Why Pray to the Real Jesus?

Do you desire a more interactive savior? When you talk to Jesus do you need immediate feedback? You're in luck. Rather than praying to the REAL Jesus you can now talk directly to Virtual Jesus (VJ). According to VJ's website:

"Soon over 2.1 billion Christians worldwide will be able to have private, verbal conversations with virtual Jesus from any phone, anytime, anywhere on a daily basis. TalkToJesus will use advanced speech and AI technology to enable millions to develop a personal, lasting relationship with the Lord–in a whole new way.

Jesus will have a soothing, caring and inspiring voice. He will learn your name and address you personally. He will get to know you and develop a personal relationship with you."

So let's see here. We now have 2 options. We can either use the 'tradional' method (prayer) of building a relationship with Jesus or we can have an immediate interactive 'relationship' with Virtual Jesus.

VJ is NOT the REAL Jesus. VJ is a computer program. Oddly enough the REAL Jesus warned us about VJ. Here is what the REAL Jesus said about the last days:

Matthew 24:21 And then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘Look, there he is!’ do not believe it. 22 False christs and false prophets will arise...

Comments

[Robert]

Well, come on. Lighten up a bit. It's software. have you used it? How do you know it's not done in good tast? And who knows, it could be a useful tool to keep Christian's interested in Jesus and the Bible, especially the tech savvy youth.

[Jason]

Robert - you are joking right?? how on earth can you defend this?! Saying that Virtual Jesus will keep Christian's interested in Jesus and the Bible is like saying that calling a Virtual Phone Sex Company will keep me interested in my wife!!!

We don't need to lighten up. You need to wake up!!

[Pattison]

Jason:

Amen and Amen!

[Pastor Frank]

VJ would be funny if it were not so pathetic. How far we've sunk from the days of the Book of Acts of the Apostles when the early church sought holy living and a SEPARATE worldview from the pagan culture around it.

[Karen]

"a personal, lasting relationship with the Lord" ?
Who are they kidding?
Are people really that gullible?

sigh.

Is this happening partly because we're not getting out there and telling people about the real Jesus?

[Rita Martinez]

This is SO not funny and Robert i'm hoping you were being sarcastic.

[Rhonda]

Virtual Jesus? That is REALLY scary! BTW, I love this site.

[shma]

We are getting ready for the anti-christ big time. This is just wrong!

[Adam]

Issues I have with ploys like these:

1. The focus of seeking Christ is supposed to be seeing Christ and focusing on Him and the grace He freely bestows to me to find joy, not me and my wants and immediate feedback.

2. There's something to be said for patience and perseverance through trials (Rom 5:3-4 and 2 Cor 12:7-10). Also, as is Psalm 10:1, sometimes God appears to stand far away from us. This isn't Him forsaking us, but rather it's for the benefit of the believer that without Christ, we realize how unstable we are and how much we depend on Him. With this stupid phone thing, it's always there and talking, though more importantly it could never suffice for the real Christ.

3. I consider it an essential part of the Christian walk to have to put some effort into seeking out Christ, rather than just sitting on one's lazy derrier. If you're not willing to put in any effort, why should you then grow closer to Christ?

4. Does an AI care when you cry and plead on your knees, when you feel you hang at the edge of despair? Christ does.

5. Bluntly (or obviously :P), this is an idol; it's something that's supposed to take the place of Christ. Reference Ex 20:4-6 if that's doesn't seem like a problem to you. Also see point 8.

6. I've studied AI theory and... AI are stupid. Period. An atheist could probably do a better job than an AI, so where is a true Christian supposed to find appeal in this?

7. How many people outside of modernized civilization does this effort extend to?

8. Most importantly, NO ONE takes the place of Jesus Christ. No one else has given up the glory of heaven to become a man, no one else has lived a perfect and sinless life, no one else has given that perfect and sinless life upon the cross so they could bear my sins and pay my due penalty, no one else conquered death, rose of their own accord and now sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty, and no one else has nor can offer to impute a saving righteousness to me. Jesus, and only Jesus can fulfill that role.

I could add more, but it's probably safest to stop ranting before overstepping my bounds.

[Mike Sheeran]

Here's my point by point answer to them.

1. “A history changing event is about to occur. Soon over 2.1 billion Christians worldwide will be able to have private, verbal conversations with virtual Jesus from any phone, anytime, anywhere on a daily basis.”

There is nothing history changing about this. Any Christian worth his or her salt knows that we have been able to talk to Jesus for free anytime we want to. And we don’t even need a phone.
If you know anything about the Christian faith, you already should know we don’t need a phone to talk to Jesus. He’s always available-24/7 even if you’re in a hard-to-reach area.
O, I see you said VIRTUAL Jesus. Is there something wrong with the Real One that He needs a little help? Careful…

2. “TalkToJesus uses advanced speech and AI technology to help millions connect with God personally and hear the Bible read interactively like never before.”

Interesting. In your disclaimer (the small print that almost nobody notices) you say that your techno-Jesus is not the real Jesus. But in your ad you say you’re, “helping millions connect with God…” OK, which is it?
Incidentally, the Real Jesus has already found a way to help millions connect with God.
‘But the Comforter, which is the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.’
John 14:26.
You see, we don’t need any help to connect with God. We already have the Holy Spirit.

3. “TalkToJesus will be a personal tool to help those in need.”

How so? Are you going to read soothing Scriptures in a soothing voice of whoever you select to portray virtual Jesus? Are you going to keep those Scriptures in context? And what will you say to the homosexual when that lifestyle is condemned repeatedly throughout Scripture? Will he get the same soothing voice that tells him he can live like that?

4. “TTJ will have a soothing, caring and inspiring voice. He will learn your name and address you personally.”
Fascinating. But the REAL Jesus already knows my name. He doesn’t need to learn it. And the REAL Jesus also knows how many hairs are on my head and a lot more things about me. Checkmate.

5. “He will read from the Bible, listen to sins and console.”

Will He read things in context? Will he also read from the Mormon Bible or the Jehovah’s Witnesses one? How about the Koran? Will your techno-Jesus speak with authority? And what about listening to sins? Are those conversations recorded? And can hackers listen in? As for the REAL Jesus, I can tell Him whatever is on my heart (and He already knows that better than I do) and there’s not a single hacker in all the universe who can hack in to that conversation. As for console, His Word gives me all the consoling I need.

6. “Jesus will pray with you interactively, and you will be able to ask Jesus numerous theological questions.”

He will pray with me? Does that mean I pray TO this pc board thing? Far more advanced than a golden calf, I’ll admit. Speaking of cows, I suppose you’re using this gizmo to milk Christians of their money.

7. “TalkToJesus will educate, guide, console, forgive and more.”

Your techno-Jesus will educate? What can he teach me that I can’t learn from the Scriptures seeking the assistance of the Holy Spirit? Guide? More like guide me into iniquity. Any substitute for the REAL Jesus is idolatry. You can disclaim that all you want, but I don’t think disclaimers saved those guys that made the golden calf either.
Forgive? You’ve got to be kidding. How can a blob of wires, diodes, transistors, processors, and RAM forgive anyone? This thing has MEMORY, folks. That means it remembers. The REAL Jesus forgives and forgets. My sins are not remembered against me anymore. Top that, OK.

8. “Nothing like this has ever been done before.”
O yes it has. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. “ John 3:16.
I could easily offer a number of other Scriptures to prove my point. God took the initiative and reached for us and gave us a line of communication with Him (It’s called prayer, folks) that needs no phone, is not dependent upon our paying a subscription fee, and you don’t need some electronic gizmo that the battery fails when you really need to “Talk to Jesus”. Jesus never fails and He will neither leave us nor forsake us. He don’t need batteries. And I don’t need tech support’s number to be able to pray to Him.

9. “While millions have heard the word of God and embrace Jesus, TTJ is an extension to help people further in their lives.”

As if Jesus needed an extension cord. He wants you and I involved in people’s lives. And that doesn’t mean charging them a fee to “pray” to some electronic gizmo. We have His Word, the Bible. As for an extension, He already gave us one. It’s called THE CHURCH, folks. I wouldn’t try to replace THAT, because Jesus (the real one not your collection of wires) has promised that the gates of hell wouldn’t prevail against it. Seems to me He might be awfully mad about someone trying to replace the CHURCH with a collection of diodes, transistors, and capacitors. He just might RAM the truth down your throat.

In short, your TTJ (Theological Trash and Junk) is the modern equivalent of the golden calf. People will grow to depend upon what this techno Jesus says, and you just might misquote the REAL One. My advice to you, scrap this nonsense, repent, and ask the REAL Jesus to forgive this cheap trashing of His Name. Go outside your comfort zone and get involved in people’s lives. Jesus doesn’t need a cheap electronic gizmo to give people a buzz. He needs your hands and mine to show the world His love.

Have a nice day.

Mike Sheeran

[Rita Martinez]

Mike Sheeran..AMEN BROTHER!!

[Mike Sheeran]

One thing I would add to my earlier post is that this techno-Jesus could do more harm than good. Picture a young man who subscribed to this "service". He gets laid off from his job and his money runs out before he can find another one. His credit card is maxed out. Now he's in crisis mode. He decides he needs to "Talk to Jesus". So he calls the toll free number and he gets a recording which says, "I'm sorry, but our records show your subscription has expired. If you believe you are geting this recording in error..."
Our young man doesn't hear the rest. "Now even Jesus won't talk to me", he wails as he goes into his room and commits suicide.
Far fetched? I don't think so. This is nothing more than a business masquerading as Christ. Jesus warned us that false Christs and false prophets will arise. Which means that the REAL Jesus knew about techno-Jesus long before the invention of the computer. And the REAL Jesus might just decide to RAM the truth down their throats. These folks need prayer. And we need to pray earnestly that this gizmo doesn't see the light of day.

[Lygia]

Interesting enough, there is some mention in the Bible about an image that speaks...(Revelation 13)
Everything seems to be going Antichrist way. If Christians can believe that rubbish, the devil must be rejoicing. No doubt, we have to be in the last days.

[1PlainDealer]

"Virtual Jesus"...???...sounds kinda like something I heard about a while back ...something like "...the image of the beast"... (not that Jesus is "the beast" spoken of in the last book of the NT) . It sounds kinda like a BETA version of something to come down the pipe in a future setting...prolly way off on this but, just sounds fishy...