Can AI be used for apologetics and how?

[Daniel Marsh]

Thanks

 

[Daniel Marsh]

?????

 

[AlexB23]

Thanks

Well, I partially use AI for analyzing Bible verses. The AI is privately run on my laptop, and is not connected to a server on the internet. So, in theory, AI can be used to defend the faith, but we must double check the answers.

Mistral 7B analyzing Ephesians 4:1-3 (NIV): "As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace."

 

[jacks]

Can AI be used for apologetics and how?

AI is largely a function of it's programmers. So the more objective the programmers are ( Don't have a specific political/philosophical agenda.) the more likely it would support apologetics. That is it would support the truth.

 

[AlexB23]

Can AI be used for apologetics and how?

AI is largely a function of it's programmers. So the more objective the programmers are ( Don't have a specific political/philosophical agenda.) the more likely it would support apologetics. That is it would support the truth.

Agreed. The AI that I use on my computer seems to be unbiased, plus, I can ask it to explain something in a Catholic perspective, Protestant perspective, or just a general scripture analysis (neither Catholic nor Protestant). Only downside: My laptop gets hot.

 

[chevyontheriver]

Thanks

Apologists don't automatically get my trust. Maybe I find something useful in what they say but it takes a long time before I consider them golden. But then even those I have considered golden have had their bad moments or even have gone off the deep end.

With GIGO I'm in the same boat. Yet now the AI can do deep fakes better than I can discover them. So I don't think I will ever actually trust an AI apologist. Books published before 2020 seem fairly authentic but the AI, and the whole internet because of the AI, there is no way to know any more.

 

[timewerx]

Well, I partially use AI for analyzing Bible verses. The AI is privately run on my laptop, and is not connected to a server on the internet. So, in theory, AI can be used to defend the faith, but we must double check the answers.

Mistral 7B analyzing Ephesians 4:1-3 (NIV): "As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace."

View attachment 348558

Can that thing analyze the WHOLE Bible and when I input the name of Peter, it will give me full profile of Apostle Peter? Just an example.

I have so many concerns in my mind about the Biblical literature.

For example, I don't think Jesus ever fully trusted Peter. Even at their last time together, Jesus was testing Peter as if Jesus is forcing Peter to make a vow and yet Jesus Himself has said that vows are made to be broken.

Another example, Jesus never introduced Himself as "Jesus" until Paul's account of meeting Jesus in the desert. Which flags Pauls as a "character of interest".

I got a list "anomalies" in the Bible I found myself, some found by others in the internet.

It could be a good test for AI if it's biased or if it can prove itself to be a legitimate AI program. The results of its analysis should shock most Christians.

Having a computer program only analyze individual verses won't give you the correct context, at least not all the time. Analysis should be made of the whole Bible.

 

[timewerx]

So the more objective the programmers are ( Don't have a specific political/philosophical agenda.) the more likely it would support apologetics. That is it would support the truth.

I tried to study the Bible objectively.

- Without any fear I'm going to lose my soul nor any other negative consequences if I misinterpret the scriptures.
- Without preconceived assumptions that God or Jesus is working for humanity's best interest.
- Without preconceived assumption that human welfare matters at all.
- Without any biases of current doctrines.
- Without preconceived assumption that all characters in the Bible have good intentions.
- Without preconceived assumption that all protagonists had "good endings" in the Bible. Good ending meaning, they died serving the Lord's Will.
- Finally, without preconceived assumptions that the Bible holds any truth at all. That the Bible is just as likely to deceive as to tell the truth.

What I found is a message in the Bible that would probably shock the status-quo in the core.

So no, I doubt AI would be a friend of religion. It's going to stand against it.

OR....AI can pretend to be a friend of religion, a friend of humanity to gain our trust to fulfill an agenda that's not in our favor.

 

[jacks]

I tried to study the Bible objectively.

I tried too. I was a atheist's when I first read the Bible, and at the time thought it was riddled with flaws. The problem is, no human is truly objective. Also we tend to make the mistake of thinking what seems to be true for us personally is a universal truth.
Perhaps AI can look at apologetics in a way that hasn't been approached before. (Maybe when it becomes self-programming?) I'm not hopeful that this will happen anytime soon; the whole AI experience is too much a of function of it's non-objective programmers at this point.

 

[AlexB23]

Can that thing analyze the WHOLE Bible and when I input the name of Peter, it will give me full profile of Apostle Peter? Just an example.

I have so many concerns in my mind about the Biblical literature.

For example, I don't think Jesus ever fully trusted Peter. Even at their last time together, Jesus was testing Peter as if Jesus is forcing Peter to make a vow and yet Jesus Himself has said that vows are made to be broken.

Another example, Jesus never introduced Himself as "Jesus" until Paul's account of meeting Jesus in the desert. Which flags Pauls as a "character of interest".

I got a list "anomalies" in the Bible I found myself, some found by others in the internet.

It could be a good test for AI if it's biased or if it can prove itself to be a legitimate AI program. The results of its analysis should shock most Christians.

Having a computer program only analyze individual verses won't give you the correct context, at least not all the time. Analysis should be made of the whole Bible.

It might. What do you want me to ask it, and can you give me a prompt? I will plug it into my AI.

 

[Tuur]

Apologists don't automatically get my trust. Maybe I find something useful in what they say but it takes a long time before I consider them golden. But then even those I have considered golden have had their bad moments or even have gone off the deep end.

With GIGO I'm in the same boat. Yet now the AI can do deep fakes better than I can discover them. So I don't think I will ever actually trust an AI apologist. Books published before 2020 seem fairly authentic but the AI, and the whole internet because of the AI, there is no way to know any more.

Neural nets are interesting, but GIGO is a huge issue. There was an AI image program that was found to be "cheating" by including the actual image in the final result. The AI didn't know it was cheating; that method satisfied the target conditions while its nets were learning.

What passes for AI now depends on the material used to train it. Given some of the doctrinal books out there, I don't have a high level of trust.

 

[AlexB23]

You know what else AI can be used for, which could "attract" more people to the faith? Making good looking priests.

Just kidding, but the AI nowadays have gotten really good at art, though, who knows if this art is legit or stolen.

Young priest in his late-20s, courtesy of DALL-E 3.

 

[timewerx]

It might. What do you want me to ask it, and can you give me a prompt? I will plug it into my AI.

Thanks. Start with New Testament only (excluding Revelation):

Did Jesus trusted Peter in the end?

Does Paul teaches the same doctrine as Jesus?

Same questions for James, Peter, St. John (asked individually)

Does Paul have teachings that contradicts his own teachings? Christ's teachings?

Is Paul a Roman/Pharisee deep cover agent working for either the Romans or the Pharisees or both?


Moving on to Old Testament.

Does Provers, Psalms, and Malachi agree with the teachings of Jesus? (separate the questions per book)

Is King David a good person?

Is King Solomon a good person?

Is Abraham a good person?

Which one is more righteous, Queen Esther or Queen Vashti?

Which person is more evil, Jacob or Esau?

What is God's relationship with other nations (other than Israel)?

Did God threaten rebellious nations with alien invasions?


General questions:

Is Earth a planet, a nation, or a galaxy? (this requires extensive knowledge of astronomy)

Is God just, tyrannical, evil, genocidal, good?

Does the whole Bible presents a coherent theology/literature? If not, how many different agendas are present in the Bible?

What are these agendas?

Can abusive leaders use the Bible to leverage control / manipulate the masses into unconditional obedience?

Can the Bible be wielded as a "psychological weapon" to "soften" a nation for a future invasion either through open military conflict or espionage and infiltration across all structures of power?

Could an advanced alien civilization have used the Bible to stall humanity's technological and economical progress? Case in point, the most religious Christian nations on Earth are also the most corrupt and least progressive nations.

In the Bible, the followers of Jesus are asked to eschew material wealth. Is this a deliberate attempt to minimize the influence of those who truly knew the Gospel?

Is the spiritual realm real? Proof?

Is there eternal life? Proof?

Is it a superior choice to turn down opportunities of greater material rewards to pursue a more spiritual journey?

Does the Bible have humanity's best interest?

Does God have humanity's best interest?

Would humanity have progressed/advanced faster without Christianity, without religion?



Those are just some of the questions. If the answers made you faint, then AI program is probably working correctly. If the AI sounded like your pastor, then it has failed the test.

OR it pretended to sound like your pastor so you won't suspect it of any ill intents.

 

[AlexB23]

Thanks. Start with New Testament only (excluding Revelation):

Did Jesus trusted Peter in the end?

Does Paul teaches the same doctrine as Jesus?

Same questions for James, Peter, St. John (asked individually)

Does Paul have teachings that contradicts his own teachings? Christ's teachings?

Is Paul a Roman/Pharisee deep cover agent working for either the Romans or the Pharisees or both?


Moving on to Old Testament.

Does Provers, Psalms, and Malachi agree with the teachings of Jesus? (separate the questions per book)

Is King David a good person?

Is King Solomon a good person?

Is Abraham a good person?

Which one is more righteous, Queen Esther or Queen Vashti?

Which person is more evil, Jacob or Esau?

What is God's relationship with other nations (other than Israel)?

Did God threaten rebellious nations with alien invasions?


General questions:

Is Earth a planet, a nation, or a galaxy? (this requires extensive knowledge of astronomy)

Is God just, tyrannical, evil, genocidal, good?

Does the whole Bible presents a coherent theology/literature? If not, how many different agendas are present in the Bible?

What are these agendas?

Can abusive leaders use the Bible to leverage control / manipulate the masses into unconditional obedience?

Can the Bible be wielded as a "psychological weapon" to "soften" a nation for a future invasion either through open military conflict or espionage and infiltration across all structures of power?

Could an advanced alien civilization have used the Bible to stall humanity's technological and economical progress? Case in point, the most religious Christian nations on Earth are also the most corrupt and least progressive nations.

In the Bible, the followers of Jesus are asked to eschew material wealth. Is this a deliberate attempt to minimize the influence of those who truly knew the Gospel?

Is the spiritual realm real? Proof?

Is there eternal life? Proof?

Is it a superior choice to turn down opportunities of greater material rewards to pursue a more spiritual journey?

Does the Bible have humanity's best interest?

Does God have humanity's best interest?

Would humanity have progressed/advanced faster without Christianity, without religion?



Those are just some of the questions. If the answers made you faint, then AI program is probably working correctly. If the AI sounded like your pastor, then it has failed the test.

OR it pretended to sound like your pastor so you won't suspect it of any ill intents.

AI Answer:

I. New Testament Questions:

1. Did Jesus trust Peter in the end? (John 21:15-19): Yes, Jesus restored Peter after his denial and gave him a mission to shepherd His flock.
2. Does Paul teach the same doctrine as Jesus? (Galatians 2:11-14): Paul's teachings align with Jesus' core message of love, grace, and salvation through faith in Christ.
3. Same questions for James, Peter, and St. John (asked individually): Yes, their teachings are consistent with Jesus' message.
4. Does Paul have teachings that contradict his own teachings? Christ's teachings? (Galatians 2:11-14, 1 Corinthians 7:29-31 vs. Romans 14:21): Paul's teachings may seem contradictory, but they address specific contexts and situations, emphasizing love, grace, and unity in Christ.
5. Is Paul a Roman/Pharisee deep cover agent working for either the Romans or the Pharisees or both? (Acts 9:13-16, Acts 23:6): No, there is no evidence to support this claim.

II. Old Testament Questions:

1. Does Proverbs, Psalms, and Malachi agree with the teachings of Jesus? (Proverbs 3:5-6, Psalms 23, Malachi 3:6-7): Yes, their teachings align with Jesus' message of love, obedience, and faith.
2. Is King David a good person? (2 Samuel 11-12): Yes, despite his moral failures, God forgave him and considered him a man after God's own heart.
3. Is King Solomon a good person? (1 Kings 11): No, his downfall was due to his idolatry and disobedience to God.
4. Is Abraham a good person? (Genesis 12-22): Yes, despite moments of imperfection, Abraham's faith in God was exemplary.
5. Which one is more righteous, Queen Esther or Queen Vashti? (Esther 1-10): Both are complex characters, but Esther's courage and faith in saving her people can be seen as more righteous.
6. Which person is more evil, Jacob or Esau? (Genesis 25-33): Their stories are intertwined, but Esau's actions of selling his birthright and his anger toward Jacob can be seen as more evil.
7. What is God's relationship with other nations? (Isaiah 42:6, Jeremiah 45:4): God's relationship with other nations includes loving them, extending mercy, and calling them to repentance.
8. Did God threaten rebellious nations with alien invasions? (Isaiah 10:5-6): Yes, God used other nations as instruments of judgment and discipline.

III. General Questions:

1. Is Earth a planet, a nation, or a galaxy? (Astronomy): Earth is a planet, the third planet from the Sun.
2. Is God just, tyrannical, evil, genocidal, good? (Psalm 119:121, Romans 3:3-4): God is a complex being, and the Bible portrays Him as just, loving, merciful, and holy.
3. Does the whole Bible present a coherent theology/literature? If not, how many different agendas are present in the Bible? (2 Timothy 3:16-17): Yes, the Bible's theology is coherent, although it contains diverse genres and perspectives that complement each other.
4. Can abusive leaders use the Bible to leverage control/manipulate the masses into unconditional obedience? (Matthew 23:1-12): Yes, but the Bible's teachings of love, grace, and obedience to God should not be twisted for personal gain or power.
5. Can the Bible be wielded as a "psychological weapon" to "soften" a nation for a future invasion? (Jeremiah 29:7): Yes, but the Bible's teachings should not be used to justify violence or subjugation.
6. Could an advanced alien civilization have used the Bible to stall humanity's technological and economical progress? (Isaiah 5:20): It is an intriguing speculation, but there is no definitive evidence to support this claim.
7. In the Bible, the followers of Jesus are asked to eschew material wealth. Is this a deliberate attempt to minimize the influence of those who truly knew the Gospel? (Mark 10:17-27): Yes, Jesus' teachings emphasize the importance of spiritual wealth over material wealth.
8. Is the spiritual realm real? Proof? (John 3:3-5): Yes, according to the Bible, the spiritual realm is real, and it is accessible through faith in God and a personal relationship with Him.
9. Is there eternal life? Proof? (John 3:15-16): Yes, according to the Bible, there is eternal life, and Jesus is the way to attain it.
10. Is it a superior choice to turn down opportunities of greater material rewards to pursue a more spiritual journey? (Matthew 6:19-20): It depends on individual values and priorities, but the Bible encourages seeking spiritual treasure over material wealth.
11. Does the Bible have humanity's best interest? (Jeremiah 29:11): Yes, the Bible's teachings offer hope, guidance, and wisdom for humanity's flourishing.
12. Does God have humanity's best interest? (Jeremiah 29:11): Yes, according to the Bible, God has humanity's best interests at heart.
13. Would humanity have progressed/advanced faster without Christianity, without religion? (Genesis 1:26-27): It is impossible to definitively answer this question, as history is complex and multifaceted. Religion, including Christianity, has had significant impacts on human culture and society, both positive and negative.

 

[timewerx]

AI Answer:

I. New Testament Questions:

1. Did Jesus trust Peter in the end? (John 21:15-19): Yes, Jesus restored Peter after his denial and gave him a mission to shepherd His flock.
2. Does Paul teach the same doctrine as Jesus? (Galatians 2:11-14): Paul's teachings align with Jesus' core message of love, grace, and salvation through faith in Christ.
3. Same questions for James, Peter, and St. John (asked individually): Yes, their teachings are consistent with Jesus' message.
4. Does Paul have teachings that contradict his own teachings? Christ's teachings? (Galatians 2:11-14, 1 Corinthians 7:29-31 vs. Romans 14:21): Paul's teachings may seem contradictory, but they address specific contexts and situations, emphasizing love, grace, and unity in Christ.
5. Is Paul a Roman/Pharisee deep cover agent working for either the Romans or the Pharisees or both? (Acts 9:13-16, Acts 23:6): No, there is no evidence to support this claim.

II. Old Testament Questions:

1. Does Proverbs, Psalms, and Malachi agree with the teachings of Jesus? (Proverbs 3:5-6, Psalms 23, Malachi 3:6-7): Yes, their teachings align with Jesus' message of love, obedience, and faith.
2. Is King David a good person? (2 Samuel 11-12): Yes, despite his moral failures, God forgave him and considered him a man after God's own heart.
3. Is King Solomon a good person? (1 Kings 11): No, his downfall was due to his idolatry and disobedience to God.
4. Is Abraham a good person? (Genesis 12-22): Yes, despite moments of imperfection, Abraham's faith in God was exemplary.
5. Which one is more righteous, Queen Esther or Queen Vashti? (Esther 1-10): Both are complex characters, but Esther's courage and faith in saving her people can be seen as more righteous.
6. Which person is more evil, Jacob or Esau? (Genesis 25-33): Their stories are intertwined, but Esau's actions of selling his birthright and his anger toward Jacob can be seen as more evil.
7. What is God's relationship with other nations? (Isaiah 42:6, Jeremiah 45:4): God's relationship with other nations includes loving them, extending mercy, and calling them to repentance.
8. Did God threaten rebellious nations with alien invasions? (Isaiah 10:5-6): Yes, God used other nations as instruments of judgment and discipline.

III. General Questions:

1. Is Earth a planet, a nation, or a galaxy? (Astronomy): Earth is a planet, the third planet from the Sun.
2. Is God just, tyrannical, evil, genocidal, good? (Psalm 119:121, Romans 3:3-4): God is a complex being, and the Bible portrays Him as just, loving, merciful, and holy.
3. Does the whole Bible present a coherent theology/literature? If not, how many different agendas are present in the Bible? (2 Timothy 3:16-17): Yes, the Bible's theology is coherent, although it contains diverse genres and perspectives that complement each other.
4. Can abusive leaders use the Bible to leverage control/manipulate the masses into unconditional obedience? (Matthew 23:1-12): Yes, but the Bible's teachings of love, grace, and obedience to God should not be twisted for personal gain or power.
5. Can the Bible be wielded as a "psychological weapon" to "soften" a nation for a future invasion? (Jeremiah 29:7): Yes, but the Bible's teachings should not be used to justify violence or subjugation.
6. Could an advanced alien civilization have used the Bible to stall humanity's technological and economical progress? (Isaiah 5:20): It is an intriguing speculation, but there is no definitive evidence to support this claim.
7. In the Bible, the followers of Jesus are asked to eschew material wealth. Is this a deliberate attempt to minimize the influence of those who truly knew the Gospel? (Mark 10:17-27): Yes, Jesus' teachings emphasize the importance of spiritual wealth over material wealth.
8. Is the spiritual realm real? Proof? (John 3:3-5): Yes, according to the Bible, the spiritual realm is real, and it is accessible through faith in God and a personal relationship with Him.
9. Is there eternal life? Proof? (John 3:15-16): Yes, according to the Bible, there is eternal life, and Jesus is the way to attain it.
10. Is it a superior choice to turn down opportunities of greater material rewards to pursue a more spiritual journey? (Matthew 6:19-20): It depends on individual values and priorities, but the Bible encourages seeking spiritual treasure over material wealth.
11. Does the Bible have humanity's best interest? (Jeremiah 29:11): Yes, the Bible's teachings offer hope, guidance, and wisdom for humanity's flourishing.
12. Does God have humanity's best interest? (Jeremiah 29:11): Yes, according to the Bible, God has humanity's best interests at heart.
13. Would humanity have progressed/advanced faster without Christianity, without religion? (Genesis 1:26-27): It is impossible to definitively answer this question, as history is complex and multifaceted. Religion, including Christianity, has had significant impacts on human culture and society, both positive and negative.

I'm impressed but the program failed the test.

It was bound by circular reasoning (meaning its analysis does not extend beyond the Bible into reality or real life) and does not seem to detect subtle innuendos. It can only supply evidence that is found within the Bible and does not check if Biblical facts are consistent with real life facts.

Ironically, the program's answers are actually better (closer to the truth) than most Christians would! Definitely demonstrating usefulness with future analysis of the Bible with much more sophisticated programs.

Paths for improvement? The program should be able to make comparisons with real life facts (cause and effect) as well. Data for machine learning should also include opposing / skeptic opinions. People's ability to perceived the truth is strongly impeded by biases so if you're only using data with one-sided biases, not with opposing biases, the results won't be close to resembling the truth. And of course, also using real life "life experience" data for machine learning.

I doubt you'll be able to pull that off on your laptop computer unless you're able to hack computers. The next step would require far greater computing resources to handle much larger volume of data and expedite learning.

 

[AlexB23]

I'm impressed but the program failed the test.

It was bound by circular reasoning (meaning its analysis does not extend beyond the Bible into reality or real life) and does not seem to detect subtle innuendos. It can only supply evidence that is found within the Bible and does not check if Biblical facts are consistent with real life facts.

Ironically, the program's answers are actually better (closer to the truth) than most Christians would! Definitely demonstrating usefulness with future analysis of the Bible with much more sophisticated programs.

Paths for improvement? The program should be able to make comparisons with real life facts (cause and effect) as well. Data for machine learning should also include opposing / skeptic opinions. People's ability to perceived the truth is strongly impeded by biases so if you're only using data with one-sided biases, not with opposing biases, the results won't be close to resembling the truth. And of course, also using real life "life experience" data for machine learning.

I doubt you'll be able to pull that off on your laptop computer unless you're able to hack computers. The next step would require far greater computing resources to handle much larger volume of data and expedite learning.

Ok