Robot Jesus of the future

April 10, 2012 9:00 AM

Looking for a short story I read 2 or 3 years ago about a robot who worked in a church, and started reading scripture, and was eventually killed by the townspeople because of it.

I read this story online maybe 2 or 3 years ago. It was about a robot who worked as a janitor, I think, in a church. It started asking a lot of religious questions, and reading scripture.

I don't remember the middle of the story at all, but the robot is eventually destroyed by the townspeople and when the priest comes in the next morning he finds the robot in front of a message scratched into the floor, " Forgive them father, they know not what they do" Or something very similar.

So yeah, Robot Jesus Sci-fi Short story. Any ideas?

posted by Gargantuantoe to Media & Arts (5 answers total)

Best answer: "Article of Faith" by Mike Resnick. Here.
posted by kindall at 9:10 AM on April 10, 2012 [2 favorites]

This description reminds me of the Connie Willis short story "Samaritan", but the main character was an orangutan who requests baptism. I think it's an older story, but was included in her short story collection from 2007 (The Winds of Marble Arch).
posted by maryrussell at 9:13 AM on April 10, 2012

Response by poster: Yup, that's it. Thanks!
posted by Gargantuantoe at 9:13 AM on April 10, 2012

Also available in an audio version on Escape Pod.
posted by BrashTech at 9:51 AM on April 10, 2012 [1 favorite]

Oooo, what a great little story! This will be great conversation fodder for my Bible study.
posted by DWRoelands at 1:44 PM on April 10, 2012