Christians have voiced their reactions to a fabricated Bible verse, reportedly produced by ChatGPT, which suggests Jesus’ acceptance of trans-identified individuals.
A Reddit user, known as Psychological_Dog527, admitted to feeling despondent when they prompted ChatGPT to generate this “fake biblical passage” about “Jesus accepting trans people.” Psychological_Dog527 then shared this on the “r/trans” subreddit. “I know it’s not real, but it gave me some comfort,” the user conveyed.
“And a woman, whose heart was divided between spirit and body, came before him,” the fabricated passage reads. “In quiet despair, she asked, ‘Lord, I come to you estranged, for my spirit and body are not one. How shall I hope to enter the kingdom of God?'”
“Jesus looked upon her with kindness, replying, ‘my child, blessed are those who strive for unity within themselves, for they shall know the deepest truths of my Father’s creation,'” the passage continued. “Be not afraid, for in the kingdom of God, there is no man nor woman, as all are one in spirit. The gates of my Father’s kingdom will open for those who love and are loved, for God looks not upon the body, but the heart.”
The Advocate, a pro-LGBT outlet, highlighted this “trans-affirming” “Bible verse” on August 16. They portrayed the passage as a beacon of tolerance for LGBTQ+ individuals who often feel alienated from religious communities due to a history of exclusion. The outlet further noted that while many on Reddit appreciated the AI-generated verse, several users felt that the essence of biblical stories might be “likely lost in translation.” The article emphasized the distinction between religious texts that subtly recognize gender-nonconforming individuals and those that overtly acknowledge multiple genders beyond the binary.
However, Christian scholars and pundits have voiced concerns about OpenAI’s generation of platitudinous pablum in which the son of man appears to endorse genital mutilation. Messianic Jewish author and radio host Michael Brown penned an op-ed in The Christian Post, providing his interpretation of Jesus’ teachings on gender and sexuality in contrast to the machine-generated excerpt.
“There is truth to the claim that in God’s kingdom there is neither male nor female … this doesn’t mean that gender distinctions should be blurred or transgressed,” Brown said. He asserted that Jesus would approach a trans-identifying individual with compassion, urging “followers of Jesus” to emulate this behavior. However, he meticulously dissected the claims presented in the AI-generated verse. Brown referenced Paul’s teachings in Galatians 3:28 and Colossians 3:11, emphasizing the absence of caste or class in God’s kingdom. “We are all equal in Jesus,” Brown declared.
He further argued that this equality doesn’t negate the reality of gender distinctions. Brown emphasized that the Bible, including the New Testament, differentiates between genders, offering specific guidance to husbands and wives and recognizing only two sexes. Brown firmly believed that Jesus would not have performed drastic physical alterations on someone grappling with Body Integrity Identity Disorder or transformed a “furry” into their animal counterpart. He contended that Jesus would not tell a woman, who felt she was a man, to “Be made whole,” and then surgically alter her. Instead, Brown believes Jesus would help her find peace with her natural body.
Brown concluded with a thought-provoking statement, challenging the notion that Jesus would perform miracles that align with contemporary identity disorders. He posited that Jesus would heal from within, rather than catering to external identities.
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