The NIV translation of Rom 1:30 portrays “slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful” who “invent ways of doing evil.” Tragically, that’s a pretty accurate description of many today. The 1970 SciFy film “Colossus, The Forbin Project” is a prophetic film about the dangers of AI (Artificial Intelligence). Fifty-six years this excellent film warned us about a dystopian future once we unleashed AI.

The best line in the movie is “Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein” should be required reading for all scientists.“

That advice is still germane today. But it’s not just AI that is dangerous today. As technology and knowledge exponentially increases, there seems to be no end for the creative and new ways that evil is invented. The transgender mutilation of children easily surpasses the horrific Nazi medical experiments of WW2. Social media is misused for all forms of evil to include the sexual grooming of children, implanting the destructive worldview of nihilism, fostering the blatant disregard of law and encouraging all manner of deviancy. The ubiquitous cell phones in the hands of children who are far too immature to safely handle that technology, opens the door to all manner of evil. We might as well give them the keys to a Ferrari. Surf the web to see how unprecedented forms of evil are constantly being invented and shared worldwide.

Shortly before his execution in Rome two thousand years ago, the apostle Paul wrote 2 Timothy. In 2 Tim 3:1-5, he warned,

But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy^, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.

Like the 1970 film “Colossus,” Paul’s last letter is a stark warning for us today that we ignore at our own peril. Yes, “Frankenstein” should be required reading . . . for everyone. Only one transcendent power can free us from evil that seeks to enslave and master us.