Smartphones are paving way for the Antichrist, says head of Russian church

Russia Orthodox leader: The internet is the tool of the Antichrist

In a bold statement on Monday of Orthodox Christmas, Patriarch Kirill, leader of the Russian Orthodox Church, warned his congregants about putting too much trust in their smartphone. What spiritual leaders term “external forces” can track and control smartphone users where “location, interests, and fears” have been collected from their devices, a media report explained.

People’s dependence on smartphones and modern technology could bring about the coming of the Antichrist, the leader of the Russian Orthodox Church has warned. 

Speaking to Russian state TV, Patriarch Kirill said smartphone users should be careful when using the “worldwide web of gadgets” because it represented “an opportunity to gain global control over mankind”. “The Antichrist is the person who will be at the head of the worldwide web, controlling all of humankind,” he said.

“The Antichrist is the person who will be at the head of the worldwide web, controlling all of humankind,” he said. 

Kirill said he was not against technology, only wary of the possibilities generated. “Control from one point is a sign of the coming of the Antichrist,” Kirill told government-run television network, according to the Moscow Times.

“The Antichrist is the personality who will be the world leader who controls all mankind. Thus, the structure itself presents a danger, ” he told television interviewers. He stated, “if we don’t want to approach the apocalypse, there shouldn’t be a single center (control and access).”

Worldwide Problems

The explosive growth of smart phones used on our earth is mind blowing. An estimated 2.5 billion people worldwide will use a smartphone by the end of 2019 according to research on the Statista website. And the latest statistical patterns do not show a decline. By 2020, according to emarketer.com, the smartphone user base will number 4.78 billion people, more than half the earth’s population. Whether people buy smartphones or not will depend on many factors, some of which might be budget problems. Some people who can’t afford to buy a device may be forced into using one because they follow their peers. There is also a question concerning the environment: Making a smartphone involves mining, and uses a number of precious metals that are in hard to reach places on the planet. Extracting these materials can damage large areas of land and place people – who live nearby in physical danger. Other environmental problems include spills of toxic chemicals and disruption to the planet’s ecosystem.

JERUSALEM, ISRAEL – NOVEMBER 11: (AFP-OUT) Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill looks on during his meeting with Israel’s President Shimon Peres on November 11, 2012 at the President’s residence in Jerusalem, Israel. This is Kirill’s first visit to Israel since becoming head of the church in 2009. (Photo by Sebastian Scheiner-Pool/Getty Images)

Kirill’s TV appearance on Monday came two days after the Ukrainian Orthodox Church was granted independence from the Russian Orthodox Church– a split that has been described as the largest in the Orthodox Christianity since the Orthodox church became independent from the Roman Catholic Church in 1054.

Married to Their Smartphones (Oh, and to Each Other, Too)

Married to Their Smartphones (Oh, and to Each Other, Too)

Neither Joe or Willy are having an affair. But one of them has found a new object of affection, which has become a new companion and inspires a surprising amount of jealousy among her spouse – its the new relationship buster: the smartphone.  “It helps me wake up,” she said.

“Experts say that smartphone use is meddling in our marriages in ways that are sometimes benign, and often forcing couples to address an ever more important question: At what point are we choosing to spend more time with our smartphones than with our spouses? (Christian Marriages, Too)”

Slowly, almost imperceptibly, the warmth and intimacy of marriages are ebbing away  with a culture of dings, beeps and buzzes as most people manage everything from bank accounts to fantasy football teams on mobile phone devices.

It’s almost at pandemic levels now. Married or not, most of us sleep with our phones right next to us, pocket them as we go from place to place and think nothing of using them whether our partners are talking or not.

“Therapists say that when a marriage hits a rocky patch, they’ve seen one or both partners hide behind their phones.”

If you’re still reading this article  then we can safely assume you know what we’re talking about. The US divorce rate hovers at 40 per cent, but that’s not the whole story. Many sound relationships are on life support. According to a survey by the National Opinion Research Centre.

You’d think this problem would exist only outside the church, wrong.

Pope Francis says most marriages today are ‘invalid’ because couples don’t go into them with the right intentions. This is a disaster for the Church much less society as a whole.

“When a Christian marriage unravels, many questions rise to the surface.”

It’s a shame that most of our relationships are in shambles.  However, its time to put down the Smartphone and save your marriage.  But how?

1. The first year of marriage is hard”¦really hard.

In an increasingly individualistic, “me” culture, weddings create a potentially dangerous situation for a newlywed Christian couple. If you are empty, broken, or insecure, and you believe a spouse is the silver bullet to your a problems”¦buckle up. The marriage will be bumpy-ride.

Don’t buy the wedding day lie. Marriage is not about you. Take this as a warning”¦the first year of marriage is difficult and you will never be able to enjoy the beauty of marriage if your spouse’s job is to complete you.

In Saudi Arabia, a newlywed husband filied for divorce after his wife stopped his attempts at consummation to reply to wedding messages. Whiles this is simply over the top.  Yes, it can be partially about not texting on your wedding night!

We know marriage is hard, but walking away from it will have a lasting impact. Marry a  Christian, yes. But maybe go even further and marry somebody with similar passions and dreams.

2. Prioritize Your Partner Over Your Phone

“Marital bliss is fictional, but marital happiness can be a reality.”

This is an obvious point, but it’s still one that most people tend to disregard.  Sex is a gift from God. So explore It.  Make no mistake”¦God created sex. But through the years, God’s people allowed Satan to steal this gift. Without a fight.

God created sex. If your married, here’s a challenge. Explore sex. Explore the fullness of it and pray for  sexual intimacy with your spouse.

3. There is more than one person out there for you.

Marriage is a huge choice, and so is divorce. Soul mates are made”¦not born. We are not sure where this idea of a soul mate originated, but it is false. Maintaining a healthy relationship is more about commitment than perfection.  Marriages are complex –  they’re filled with compromise, balancing expectations and maintaining a foundation built on trust.  A successful marriage is one where you serve your spouse and both of you serve God. You see the closer you get to God the closer you will be to each other.

“The success of marriage comes not in finding the “right” person, but in the ability of both partners to adjust to the real person they inevitably realize they married ” – (John Fischer).

To God be the glory forever. Amen!

Playing God: Swedish Train operator uses Big Data to ‘avoid train delays that haven’t happened yet’

In a sign of things to come, a Swedish train operator is using new technology that employs big data to predict the entire commuter train system two hours into the future.

Welcome to the world of “Big Data.” We have more information at our fingertips than any generation in history. We live in the world of “Big Data.” That is the new way people are trying to describe this sea of digital facts, figures, products, books, music, video, and much more. Twitter, apps, Facebook–they’re each giving science new ways to look at what people do and why.

“Hopes, fears, and ethical concerns relating to technology are as old as technology itself.”

We actually welcome some aspect of Big Data. These mysterious data successes (or accidental successes) are easy to see as a kind of Big Brother future, where technology can track your every move and report back to ”¦ someone. However, StockholmstÃ¥g, the train operator is using new technology that employs big data to predict train delays before they happen.

“The Commuter Prognosis –  A Social Scientist’s Dream Come True.”

The mathematic algorithm, called “The commuter prognosis” was  developed in Stockholm, Sweden.

When a train is not on time the algorithm forecasts disruptions in the entire network by using historic big data  to  prevent the ripple effects that actually causes most delays.
Wilhelm Landerholm the mathematician who has developed the algorithm said:

“We have built a prediction model, using big data, that lets us visualize the entire commuter train system two hours into the future. We can now forecast disruptions in our service and our traffic control center can prevent the ripple effects that actually cause most delays.”

The algorithm has been tested but is not currently being  used by traffic controllers.

How  does it work?

The key to the model is a large  amount of historical data. The model works similar to a seismograph, an instrument that measures and records details of earthquakes, such as force and duration, but instead identifies late train arrivals. When this happens, the system  uses historical data from previous occurrences to forecast the likely  impact on the entire train network.

Real-time public transportation information is already used around the globe, however, traffic control centers still typically assess  delays manually to try and prevent further problems in a network. The commuter prognosis system, on the other hand, will forecast these delay effects instantaneously  and provide a prediction of how a single or multiple  disturbance might  affect  the whole  train network. The  commuter prognosis system could change how traffic control centers operate all over the world.

“The Effects of One Delayed Train Can Quickly Multiply Within a Train Network”

Imagine that “The commuter prognosis” forecasts that a train will be 10 minutes late to station C in two hours. To deal with this the traffic control center issues a new train from station A that will arrive on time at station C. As soon as the new train has been put in motion the algorithm re-calculates and gives the traffic control center a new forecast for the entire train network within minutes.”

The most important benefit of “The commuter prognosis” is that it  provides for a more punctual public transportation.

“The commuter prognosis” will be available in a smartphone app based on the original model. The app will integrate with other transportation big data to make commuting easier and  will indicate which coaches are more or less crowded.

Big Data, Ethics, and Religion

These stories remind us that even though companies and governments are doing amazing things with data, it’s at best imperfect. The algorithms and programs they use to filter and respond to data are at least as fallible as the human beings who designed them.  We can also see its complexity and failures as evidence of the amazing omnipotence of our God – who doesn’t make errors and who knows right where to find us, even inside a great fish or the depths of hell.

The arrival of big data has already brought with it numerous questions that have yet to be properly addressed. These questions are methodological, epistemological, and ethical, and they concern (inter alia) the ways in which data is collected, stored, interpreted, represented, and traded.  A further complication is a speed with which data science is advancing, which means that (for example) the application of legal and ethical restrictions to the practice of that science will always risk being several steps behind the point that it has currently reached. There are indications that we are currently sleepwalking towards a situation in which the commercial exploitation of big data routinely increases social division, and renders privacy a thing of the past.

Ket factors

  • A mathematical model interprets big data to forecasts for each train in the train network.
  • The commuter prognosis can warn about delays two hours before the departure or arrival actually takes place.
  • The commuter prognosis calculates how the delay affects other trains in the system.
  • The purpose of “the commuter prognosis” is to make life easier for traffic control centers and to give passengers  a better service.
  • In the future, the algorithm will be potentially adaptable for more types of public transportations and cities.

 

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