Jack’s Winning Words 12/9/14
“Artificial Intelligence (AI) would spell the end of the human race.”  (Stephen Hawking)  Hawking, who relies on AI to help him communicate, may have a point here, but, as an atheist, he leaves God out of the equation.  If there is no God, he could be right.  If there is a God, then the end of the human race, the end of the world, is not in our hands.  Apocalyptic predictions pre-date even Biblical ones.  “No one knows the day or the hour” satisfies me.    ;-)  Jack

FROM SHARIN' SHARON:  We've been in Iowa visiting my mother-in-law, in a nursing home under hospice care with cancer. I'm just satisfied that medical intelligence doesn't spell the end of her life--her life is in God's hands and the prayerful faith of human beings but never dictated by any of us, only God's wisdom. Tomorrow morning we get on the Amtrak back to Detroit. It's been a blessing to visit her and other family.====JACK:  For some of us, leaving God out of the picture would create a terrible void.  For those want to "erase" the concept of God, there's an old song...
There's an old fashioned church around the corner Where the people all gathered one day. The parson was preaching a sermon for a poor soul who had just passed away. 'twas the same wayward girl from the Bowery Who had da-da-da-da-da-da-dum. She is more to be pitied than censured she is more to be loved than despised. She is only a lassie who ventured On life's stormy path ill-advised. Do not scorn her with words fierce and bitter Do not laugh at her shame and downfall For a moment please stop and consider That a man was the cause of it all.

 FROM TAMPA SHIRL:  A lot of people leave God out of life. I just heard that Hollywood has left Him out of Unbroken, one of my favorite books.====JACK:  Why must we try to improve on the "real" thing?

FROM BB IN ILLINOIS:  Always interesting, especially since AI has been a course of study for IT specialists for years.  Wonder what the context was when he made that statement/  Have you seen the film about Hawking’s life?  I have not but plan to get there.====JACK:  What is it that makes Hawking's life worth a movie...His Brain?  His ALS?  His life years?  Would your life (or mine) be worth seeing on the screen?  Who would play "you"?

FROM BLAZING OAKS:  Some of Hawking's statements, however, seem to leave the door open to the possibility of a "Master Mind" involving all the span of endless space which we now know exists.  Two books I just studied "God's Universe" (Owen Gingerich) and "The Language of God" (Francis Collins) refer to him, in their arguments for the logic of believing in God. Of course when push comes to shove, we have to believe...proof one way or the other is not possible; At least so far!!   I don't  quite understand why AI would be the end of the human race. (i guess I don't have Hawking's "smarts".)  I can certainly see how Nuclear Bombs could be!====JACK:  It's interesting that we humans speculate on the "end of the world" and "heave", when, in reality, "Eye hath not seen etc"...you know the rest of the quote.

FROM IKE AT THE MIC:  In my opinion, I find  the term "artificial intelligence", self-explanatory whether you're an atheist or not. The term artificial signifies that's it's not REAL intelligence.  It is impossible that the human race can ever end, it is the beginning or origin that " being " is disputed by atheists, agnostics & religion.====JACK:  I read recently that another "human race" cannot exist in the universe because of all the mutations that have gone into the evolvement of the current one.  I suppose the same thing can be said about an individual, except for the possibility of cloning.

FROM THE MAYOR:  I am totally with you on this one Pastor!  Amen!====JACK:  No artificial intelligence on your part. 

FROM TRIHARDER:  If you watch his bio-pic, "The Answer to Everything", it is not clear that he is a devout atheist.  It seems that he leaves room for G-d in the universe.====JACK:  I suppose Hawking is like most of us, in the sense that our beliefs (at least the nuances) are subject to change.  To say, "I am an atheist," needs further explanation today, compared with yesterday.====TH:  Yes, you're probably right. I laugh because many atheists believe in the power of Yoga. Or their becoming Buddhists.  I love fads. Like gluten-free. It provides me with a lot of silent entertainment.  "I am an atheist," needs further explanation today, compared with yesterday.

FROM MICHIZONA RAY:  There is no such thing as "artificial intelligence" to begin with...saving much time from attempting to manipulate our thoughts to fit a square peg into a round hole. ====JACK:  Philosophers continue to have differing opinions about whether or not the "real" is real."

FROM HONEST JOHN:  There seems to be room in Hawking's Universe(s) but not as the Creator.    To me, that is an intriguing thought.   The scriptures seem to know God more as a Redeemer than as a Creator.  Has Hawking hit on something here?====JACK:  Hawking is entitled to his opinion, just as you and I are entitled to ours.  What makes one of them right, and the other wrong, or is there neither right nor wrong?  I'd like to listen in on a debate between you and Stephen.

FROM FACEBOOK LIZ:  i love when "smart" people are atheists. boom! the world appeared out of nowhere!  & they snicker at those who believe in god...hawking should have died years ago from als, but mr smart guy doesn't believe in miracles, has all the answers.====JACK:  Does his ALS cause people to listen more favorably to Hawking's opinions?  If he were Stephen without the disease, would we be discussing what he believes?

FROM PAUL IN ST. PAUL:  Jack, have you read A Letter to a Christian Nation by avowed atheist Sam Harris?  while i don't agree with his atheism (obviously) he does make some good points in general about religion.  some of the lunacy of Islam, forced celibacy and no birth control in the Roman Catholic Church, etc.  its a fast read but rather provocative to say the least.====JACK:  I note that you refer to some of the lunacy of Islam and Catholicism...and have neglected to cite any lunacy connected with Lutheranism.

FROM DS IN SAN DIEGO: Jack....that is SO right-on.  Frankly, I am insulted when I hear people say Republicans voted against Obama because he was black.  I do know people that would have done so, but I know just as many that voted FOR him "because" he was black.  Each of those are racist in my opinion.  I grew up with a number of "negro" guys (as you know).....Anders, Pollard & Kelso boys come to mind....and they were some of my best friends.  I frankly never looked at them as any different than I was, even though I came to learn that my parents were somewhat prejudiced.  I am glad that prejudice did not sink in to me.  I hope you have a wonderful Advent season and that Christmas will be its usual blessed event.  Your old friend, (who misses those old days)====JACK:  There was a girl in my 6th Grade class, Bessie Mae Coleman, whose father was the pastor of an  AME (African American Episcopal) Church.  She was really smart.  It wasn't until later in life that I learned that there was another Bessie Mae Coleman who was the first American female pilot of African American descent.  She died at about the same time the Bessie Mae in my class was born.  I can imagine that her parents named her after that pioneer pilot.