American Family Association, Worldview Weekend, Stand Up For The Truth, The Christian Post and Christian Headlines. Although Marsha still blogs, her primary focus is CRN. Marsha also writes Research Papers (White Papers) on various topics that are published on CRN, Berean Research and On Solid Rock Resources. Visit Marsha’s other sites: On Solid Rock Resources https://www.onsolidrockresources.com/ Apprising Ministries http://apprising.org Marsha’s RenewAmerica Column http://renewamerica.com/columns/mwest Marsha’s Facebook Page http://facebook.com/marsha.west.77

Thank you, Mr. Trump for bringing ‘Merry Christmas’ back to the White House

The Obama’s Christmas card featured the family dogs and did not include the word “Christmas.” The President and Mrs. Trump have brought “Merry Christmas” back to the White House. Todd Starnes, host of Fox News and Commentary, has the story:

President Trump vowed to put the Christ back into Christmas and based on this video that’s exactly what he did — delivering on a promise to end the ongoing war on Christmas.

During the first year of the Obama administration — the president and first lady considered removing the Nativity from the White House for the sake of inclusivity.

The New York Times buried that yuletide nugget deep inside a story about then-White House Social Secretary Desiree Rogers. Read it for yourself, ladies and gentlemen:

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Teachers Attend ‘LGGBDTTTIQQAAP’ Sensitivity Training

The following news story is posted for informational purposes and not as an endorsement of the source or the content on the site.

Oh the insanity of it all. The Canadian organization promoting the training is an elementary school group. So, what does the longest acronym in history stand for? Megan Fox of PJ Media tells us what the letters mean:

Gather ’round children! The Canadian Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario has some super interesting new information for you! First, we’re going to learn a new acronym. Can you say, “LGGBDTTTIQQAAPP?” Let’s try it to the tune of “Old MacDonald!” Everyone sing along! Next, we’ll learn what these letters mean. Are you ready?

L — Lesbian (everyone knows what this is, right?)

G — Gay (and I’m sure I don’t need to explain this to you smarties!)

G — Genderqueer Now this one is new. So let’s make sure we all understand what this means. “Genderqueer; denoting or relating to a person who does not subscribe to conventional gender distinctions but identifies with neither, both, or a combination of male and female genders.” That’s easy, isn’t it, kids? Basically, this is a person who has no idea who or what xey are, okay?

B — Bisexual (That’s self-explanatory, isn’t it?)

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Another Man’s Done Gone: David Platt and Beth Moore

There’s trouble brewing over David Platt retweeting a video of SBC “Godmother” Beth Moore’s endorsement of the Lottie Moon Christmas offering.  Many consider David Platt a “great Bible teacher” and a truth teller while Moore. who is an idol to a large number of Christian women, is a really bad Bible teacher, even a false teacher who should be avoided at all costs. Why? For a number of reasons. First, Beth Moore is caught up in charismania. Second, she claims that God speaks directly to her, that she receives special revelation from the Almighty. Third, she associates with and promotes heretics such as Joel and Victoria Osteen, Christine Caine and Joyce Meyer.

So, it is not surprising when discernment bloggers take David Platt to task for sharing a Beth Moore tweet.  One such blogger is Seth Dunn. Dunn shares his concerns in a piece he wrote for Pulpit & Pen:

David Platt is an academic prodigy.  After graduating from the University of Georgia with two bachelor’s degrees, he earned an MDiv, a ThM, and a PhD from the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary; he completed his education in his early 20s, becoming one of the youngest students, if not the youngest student, to ever earn a terminal degree at NOBTS.  The seminary hired Dr. Platt as an assistant professor of preaching and apologetics and the Dean of Chapel.  Not long after, the Church at Brook Hills called Platt to be its senior pastor.  At age 26, Platt became the pastor of one of the largest churches in the state of Alabama, in the heart of SBC country.

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Judge Strikes Down Ban on Dismemberment Abortions as ‘Undue Burden’ on ‘Right of a Woman’ to Kill Her Child

Christian News reports:

A federal judge appointed to the bench by then-President George W. Bush has struck down a Texas ban on dilation and evacuation (D&E) abortions, also known as dismemberment abortions, finding the prohibition to be an “undue burden” on the “right of a woman” to her child.

“An abortion always results in the death of the fetus. The extraction of the fetus from the womb occurs in every abortion. Dismemberment of the fetus is the inevitable result. The evidence before the court is graphic and distasteful,” U.S. District Judge Lee Yeakel acknowledged, but nonetheless added, “But this evidence is germane only to the state’s interest in the dignity of fetal life and is weighed on the State’s side of the scale. It does not remove weight from the woman’s side. And it does not add weight to tip the balance in the state’s favor.”

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Identifying New Apostolic Reformation churches in your city

Holly Pivec of Spirit of Error offers 5 tips for identifying NAR churches in your neighborhood. For example, NAR churches often provide links to other NAR websites or advertise their upcoming conferences — but not always. As well “they might share the leaders’ Facebook comments or even invite them to speak at their church. Any church that invites Bill Johnson to speak is almost certainly steeped in NAR,” says Pivec.  The following tips will help point Bereans (Acts 17:11) in the right direction:

After I speak about the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) and its dangers, a question I’m often asked is, “Do you think there are any NAR churches where I live?” My answer is “Almost certainly. Churches that hold to NAR beliefs can be found in pretty much every city and town.”

The next question is, “How do I know which churches those are?” That’s a very good question since most NAR churches don’t put the words “New Apostolic Reformation” on their street sign or website. So how are you supposed to know if they’re part of NAR?

Here are five tips to help you locate NAR churches your area. Keep in mind that some of these churches have formally joined an “apostolic network”—that is, a network of churches that’s governed by an apostle or group of apostles. These are typically hardcore NAR churches, and may be easier to identify. Yet many other churches have come under significant NAR influence, even though they have not formally joined an apostolic network. These churches may be part of a Pentecostal denomination, such as the Assemblies of God or Foursquare Church. Or they may be independent charismatic churches that are not affiliated with any denomination. These tips will help you locate those NAR-influenced churches, too.

5 TIPS FOR IDENTIFYING NAR CHURCHES

Search the Internet using the name of your town or city along with the keywords “church” and “apostolic” or “prophetic” or “fivefold ministry” (also sometimes hyphenated as “five-fold ministry”). Be aware that the search term “apostolic” might provide links to churches that are not generally associated with NAR, but rather use the word “apostolic” to refer to their conviction that they hold to the teachings of Christ’s original apostles. For this reason—in addition to a church’s use of the word “apostolic”—it’s helpful to look for additional signs of NAR beliefs. View article →

CRN has compiled a list of false teachers and several other professing Christians we’ve warned you about over the years. The list also contains those we must keep an eye on plus movements, organizations and “frauds, phonies and money-grubbing religious quacks” to mark and avoid as per Romans 16:17-18

Research: New Apostolic Reformation

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The Disturbing Legacy of Charles Finney

From Berean Research:

Dr. Michael S. Horton, Member of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals and cohost of the White Horse Inn radio program. penned the exposé on Charles Finney that’s posted over at Monergism:

No single man is more responsible for the distortion of Christian truth in our age than Charles Grandison Finney. His “new measures” created a framework for modern decision theology and Evangelical Revivalism. In this excellent article, Dr. Mike Horton explains how Charles Finney distorted the important doctrine of salvation.

Jerry Falwell calls him “one of my heroes and a hero to many evangelicals, including Billy Graham.” I recall wandering through the Billy Graham Center some years ago, observing the place of honor given to Charles Finney in the evangelical tradition, reinforced by the first class in theology I had at a Christian college, where Finney’s work was required reading. The New York revivalist was the oft-quoted and celebrated champion of the Christian singer Keith Green and the Youth With A Mission organization. He is particularly esteemed among the leaders of the Christian Right and the Christian Left, by both Jerry Falwell and Jim Wallis (Sojourners’ magazine), and his imprint can be seen in movements that appear to be diverse, but in reality are merely heirs to Finney’s legacy. From the Vineyard movement and the Church Growth Movement to the political and social crusades, televangelism, and the Promise Keepers movement, as a former Wheaton College president rather glowingly cheered, “Finney, lives on!”

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It’s Time to Put My Phone in the Other Room

Jen Oshman admits: The more I am online, the more I want to be online. Or, the more I instantly respond to emails and texts, the more driven I feel to instantly respond to every message. It’s like eating sugar—the more I eat, the more my brain demands. Oshman has a plan to distance herself from her phone. She writes:

A recent study shows that our smart phones are actually making us dumber. Apparently, by just having them near us, we are “draining our brains.” Our minds know that our phones hold a wealth of information and distractions and we are unable to be fully present when they are near. Subconsciously we wonder what’s happening within all the apps our phones contain. I have experienced this double-mindedness in both my work and relationships and I want to reign it in.

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Church Cracking Down, Aiming to Use ‘More Inclusive’ Language When Referring to God

Western Journal reports:

The Church of Sweden acted Thursday to urge its clergy to stop using solely masculine references to God by adopting a new handbook governing all forms of worship. The handbook makes significant changes to how priests are encouraged to talk about God.

“We talk about Jesus Christ, but in a few places we have changed it to say ‘God’ instead of ‘he,’” Church of Sweden spokesperson Sofija Pedersen Videke told The U.K. Telegraph. “We have some prayer options that are more gender-neutral than others.”

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How to help indoctrinated cult victims break free

From Berean Research:

Sadly, many people are unaware that they are caught up in a cult.  This piece over at Faith After Deception is about how we can help those who are in a cult face the truth about their organization. It is a fact that hypnosis and other manipulative techniques are very effectively used to influence people’s thinking.  The result is that more and more people have become susceptible to charismatic figures such as we find in the Word of Faith and New Apostolic Reformation cults. This piece offers ways that will help get indoctrinated people to think critically.

SEE OUR WHITE PAPERS ON MORMONISM AND JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES

Cults are fueled by fear, shame and secrecy. Members are taught to set their sights on a future existence on a paradise earth or in heaven, and forced to give up all hopes of true joy or fulfillment in this life.  They must resign themselves to boredom, drudgery and self-discipline, which is often accompanied by feelings of emptiness and dread.  They are forced to fake a smile and to find the energy to put on a “positive face” in order to prove to outsiders that they are walking the “one, true path” to salvation.

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The Test Of Faith

Here is a trustworthy saying: If we died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him. If we disown him, he will also disown us; if we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he cannot disown himself (2 Timothy 2:11-13).

In God’s sight, there is always a direct link between the difficulties we may have as believers here and the joy and glory that wait beyond. If we endure, we will also reign with him. It is wrong to understand those verses as though they mean that by your suffering and your enduring hardship you win the right to a crown. That is never the case in the Scriptures. We do not win a reward; we do not merit anything from God ever; no faithful service puts God in our debt and obliges Him to give us a reward.

What these verses are saying is that this is a test of the reality of our faith. If we really are Christ’s, if He has genuinely come to dwell within us, that fact will always manifest itself by our willingness to suffer with Him; to give up some things for Christ’s sake; to resolutely set ourselves against the allurements and temptations of this age and live a different lifestyle. That is the manifestation of true Christian life. If we have these genuine desires to live for Christ, of course it is absolutely certain that we shall share with Him because we belong to Him. View article →

Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers

In 2014 the late Ken Silva of Apprising Ministries penned a piece that addressed the growing apostasy and syncretism within the mainstream of evangelicalism. He wrote:

Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? (2 Corinthians 6:14-15)

So What Does A Believer Have In Common With An Unbeliever?

Well, this would seem clear enough; but unfortunately, not so today e.g. because evangelicalism made the fateful decision to embrace the apostate and sinfully ecumenical neo-liberal cult of the Emergent Church aka the Emerging Church—with its “big tent” Progressive Christianity aka Emergence Christianity. This is the root reason why we’re witnessing such syncretism within the mainstream right now.

The tragic fact is that the EC brought in its core doctrine of anti-biblical Contemplative Spirituality/Mysticism and spread it throughout the younger sectors of the evangelism. Then in On Contemplative Spirituality and Charismania I showed you the further progression away from sola Scriptura currently going on throughout the heart of the church visible.

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Matt Chandler’s Concerning Spiritual Teachings, Experiences, and Practices on Sign Gifts

This is a follow-up to Is Not Satire’s recent post Matt Chandler Appears to Affirm White Light Experience of Appearance of Jesus to Woman:

Matt Chandler is teaching and practicing some things that are concerning to many in the Reformed camp. Below are seven things you’ll see in the first video.

  1. Says that after a random guy blew on his head the effectiveness of his ministry increased.
  2. He affirms and promotes a testimony from a woman who claims she saw a bright white light in her room and perceived it as an appearance of Jesus
  3. Describes an experience where he asked God for direct revelation and was given an impression of a guy at a Whataburger.

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How To Fight

Fight the good fight of the faith… In the sight of God who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession… (1 Timothy 6:12a, 13).

Nothing will help to steel you more for the fight than the vision of God. This is what Paul sets before Timothy. Notice the encouraging things here. First, God is the giver of life.

Do you sometimes feel beaten and dejected, buffeted by more things than you can handle, at the end of your strength? What you need is renewed vigor, vitality, and strength, and that is what you get when you turn to your God and see Him there with you to infuse strength and vitality back into you again. This is the part that prayer plays in our lives. We all have experienced the infusion of new strength and courage from God when we have turned to Him in prayer in a moment of pressure. God is given to us that we might not lose heart when the times of discouragement come. Turn to him as the author of life. View article →

Matt Chandler Appears to Affirm Bright White Light Appearance of Jesus to Woman

If the woman’s testimony is real, should it be given so much prominence by highly regarded New Calvinist pastor Matt Chandler? Moreover, “Should it be leading a sermon, and possibly be perceived as normative Christianity?” Is Not Satire responds:

Matt Chandler of The Village Church appears to affirm and promote a testimony of a woman who claims her room lit up with a bright white light as an appearance of Jesus.

On November 13, 2017 The Village Church uploaded a sermon video to their Youtube channel. The sermon includes a testimony from a woman who claims she saw her room light up with a bright white light and she knew Jesus was there.

The mere mention of this experience may raise a disqualifying red flag for some, and others would seek to consider the context and situation before making a conclusion.

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Washington’s Thanksgiving Proclamation Made 16 References to God; Trump’s, 6; Obama’s, 1

CNSNews has the story:

In the first proclamation declaring a national day of Thanksgiving, in 1789, President George Washington referenced God 16 times. For comparison, President Donald Trump referenced God 6 times in his recent proclamation, and back in 2016, his last year in office, then-President Barack Obama referenced God once.

In his Oct. 3, 1789 proclamation, President Washington declared November 26, 1789 “to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be….”

President Washington, the “father” of our country, further spoke of the “duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor….”

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Paula White Says You Complete the Bible

Paula White, who claims to have led Donald Trump to Christ, is also the president’s spiritual adviser. Pulpit & Pen News alerts us to the latest false teaching coming from the popular prosperity pastrix:

There’s no reason a Continuationist wouldn’t believe Paula White’s tweet to be at least credible. Continuationism – the doctrine that undergrids all charismaticism, holds that God is still delivering divine revelation. Although Third Wave charismatics – like John Piper and Wayne Grudem – argue that modern prophecy is not Scripture-level authoritative, it’s a suggestion that is Scripturally untenable. God doesn’t speak both fallibly and infallibility, and the infallible communication of prophecy has always been a benchmark of its divine authenticity (Deuteronomy 18:15-22).

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More discerning voices calling out Michael Brown and Carl Lentz

From Churchwatch Central:

The Vigilant Christian and Paul Flynn (Megiddo Radio) are two more of the many voices calling out the deception and ‘doublespeak’ of Carl Lentz.

The Vigilante Christian (VC) recently reported that the hosts on ‘The View’ had this observation about Hillsong:

“Hillsong is seen as “hip” and “progressive” church that is drawing huge millennial crowds but it is “still” evangelical. So where do you stand on social issues that young people are particularly interested in like gay marriage, abortion…”

The VC observed the following:

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100 Most Influential Evangelicals in America

Popular news blog Newsmax has come up with a list of the top 100 most influential evangelicals in America. Not surprisingly the list includes a large number of wolves in sheep’s clothing. A few examples of those who made the list ate Joel Osteen, Rick Warren, Joyce Meyer and — are you ready for this? Roman Catholic mystics Roma Downey and Mark Burnett. The top 100 are certainly influential, but evangelicals many of them are not. In fact, a lot of the influencers are not even true Christians, by a long shot. Mark Driscoll, Tullian Tchividjian and Perry Noble are absent from this year’s list.

Evangelicals come from many different Christian denominations, but they all have a common belief in the holiness of scripture and the centrality of faith in Jesus Christ for their lives.

The Pew Research Center estimates that about 25.4 percent of Americans, or about 62 million adults, are evangelicals.

The evangelical faith of these prominent Americans has shaped their lives and influenced their politics, morality, and careers, as well as their personal lives.

This Newsmax list of the 100 Most Influential Evangelicals in America includes pastors, teachers, politicians, athletes, and entertainers — men and women from all walks of life whose faith leads them to live differently and to help others in a variety of ways.

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Beth Moore Draws Parallels Between Noah’s Ark and Your Cell Phone Addiction

Pulpit & Pen News examines a recent tweet of Beth Moore’s:

Again proving herself unable to exposit Holy Scripture in the most fundamental or elementary way, Beth Moore drew ire on Twitter for allegorizing the story of Noah’s Ark to mean something about…well, something. It didn’t make much sense.

For kicks and grins, let’s list the things wrong with this tweet…

  1. Noah wasn’t in the ark because he had an instinct. He was in the ark because God promised him he was going to destroy the world with a giant, global flood that was going to drown everyone (Genesis 6:14).

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Transhumanism And The Imagination

From Berean Research:

C. S. Carmichael of Sacred Sandwich has written an exposé on Transhumanism that is an important read.  Carmichael gives the definition right off the bat (so we won’t) and reveals the reasons we should feel uneasy about some of the things science has accomplished in the field of artificial intelligence.  It is mind blowing stuff, brethren.  He begins with Scripture:

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord. – Isaiah 55:8

“You thought that I was just like you; I will reprove you and state the case in order before your eyes.” – Yahweh, Psalm 50:21

“Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man…” – Paul, Romans 1:22-23

Since many people in America today, including some Christians, clamor for all things fantastical in their personal search for augmented meaning, instead of resting in God’s pure word and the attending Holy Spirit to guide their spiritual understanding, it would be prudent for thoughtful believers to consider this current pathway of metaphysical delights, its brash direction, and where it will eventually end. Indeed, the signposts on this broad road have already been erected, if only Christians enthralled with inventive speculations would stop and see the illumined markers of its ultimate destination: Transhumanism.

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Why Evangelicals Are Still Backing Roy Moore

Boston Globe has the story:

Allegations that Roy Moore sexually assaulted teenage girls decades ago have turned many Republicans against their party’s Senate candidate in Alabama, but one bloc of conservative leaders is standing by their man: evangelicals.

It is the latest example of a shift in attitude among Christian conservatives, who polls show are increasingly willing to overlook sexual misbehavior if a political leader is firmly committed to opposing abortion, gay marriage, and transgender rights.

In today’s hyperpartisan environment, ideology trumps personal transgressions for these religious leaders, who years ago called on President Clinton to resign over his liaisons with White House intern Monica Lewinsky.

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Evangelical Republican lawmaker resigns after being caught having sex with another man in his office

According to Wisconsin Gazette:

An Ohio state lawmaker who won his office with strong support from the religious right has resigned after being caught having “inappropriate conduct with another man” in his official office.

State Rep. Wes Goodman, 33, was a rising star among evangelical Christian voters. He opposed same-sex marriage and a woman’s right to choose whether to give birth.

He’s married and has a daughter.

Hillsong’s Carl Lentz Tells Christians Labeling Him a Coward: ‘You and I Know a Different Jesus’

From Berean Research:

“Hillsong is seen as this hip, progressive church that’s drawn huge millennial crowds, but it’s still evangelical,” co-host of “The View” Sara Haines stated to Cark Lentz. “So, where do you stand on social issues that young people are particularly passionate about, like gay marriage [and] abortion? Like, how do you address those types of things?” His response:  “God is the judge.” Lenz went on to say that he’d prefer to know a person’s name and beliefs before making a determination as to whether or not they have sinned.  Christians reacted with anger about the way in which Carl Lentz represented Christ and His church. When given an opportunity to contend earnestly for the Christian faith (Jude 1:3) he failed miserably. Some called him a coward.

Well, the pastor took umbrage at all the criticism he was receiving and responded by saying that Christians who have issues with his comments follow a different Jesus.

Churchwatch Central, a blog that has reported on Hillsong Church for a number of years, makes the case that it is actually Hillsong that follows a very…different…Jesus.  Now listen as CWC presents the evidence:

Celebrity pastor Carl Lentz with his pal “bad boy” mega star Justin Bieber

Brian Houston says that Hillsong started with his father Frank Houston back in 1977, known then as Christian Life Center. In 2014, a Royal Commission discovered that the founder Frank Houston was a serial pedophile and had his crimes covered up by his son, Brian Houston from as early as 1999 (see evidence of Royal Commission Case 18 – specifically Brian Houston’s correspondence with Barbara Taylor, AOG Executive and victim AHA).

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Black and Hispanic Democrats Break from Whites on Transgender Beliefs

According to CNSNews:

In its latest poll, Pew surveyed on transgenderism views of a nationally representative panel of randomly selected 4,573 U.S. adults recruited from landline and cellphone random-digit-dial (RDD) surveys between Aug. 8 and Sept. 28, 2017.

A majority (54%) of all Americans said that whether a person is a man or a woman is determined by “the sex they were assigned at birth,” while 44% said “it can be different.”

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Former Google Exec Says Artificial Intelligence is ‘God,’ Creates New Religion

The following story from CBN News is posted for informational and research purposes and not as an endorsement of the site.

Artificial intelligence is already disrupting employment, recreation, the economy–and now religion.

A former Google executive is so inspired by artificial intelligence, that he’s creating its first church. Anthony Levandowski says AI should be seen as a God because it’s smarter than any human being.

“It’s not a god in the sense that it makes lightning or causes hurricanes. But if there is something a billion times smarter than the smartest human, what else are you going to call it,” Levandowski told Wired.

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