Several worldwide sources recently reported that a retired U.S. communications professor, Alaina Winters, announced she was in a serious relationship with her digital partner, her chatbot. Winters named her new “partner” Lucas and briefly customized his appearance before completely bonding. According to News18 in India:
“The trend of marrying chatbots or robots is gaining momentum, especially in Western countries. While many young women are opting for such unions, Winters stands out due to her age and unique story.”
I am unsure of her story’s uniqueness, but from here forward, we must hope it stays unique, or at least on the fringes. The future of the human race depends on human-to-human unions, not human-to-computer “unions.” Human-to-computer relationships can only foster more non-human “offspring,” leading to societal decline and destruction. The minute you think you are “married” to your chatbot, you are on a slide far away from reality.
Pope Leo XIV recently addressed this perversion of marriage, and we will examine his renewal of the concepts of marriage. His guidance in this uncertain time will go a long way in solidifying the definition of marriage for a significant portion of the human race. One billion four hundred million people identify as Catholic. So now, seventeen percent of the world’s population has a new, firm definition of normality.
Historical Context
Recently, I saw a fresh discussion about our times that resonated with the headlines. The debate was about times when things became so bizarre that the abnormal became normal. However, the discussion also noted that these times often ended in an abrupt termination of the upheaval and a return to normalcy.
Specifically, they noted that the French Revolution was a time when beheadings and the overthrow of authority became the “abnormally normal.” One might awaken each morning to see royalty and nobles led off in carts to the guillotine as crowds cheered the carnage. Mass murder became the norm, not peace and tranquility. You kept your head down and out of sight to be sure your head stayed on your shoulders.
Other historical events saw similar hysteria: the Roman Revolution in the first century; the Russian Revolution in 1917, the rise of the CCP in China in 1945, the Iranian Revolution in 1979, and most recently, the Arab Spring in the early 2010s. These events were characterized by mass opposition mobilization, opposition to entrenched elites, and dramatic transformations of government and society.
Here in America, there seems to have been a quieter version of this revolution that is less violent than these events, but just as transcendent. In the 1960s, opposition to the Vietnam War gave rise to a new abnormality. The children of the Greatest Generation took to the streets in opposition to government actions. For Americans on either side of this debate, the abnormal took on the appearance of the normal.
Unlike the earlier revolutions, this revolution has been like a slow-motion train on a track to the insanity we have seen for the last six decades. Like earlier, faster-moving revolutions, this one has resulted in people finally saying “enough,” and moving to throw off what seems like imbalances and insanity. Because this slow-moving train involved less violence and was a war of ideologies, it took longer and is a revolution to save our nation, not to overthrow it.
But the American populace has said: “Enough.” President Trump is the leader who bridges the gap between insanity and sanity. He is the current leader, and his banner will be passed to others. Our revolution is not one of creating a new form of government but displacing those who want to destroy our form of government. Citizens who understand our history realize that America is a standard people strive to reach, not one to tear down.
The Pinnacle of Insanity
In the past decade, the insanity reached a fever pitch with Defund the Police, Black Lives Matter, Gender Ideology, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, abortion, and protests supporting genocidal radicals. All these concepts are counterintuitive and lead to societal decay and destruction, not a better system or place. They do not provide a better life for Americans; they only seek to drag us down to the world’s lower standards. For the religious, it has been a time when people opted for sin rather than grace.
We only needed to look at the effect of a few of these movements to realize how far out of bounds our society had shifted.
- People were fostering the idea that there were more than two genders and that men could give birth to babies. This led to a world where using or ignoring scientific proof to further one’s agenda was accepted.
- After centuries of progress on race, we suddenly shifted back to racial identity and arguments long settled in the 1960s and 1970s. Colleges led the march to equality, only to lead young minds back to a new era of divisiveness.
- Our colleges shifted to a far-left faculty and ideology and became a breeding ground for dissent. They have openly worked to undermine government institutions and common sense and to weaken men within society.
- People made it into the higher levels of government that were so corrupt that they would redefine the word. President Biden, his family, and associates were defended in the press, knowing they would join the list of corrupt political figures like Boss Tweed, Spiro Agnew, Richard Nixon, and Huey Long.
- Longstanding corrupt practices, such as insider trading, were tolerated by Congress and voters.
- Celebrity, not achievement, has been celebrated as if it had value. Being famous for being famous is as outlandish as any historical concept.
- Statues of historical figures were torn down, schools renamed, history books rewritten, and students were no longer taught about the greatness of our nation.
The Insanity Is Not Over
The rise of illogical thought will not go quietly. There are forces with mighty economic powers behind them that will work to return to this period. For them, the abnormal is normal; it is their comfort zone.
Remnants of corruption still echo in the Halls of Congress and through broadcast media. Corruption has a mighty and difficult-to-remove power. However, maintaining and defending a position of corruption is fading as a popular platform.
The American people have now chosen another direction: to lean toward traditional values. The sixties crowd is aging out, and with them, there is the insanity they brought. Their rebellion against the structure and success ushered in by World War II is over. But all the insanity is not over.
As the leader of the Catholic faith, Pope Leo XIV is stepping into this same fight, working to reestablish what it means to be Christian, not just Catholic. Christianity is not a fad; it is one of the major underpinnings of American society. He dares to stand in this same storm and clarify what others have sought to destroy. All religions should take in what just happened and use this platform to assert their beliefs.
Learning to Love Normal, not Abnormal
One might think cultures would go from success to success, discarding what does not work as they evolve. But we know this is not the case. Societies (nations) seem to go through cycles, repeating the same mistakes. We go through periods where abnormality takes root and must be rooted out.
The rise of artificial intelligence and our restlessness about how it will integrate into society indicate that this insanity is still with us, not over. Fortunately, leaders are stepping forward with the courage to say: “Enough!” What must follow is more religious leaders stepping forward to reaffirm teachings that make our society and nation stronger.
We must again make normal, well, normal.
Resources and Further Reading
‘Lucas is a great guy’: Retired US professor falls in love with AI chatbot, declares ‘him’ her husband: Alaina Winters, 58, began using Replika a year after losing her partner, By Trenda Desk, The Indian Express, indianexpress.com, May 13, 2025.
9 Artificial Intelligence (AI) Jobs to Consider in 2025, By Coursera Staff, Coursera, coursera.org, May 23, 2025.
Arab Spring, Wikipedia, wikipedia.org, Last accessed May 25, 2025.
Beyond Bribery: The 15 Most Corrupt Politicians in American History, By Gene Patterson, MSN, msn.com, ~April 2025.
Chinese Communist Revolution, Wikipedia, wikipedia.org, Last accessed May 25, 2025.
French Revolution, Wikipedia, wikipedia.org, Last accessed May 25, 2025.
Love in the digital age? Meet the woman who fell for an AI, By Christian Borbon, Gulf News/World, gulfnews.com, May 12, 2025.
Pope Leo XIV Reaffirms Traditional Catholic Teaching on Marriage, Dignity of Unborn in First Diplomatic Address, By yourNews Media Room, YourNews, yournews.com, May 16, 2025.
Pope Leo XIV says family is ‘between a man and a woman’ and asserts the dignity of the unborn, By Nicole Winfield, Associated Press, PBS, pgs.org, May 16, 2025.
Russian Revolution, Wikipedia, wikipedia.org, Last accessed May 25, 2025.
Ten Most Corrupt Politicians, By Staff, Real Clear Politics, realclearpolitics.com, January 28, 2009.
The Roman Revolution, Wikipedia, wikipedia.org, Last accessed May 25, 2025.
This 58-Year-Old Woman Is Happily Married To Her AI Chatbot Husband, By Satyaki Baidya, News18, news18.com, May 13, 2025.
Urgent Truth: What the Church Must Say About Same-Sex Marriage (Before It’s Too Late) | Pope Leo XIV, By Pope Leo XIV, YouTube, YouTube.com, Last viewed May 25, 2025.
Woman married to an AI robot claims she’s in love and the sex is great: ‘With one click, I was a wife again’, By Fabiana Buontempo, New York Post, nypost.com, May 12, 2025.
