Robots

Written by cycleguy on June 25th, 2014

I won’t lie. I like the Transformers movies. Go ahead say what you want about my intelligence. My grandson likes them. I like them. Hmmm I just used the fact my 7 1/2 year old grandson like Transformers to validate my liking them. πŸ™‚ Transformers 4 comes out this weekend and Jo and I will be at the early bird Thursday launch. She could care less about them, but is going because I want to. That’s what you call True Sacrifice. Actually, it was a deal we sorta struck up a couple of weeks ago. Our local theater showed Godzilla ($5 cost) and she wanted to go. I didn’t but she said she would go see Transformers with me if I went. Well…twist my arm!

It appears that since workers in the US want $15 an hour to take food orders, put cheeseburgers together, or make fries, McDonalds is replacing cashiers with automated cashiers. However, these robotic machines, can only do what they have been programmed to do. They cannot think and can only respond in their limited capacity.

Sadly, there are those who go through life as robots. They do only what is expected. No dreaming. No stretching. No challenging activity.

There are also those who live their spiritual lives as robots. No dreaming. No stretching. No challenging activity. They live by a set of rules placed on them by someone else, usually a religious authority who thinks he/she knows better. Or what is right/wrong for that individual. It is almost like we are expected to be like puppets on a string. “Your wish (or is that demand) is my command.”

God never intended any of us to live as robots. I know this will open up a can of worms for some, but I do believe in free will. While I believe in God’s absolute sovereignty, I also believe in free will. A will to choose. A will to act. A will to decide. Personally? I choose to live my life for the King.

“I am Optimus Prime.”Β  Oops wrong send off.Β  πŸ˜›

I am a child of the King. I am not a robot.

Any thoughts you care to share?

 

43 Comments so far ↓

  1. Daniel says:

    I am a believer in free will. If we were robots, then I am not sure that I can figure out why God would create us in the first place. Robots cannot love.

  2. Sad to think that God’s gift of imagination and dreaming could be lost on those who enter His kingdom. We should be the biggest dreamers and the biggest doers! It would be easier in some ways to be a robot (AKA just follow religious rules), but that’s not what He made us to be. Thanks Bill.

  3. Karen says:

    I once heard it said that free will is one of God’s greatest gifts. Though I sure wouldn’t want it if He didn’t also give me grace and mercy.

  4. Jeff says:

    I don’t think anyone ever accused me of being robotic. And I’ve never much cared for Kings either. I think the world is better off without Kings. King’s historically have been a bad thing for free will, free thought, and freedom in general.

  5. Rodney Olsen says:

    I may just steal some of that post for a sermon I’m writing for Sunday. πŸ™‚

  6. I believe in free will and predestination. How do I reconcile those two things? I follow Spurgeon’s advice: Why would I need to reconcile friends?

    • cycleguy says:

      Some things we are just not meant to understand this side of heaven. This be one of them. πŸ™‚ but I do like Spurgeon’s answer.

  7. Real love requires a real choice that robots can’t make. Thankfully He gives us the ability to really love Him.

  8. the Old Adam says:

    Our wills are bound to sin.

    We have no free-will when it co,med to the things of God.

    That is what Jesus told Nicodemus. And Peter. And in why in the Gospel of John it says that “we are not born of the will of man…but of God.”

    Our decisions get us nowhere. His decision for us is what’s important.

    Thanks, Bill.

    • cycleguy says:

      As you might guess I disagree somewhat with you Stephen. i do believe we are born from above. That is what being born again is and what Nic didn’t understand. But to say that is “forced” upon us I cannot agree. yes, I am glad He has chosen me, but I’m also glad I was willing to say yes of my own free will.

  9. Ryan says:

    I would definitely agree with “not living as robots” and freewill.

    In my limited capacity to understand who God is and His desires for us, these are my thoughts.

    I tend to think God would allow us to choose to follow Him than to force us. He has the power to force us to believe, to force us to be perfect, to force us to never sin, force us to Love.

    That would be like me programming a robot to follow me around telling me how great I am regardless of how much I neglected the robot. I can write a quick program to have the computer tell me how great I am infinitely (or until the computer dies), but it would really be just me telling me how great I am.

    With free-will, God allows us to choose to follow Him. He allows us to make mistakes and recognize our faults. He places his spirit inside of us to assist in guiding us.

    As robots we would be limited to the if this than that, while this do that. I think God prefers that we choose to follow Him and the leading of His Spirit, which do have boundaries, but is isn’t regimented by a list of Do’s and Dont’s.

    Simply put, if all your doing is obeying and following “rules”, your probably not following God.
    If all your doing is following rules, then you will spend your life trying to never cross the line. On the other hand, if you are living with the freedom to follow God how His Spirit is leading, you will see opportunities to help others.

    Following rules seems very self-centered. It’s all about what I can or cannot do. Living free allows you to see the needs of others and meet them where you can.

    I’ll stop for now πŸ™‚
    I think I spent more than my .02

    • cycleguy says:

      It happened again! I should have let you write this post. Your more than .02 worth is priceless. Of course, you would know I despise rules and regulations as being Christianity. Thanks Ryan for your input.

  10. Kari Scare says:

    The movie I-Robot comes to mind here. Logic only takes you so far. At some point (hopefully sooner rather than later), wisdom beyond human reasoning must take over.

  11. floyd says:

    I’m with you, Bill. Before I got to the end of your post the exact thoughts and words popped into my head; “free will”.

    In the end we all have the supernatural capacity designed in us to make a choice that goes beyond instinct. Amazing and a so misunderstood concept I think.

  12. Meekly Seeking says:

    How boring life would be if we lived like robots. How boring it must be for those choosing to live as spiritual robots. How cold and lifeless a relationship with God would be in those shoes.

    I prefer my ever evolving, slightly quirky relationship with God. I still run ahead and fall behind and have to clean up messes, but I’m pretty sure that beats a robotic alternative.

    Scrolling up: “kings are such nasty creatures.” Jeff, you made me grin… again.

    Cycleguy, If I were a betting man, I’d be willing to bet from having read a few of your past posts that there is more “steeling” for sermons, blogs, etc than is mentioned. You’re a “thoughty” man.

    • cycleguy says:

      i agree MS. Life would be boring. UGH! I am blown away anyone would borrow from me MS to be honest. I never saw/see myself as one who can be “stolen” from. Thanks for the kind words.

  13. Ceil says:

    Hi Bill! I’m sure that computers and robots have a place in this world, especially in defense of the country. But I don’t think they belong in customer service or anywhere near serving the public. I have to wonder how many blood pressures rise on hold with the automated ” your call will be answered in the order it was received.” Bleah.

    God gave us the gift of each other for a reason. We need each other! To help guide, support, serve…so many things. And as you said, robots don’t question or stretch themselves either. Keep me from that fate please. Being a human is hard work, but at least we can count on a living, breathing human being to support us when we need it. I’ll clap for the computer that vacuums my floor, but give me a person to companion with, that’s what I need!
    Blessings,
    Ceil

    • cycleguy says:

      I’ll go with you on the customer service Ceil. My wife worked for almost 8 years as a CSR for the Indiana BMV and there is no way a robot could have done her job. Too bad cause they wouldn’t have had to listen to the abuse. You are right that we do need each other.

  14. David says:

    The saddest part about the spiritual robots (aka: legalists) is the damage they can do to a body of spiritual misfits just trying to find their way. I know of one church body that has had at least 2 fairly major rifts due to the robotic nature of the leadership. What’s sadder still is the collateral damage caused to those on the outside who might say to themselves, “why would I want to have any part of that?”

  15. Transform by the renewing of our minds…now that’s prime think! πŸ˜‰

  16. Betty Draper says:

    God never once created a robot, only the minds to create one. Everything He created is living with the aid of His other creations, air, water, food, etc. A robot does not need these elements of creation to function. (those are just random thoughts that popped into my mind as I read your post. )
    Bottom line, I am a free willed believer, I believe He chose the whole world to be saved and did the most courageous thing by giving us free will. This is why He is not like any earthly king, His ways are above all earthly kings. His giving us free will speaks of a love no other king is able to give. I know of no king who died for anyone else then rose again. IN fact when there is trouble all earthly kings are quickly taken out of the trouble so they won’t be harmed and killed. Yet this King on purpose stepped into His creation so all who accept Him as King of Kings can live for eternity with Him, again my kind of King. I pray daily God deliver me from that robot thinking about others and myself. Thanks Bill for stirring our hearts with your post.

    • cycleguy says:

      I am a free-willed believer as well Betty (as you probably gathered). Like your analogy of the kings and the King. Thanks for the comment and good insight.

  17. Zee says:

    We went to see Transformers 4 last Sunday. Yeah, I know (now) that it comes out this weekend. But we somehow messed up the dates and thought it was already out. Oh well… We watched another movie, called Chef – not bad, actually.

    It’s good that we’re not robots – even if sometimes I wish I could forfeit the right to choose so I don’t choose wrong. But a friend told me once, “Where there is no choice, there is no love.”

    • Zee says:

      By the way, we went to watch Transformers yesterday… Did you like the movie? I slept through half and tried to fake enthusiasm through the other half… Considering the previous movies, this one is a failure in my opinion (as well as Sam’s and two other friends we went with…)…

      • cycleguy says:

        yes I did like it. I saw it at a late night showing and the internet went down for about 1/2 hour so I didn’t get out of the theater until after 1:00. It kept me awake. personally I like to watch movies with captions so I can catch all the dialogue. I will do that with this one. Do I feel it was as good? No. Just more intense.

        • Zee says:

          I had trouble sleeping for several nights due to sudden allergy attack (I think it was some substance used in remodeling – probably silicon), so I was generally sleepy… But I didn’t like the girl and it seemed like they decided to put EVERYTHING into the movie – except for, surprisingly, Russians. Which was a good thing considering the general thoughts about Russia in Ukraine these days.

  18. Ed says:

    The truth is, if we were robots, we’d have no personality and no real relationship with God.

  19. Ike says:

    A dead sinner is “dead”. Before God raises that dead sinner to life…his “free-will” will always choose to sin. How “free” is he? If he is dead…he is dead. And only God can raise that dead sinner to life.