May 35 min read

Scripture, and the Philosophy of Emerging Technologies.

“What is that!” the startled Roel pointed as he fled from the larger-than-life cat that appeared and lunged at them without warning! Tom turned to look, “Ah! Do not worry. That is only an advertising billboard.” The giant cat receded, and the advertised product appeared. “With a combination of digital technologies, marketers use 3-dimensional Augmented Reality digital images and videos to attract and engage the public to their brand products. It is only as marketing tool,” Tom explained. Phew! “That looks so real,” Roel exhaled as he walked back to join his friend. This happened one morning, as the friends walked along the street towards the restaurant. Roel had travelled as a tourist, to visit his friend Tom.

“It would be a mistake to miss out on the many opportunities emerging technologies present,” Roel was mesmerized by the surrounding technological innovations. “What do you mean?” Tom asked, stopping in front of a Vending machine with his debit card. No one paid attention to the self-service Automated Teller Machines banking outlets standing nearby. This is a cashless society. Two cans of cold drinks appeared. “It is important to understand the philosophy of emerging technologies, including types, origin, purpose, social impact, and future. This knowledge will help the forces of good close the gap, in the struggle to exploit technologies evil seem to be winning. Parents, for example, are more likely to be concerned if their children are browsing the internet unsupervised.” Roel pulled back the tab to open the can. Tom agreed, “Technology, the application of scientific knowledge for practical purposes, is like the sun and rain: It shines and falls on the good and evil equally, and without discrimination or judgment. No technology is bad in itself, it is what men choose to do with it that defines good and evil technology in the world.” (1)

Tom began pointing out some types of technologies: Cutting-edge Artificial Intelligence providing digital assistance that make life easy for owners of supermarkets and shops of all kinds. Drones flying past above, using satellite Global Positioning Systems to locate buyers ordering products with faster and higher connectivity 5G internet and an array of wireless computers and smartphone devices. Many times, while enjoying Digital Multimedia Broadcast from radio and television devices. Internet of Things everywhere, as electronic devises communicate with each other by sharing data via Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. Renewable Energy, complemented by photo-voltaic solar panels, supplied electricity that lit the high-rise buildings with bright colorful lights. Everywhere you look, Digital Printing and Marketing technology, with scannable laser barcoding, were on full display. A computerized Blockchain Trading Platform displayed records of commodities and currencies like cryptocurrency transactions: Inviting potential traders to explore simpler, cheaper, and more transparent trading in preferred sector of the economy. Only God knows what other technologies are operating away from public view: Technologies like Brain-machine interface for analyzing brain signals: Cloud computing to manage data on remote servers, and monitor devices for quantum computing solutions and storage: And Genomics for mapping genomes or DNA. No doubt, Facial-recognition technology using a network of cameras and computers, are mapping to identify the faces of everyone walking on the street.

Technological advancement began in the early Chalcolithic Age, circa 4500 – 3500 BC, when humans first discovered copper: This brought major changes in economy, craft, and trade. Then followed the Bronze Age, circa 2000 – 700 BC, when development advanced to making metallic tools and weaponries used for urban development. The Iron Age, circa 1200 – 600 BC, followed with the discovery of steel by heating iron and carbon together. Fabrication of more advanced tools and weapons brought increased wars, the rise of Roman conquests in the first century, and cultural decline. (2) Then followed the Middle or Dark Ages, circa 476 – 1450 AD, when the Printing press, gunpowder, and new navigational tools were invented. This brought a dramatic expansion in commercial activities and world trade. Then came the Modern Age that began circa 1500 AD, with phases of industrial growth until digital technologies that continue to revolutionize how humans live and work. (3) The Holy Spirit reveals that God in heaven is the Originator of technological advancements since the creation of mankind. The purpose, why God gave technologies is to make life and work easy and more productive for everyone: And for the salvation and healing of the world.

Imagine the social impact of technological advances in transportation and communications alone! Disobedience and lack of faith in God made the Israelites wander in the desert for 40 years. However, that journey of 613km from Egypt to Canaan, circa 1446-1406 BC, normally takes 40 days to travel on foot and 11 days by Caravan of Camels: Would today, take 6 hours by car and 1 hour by airplane. (4) Since the middle 20th century, mass communication has expanded incredibly. Surface mails, for example, that took weeks and months to arrive by train or ship, today takes seconds to and from any part of the world. The Holy Spirit further reveals that greater technologies are coming! Imagine a future world where people can write not just the letters of the word, but the spirit of it! When flat screens and distant voices give way to Holographic technology where people can communicate and interact with 3-D representation of people and objects as if they were right there with you! What a wonder of the ages, technology is.

As the two friends entered the restaurant, Roel wondered about the space-age Public Toilets he had seen on the way. Clean toilets with foldable seats to provide more space. The transparent see-through glass walls turned opaque to provide privacy once the user enters and locks the door. They had just taken their seats when the Robotic waiter arrived to take their order! It soon returned with delicious food for the hungry men. Roel gaped, as Tom smiled to himself.

The good in emerging technologies, is in achieving the purpose for which God gave them: Or else it is evil. Achieving the first purpose to make life easy and more productive for everyone is a service to humanity, that makes inventors of the technologies great in society. However, achieving the second purpose of technology to save and heal the nations, is where the primordial struggle between good and evil becomes starkly evident. If evil appears to be ahead in this struggle for the souls of people, it is because the opposition exploit types of technologies with reward for contents that train the world to forget God’s laws. (5) It is here that the opportunity for good in the world, presents itself clearly.

The forces of good that are sons of God, must push to ‘Turn on the Light’ in this dark world. Do this, by exploiting all types of technologies to engage the world with enhanced marketable contents and products of God’s holy by righteous character, contained in The One Gospel Scripture. In the end, not only will evil discover they wasted their time all along: But the good will have saved and healed multitudes and built the kind of people and world God in heaven is looking for. By playing a role to support the mass production and distribution of this first-time Scripture, you prove that together, we can.