The Anglican Archbishop of Sydney has raised the issue of trust in social media, in giving his Easter message for 2024. 

Archbishop Kanishka Raffel referred to the current controversy over online discussion and the use of AI. “There is passionate debate in our society right now about social media and trust,” the Archbishop said in his video statement. “When you look at your screen, can you trust what you are reading and seeing? And as artificial intelligence gives us the technology to fake just about anything, finding reality will become even harder.” 

The Archbishop then related the trust issue to the events of the first Easter. “The question was the same. Everyone knew that Jesus lived a remarkable life and was cruelly executed. But could they trust what they were being told – that he had risen from the dead?” 

“There was no live streaming, no social media influencers. But there were eyewitnesses. The Bible tells the events of Jesus life, death and resurrection. Hundreds of people saw the risen Jesus, spoke to him, and even ate with him.  Two thousand years after the first Easter we are still faced with the question – is Jesus alive and can we trust him with our lives?”

"His offer of forgiveness and new life is worthless if we can’t and priceless if it is true, the Archbishop said. “Millions of Christians around the world, me among them, have trusted Jesus and found joy, love and hope in Him. That is my prayer for you this Easter.”

Read the Easter Message here