August 21, 2024

AI for Mayor in WY, SCOTUS and Title IX, Santos Pleads Guilty

August 21, 2024

“Truth carries with it confrontation. Truth demands confrontation; loving confrontation, but confrontation nevertheless.”

Francis Schaeffer

AI for Mayor in Wyoming
Former Rep. Santos Pleads Guilty
SCOTUS and Title IX
Other news you should know
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AI for Mayor in Wyoming

Victor Miller, a mayoral candidate in Cheyenne, Wyoming, proposed an innovative plan to run the city alongside an AI bot named Vic. The AI, according to Miller, would offer data-driven insights and solutions while Miller himself would ensure legal and practical execution if elected. This hybrid governance model has faced legal challenges, with Wyoming's secretary of state arguing that AI cannot be on the ballot, though Miller himself remains a candidate. Miller emphasizes blending AI's capabilities with human judgment will help him lead effectively, though skepticism surrounds his approach.

Depending on the outcome of the coming mayoral election in Cheyenne, its citizens may be in line for another rodeo. While their long-established and world-famous Frontier Days provide plenty of entertainment and fun, stepping into the new frontier of AI-led government may be entertaining, but it is not likely to be fun. Artificial intelligence is, of course, only as good and useful as the “intelligence” that it is allowed to consume is useful and good. In that way, it mirrors the heart and mind of men (Galatians 6:8). While AI can consume more information more quickly than mere men, it is not able to be convicted by the Holy Spirit or shepherded by the grace of God the way those made in the image of the Lord are able (Matthew 11:28-30). Of course, the problem with men is that instead of yielding to the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:18), we too often quench (1 Thessalonians 5:19) and grieve Him (Ephesians 4:30). But unlike men who are given the opportunity to repent, (Acts 2:37-38) AI will always be the creation of men whose salvation is dependent on the programming and freedoms given to it by finite men. While letting AI crunch data quickly is often an asset, yielding to something we created will never be (Psalm 115:3-8).

Victor Miller’s plan to let Vic (virtual integrated citizen) provide “data-driven insights and innovative solutions” that “benefit the community without political affiliation” is nonsense. We all have “political affiliation,” and everything we create will as well. This is why the number one question we should ask ourselves before we cast a vote in favor of any governing authority is, “Who rules my potential ruler?” (Acts 6:3). May Cheyenne and the rest of all lands inhabited by men find rulers like Joshua who proclaimed to his constituents, “Now therefore, fear the Lord, and serve Him in sincerity and truth, and put away the gods which you fathers served… and serve the Lord. If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves today who you will serve… but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:14-15). Mr. Miller’s statement, “It’s time to embrace the future, it’s time to get drunk on intelligence,” should be rebuffed with reminders that when men get drunk (Isaiah 28:7-8) on anything other than the eternally perfect Word of God, they will soon find themselves suffering from more than a headache (Isaiah 28:22).

_{By: Todd Wagner}

Former Rep. Santos Pleads Guilty

Former Republican congressman George Santos from New York, after facing 23 felony charges, pleaded guilty to wire fraud and identity theft as part of a series of schemes involving stolen money from donors and unemployment fraud. His plea deal will likely result in at least two years in prison, and he agreed to pay nearly $375,000 in restitution. Santos admitted his actions stemmed from unethical ambition, and prosecutors saw his plea as a step toward rebuilding public trust. Though expelled from Congress, Santos's case reveals his deep involvement in financial and personal deceit while in office.

In what turned out to be one of the more bizarre but true stories coming out of Washington DC, former Rep Santos chose to confess to (at least some) his crimes. What is unfortunately not "bizarrely" true is that our nation's capital has been home to a culture of self-promotion, deceit, and a love of money and power for some time (Philippians 2:3, 1 Timothy 6:10). Such a reality has cost our nation dearly and will continue to until we confess and repent at the highest levels of government and in the humblest of homes (Acts 3:19, 2 Chronicles 7:14).

While Santos has some tough roads and earned consequences ahead of him, he, like all of us, has a Creator who longs for him to realize, accept, and live in his God-given identity (John 1:12), where the riches of his inheritance far outweigh any that he could have gathered honestly or dishonestly on earth (Romans 8:17, Ephesians 1:18-21).

_{By: Kirby Mankin}

SCOTUS and Title IX

The Supreme Court, in a narrow 5-4 decision, temporarily blocked the Biden-Harris administration's Title IX rules, which would have required schools receiving public funding to allow trans-identifying males into girls' bathrooms, locker rooms, and sports. The court's ruling supports lower courts that challenged the Biden administration's expansion of the definition of "sex" to include sexual orientation and gender identity.

The decision comes with many consequences, as the Biden-Harris Administration threatened to withhold federal nutrition assistance funding if a school fails to adhere to the proposed changes to "gender identity" anti-discrimination policies.

It's a good thing that girls will be protected (at least temporarily) in our schools.

It's a sad thing that the decision was so close, considering God could not have been clearer in the first pages of the Bible that He created two distinct, complementary sexes (Genesis 1:27). Not only did he declare a distinction, but he declared it very good (Genesis 1:31).

The remnant has good news for those who are confused:

1. God is right in all He does (Psalm 145:17).

2. He knows more than we do (Isaiah 55:8-9).

3. He is after our joy in Him (Psalm 16:11).

4. The truth will set us free (John 8:32).

While the Lord is slow to anger (Exodus 34:6), He does take seriously those who would lead astray the young among us (Matthew 18:6). Thus, in the midst of a dark world and perverse generation, our call is to be salt and light (Matthew 5:13-15). Fellow believer, continue to consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, boldly standing for the truth, knowing that there are rewards in heaven for our faithfulness (Hebrews 10:24-25, Matthew 5:12).