What if the Anti-Christ was not a person at all?

[Smalcald]

The 2nd beast has power to make the image of the first beast speak. The images that speaks need not be cast into the lake of fire (if it is an image, not a being) but the beast and the false prophet are cast into the lake of fire. There is nothing in the scriptures that prevents the beast from using any kind of system, including higher technology.

The bible does not specifically mention nukes either, but they are a fact in our world, and the beast will use 'em if it has 'em, I think.

No one on here has said that the Anti-Christ will not use computers. What we have said is he is not a computer. I am using a computer at the moment, but I am not a computer.

Right.

But I think we need to look into the future a little. When does a human essence become a computer? For example they are looking right now at ways to mimic some organs with computing technology. They could very well end up mimicking a brain. If a human had a transplanted computer as a brain, would they even be human? How about a cloned human, who will no doubt be here soon. Or how about cloned body parts combined with computing hardware. They are also looking at capturing your memories and the essence of your mind, prior to death and downloading that information into a computer, is that computer a person? So you see I think this is important.

The computers we are speaking of will look and act like human beings. We must be ready. It also feeds into why we must oppose things like cloning and embryonic stem cell research (which requires cloning to work).

Someone called for scripture. Well we know that the anti-Christ will have these sorts of powers, combine that ability with an ability to know and digitize every single living human, in one person

[AnotherTraveler]

A strange blending of technologies might be from the prosthetic advances and other computing technologies. They have now made artificial limbs that move when someone THINKS about moving it.

http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/03/22/btsc.oppenheim.bionic/

[forrestkc]

Well, I'm not going to say any of you are wrong. What do I know?

But I will disagree with the whole anti-christ being a computer thing.

A computer cannot do anything evil. A computer cannot do anything...at least not without us.

We make the computer do what we want it to do.

We log on to Worthy Boards...or we look at porn.

The computer doesn't show us porn...we look it up.

Could a computer get to a point to where it thinks for itself? Who knows.

But could a computer knowlingly do something evil? No.

Computers have no sense of right and wrong. So it would not see the difference. It would just do something. A computer wouldn't want to become powerful or rich. How would these things benefit a computer? A computer can only be as powerful or rich as WE make it.

I'm sorry, but I don't see scripture supporting this. Yes you can say everything is figurative, but I don't see that as being true. When studying the Bible, you must take everything literally unless common sense tells you otherwise.

It just sounds so....so.... unlikely. But once again, what do I know?

I certainly don't think that everything in the Bible is figurative, but its obvious that much of prophecy is.

As to your other points, primitive artificial intelligence already exists in many applications today. If within 30 years, this advanced a great deal, and we figured how intelligence basically works, thus built computers that could learn and infer things, then those computers could eventually conceive of things on their own, including ethics.

[nebula]

From having studied the brain in Anatomy & Physiology, I can say we confidence that we are a long way from even fully understanding the brain. There are even areas of the brain that we don't know what they are for.

So, forgive me for my skepticism of science recreating the human brain any time in the forseeable future.

[Arthur Durnan]

Re Antichrist in Matthew 24: he will be a REAL person according to Holy Writ itself. Check Matthew 24:15. Although in the original text, the noun, "abomination" is of the neuter gender (Greek, to bdelygma), its dependent participle, "standing" is NOT neuter but MASCULINE in form (hestekota, accusative neuter). The Revised Version marks this vital point by rendering it: "Standing where HE ought not." Also Mark 13:14. The Bible is the best commentary on the Bible. AMEN!

http://arthurdurnan.freeyellow.com

[forrestkc]

From having studied the brain in Anatomy & Physiology, I can say we confidence that we are a long way from even fully understanding the brain. There are even areas of the brain that we don't know what they are for.

So, forgive me for my skepticism of science recreating the human brain any time in the forseeable future.

Artificial intelligence does not depend on recreating the human brain. In stead, its more of being advanced enough in evolutionary psychology to know how animals develop the basic capacity to think and learn. From then on, the computer would be thinking and learning and then as a result building a greater capacity to think and learn bigger things.

[eric]

Forrestkc,

for someone who is, by your own words, is not interested in eschatology and end times, you are making a lot of effort trying to push your computer theory.

People say that tv is evil and internet is evil. If it hadn't been for tv I wouldn't have a pc. and if I didn't have my pc I wouldn't know as much as I do about the bible as I do now, which isn't as much as some on this board but more than a lot.

[nebula]

Artificial intelligence does not depend on recreating the human brain. In stead, its more of being advanced enough in evolutionary psychology to know how animals develop the basic capacity to think and learn. From then on, the computer would be thinking and learning and then as a result building a greater capacity to think and learn bigger things.

Even animals have a will and emotions. Any pet owner can tell you that. Any farmer can tell you that.

Some robots have been given a small measure of thinking/adapting capacity, it is true. But the ability to make choices based on will and emotions? That's a far cry step.

[nebula]

Forrestkc,

for someone who is, by your own words, is not interested in eschatology and end times, you are making a lot of effort trying to push your computer theory.

People say that tv is evil and internet is evil. If it hadn't been for tv I wouldn't have a pc. and if I didn't have my pc I wouldn't know as much as I do about the bible as I do now, which isn't as much as some on this board but more than a lot.

Good point.

Why are we arguing this?

[eric]

search me Neb, I have no idea