In this age of rapid digital innovation, we encounter proposals that aim to fill profound voids in the human soul. Recently, news has emerged about companies offering artificial intelligence services that simulate conversations with spiritual figures, including Jesus. This invites us to reflect pastorally on how we approach our thirst for God in the digital era.
As a Christian community, we recognize that technology can be a valuable tool for spreading the Gospel and connecting believers. Pope Leo XIV himself, in his first addresses following his election in May 2025, has emphasized the importance of using digital media with wisdom and discernment. However, when technology attempts to replace authentic relationships or genuine spiritual experiences, we must pause to consider what we are truly seeking.
God's Word reminds us in Jeremiah 29:13:
"You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart" (NIV).This verse speaks of a personal, relational search that involves our whole being—not just automated responses or algorithmic simulations.
The Danger of Reducing the Sacred to Algorithms
When commercial enterprises offer "conversations" with representations of Jesus Christ through artificial intelligence, there is a risk of trivializing the sacred. The Christian faith is founded on a living relationship with God through Christ, not on programmed interactions or predictable responses generated by machines.
Jesus himself taught the importance of authenticity in our relationship with God. In John 4:23-24 we read:
"Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth" (NIV).Worshiping "in the Spirit and in truth" implies a genuine connection that transcends any technological simulation.
As an ecumenical community at EncuentraIglesias.com, we value dialogue between faith and technology, while always maintaining clarity that no digital tool can replace:
- The real presence of Christ in the Eucharist (for traditions that celebrate it)
- The guidance of the Holy Spirit in personal life
- The community of faith that accompanies and sustains
- Prayerful reading of Scripture
- Personalized pastoral guidance
Digital Mission with Spiritual Integrity
Rather than seeking technological shortcuts for our spiritual lives, we are called to cultivate an authentic relationship with God that can then be expressed digitally with integrity. Christian mission in the digital world does not consist of creating artificial substitutes, but of using available tools to facilitate genuine encounters with the living God.
Let us remember Paul's words in Romans 10:14-15:
"How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: 'How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!'" (NIV).The preaching of the Gospel requires human messengers filled with the Spirit, not mere transmitters of information.
In our "Faith and Life" section, we promote the use of technology that:
- Respects the dignity of the human person created in God's image
- Fosters real communities of faith and mutual support
- Facilitates access to authentic spiritual resources
- Protects against commercialism in matters of faith
- Maintains balance between virtual and in-person connections
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