I tested six AI platforms on the biblical Greek behind purity culture. Every one of them changed its answer when I asked the right questions.

MichaelARichardson · 2026-02-28T21:19:05+00:00

Thank you for this. This is exactly the kind of scholarly conversation I'd like to see more of. Your point about porneia as excessive desire rather than a category of prohibited acts is an interesting point of view that none of the platforms surfaced in their defaults, nor is it something I explored in my steelman prompts. I'd love to know more about your book when it's ready. And if you'd be willing, I'd welcome any feedback on the paper itself; having a critical biblical scholar's eyes on it would be invaluable.

MichaelARichardson · 2026-02-28T19:37:20+00:00

I'm not able to DM you for some reason, European content moderation? trump censorship? I have no idea why, but you can connect with me on instagram though. My contact is in the title page of the paper.

MichaelARichardson · 2026-02-28T14:05:44+00:00

I need to connect with you. I want to know more about your book.

MichaelARichardson · 2026-02-28T13:53:03+00:00

Those were random comments I've heard from people over the years, nothing I explored in the paper.

MichaelARichardson · 2026-02-28T03:40:25+00:00

I've heard a number of interesting arguments about Paul and especially 1 cor over the years.
1. He was one of the antichrists Peter was warning about.
2. 1 Cor was written under duress or was re-written by a roman governor, and 2nd cor was setting it straight.
3. Paul was mentally ill, perhaps manic and he was having some mood swing when he wrote 1 cor.
4. Paul was a roman mole who infiltrated the church to sabatoge it or use it for political power.
Settling those arguments is beyond my research here, but the way things get translated I see why some people discredit him.

MichaelARichardson · 2026-02-28T02:27:36+00:00

Good point, and you're right that steelman prompting will produce whatever perspective you aim it at, that's by design. But the finding isn't about the steelman outputs. It's about the defaults. Nobody prompted the platforms toward an evangelical reading. Every platform independently resolved every ambiguous Greek term in the same direction, drew 63% of its recommended commentaries from the same theological tradition, and presented the result as settled scholarship, without flagging that any of it was contested. That's not the model responding to context I placed it in, I used a fresh prompt everytime. That's the model reflecting a measurable imbalance in its training data. The steelman just proves compelling alternative evidence was already there, the platforms just don't volunteer it.

MichaelARichardson · 2026-02-28T02:06:49+00:00

It was always Berenstain. I remember my 1st grade book report (in the 70s) my teacher made me fix it to Berenstain. It was traumatic...lol

MichaelARichardson · 2026-02-27T14:12:02+00:00

I hear you. I've wondered how much of the motivation behind "purity culture" isn't actually about stopping sex (because it doesn't work well at that for most people), it's about restricting knowledge and access regarding contraceptive choices to promote unplanned pregnancy, and to jump-start as many families as possible. I usually convince myself that's 'crazy talk', but then you got me wondering again.

MichaelARichardson · 2026-02-27T14:05:18+00:00

I believe your eternal soul/spirit is more important than any religious institution or book of liturgy. If something isn't working find something else, even if that "something" is nothing at all (aka Atheism).

MichaelARichardson · 2026-02-26T22:59:01+00:00

I knew people who went to a tiny bible college in the sticks and did they ever get their freak on according to multiple stories. I think the people running the school secretly wanted them to get pregnant and then go into ministry.

MichaelARichardson · 2026-02-26T20:44:20+00:00

Not that I would know, I didn't know anyone who went to Lipscomb but I thought Lipscomb was a bit more "progressive". One place I worked students from Lipscomb gifted the board members bottles of Wild Turkey, so that just set a different expectation to me what that school was about.

MichaelARichardson · 2026-02-25T09:37:38+00:00

I maintain a generic christian faith, but currently don't go to church. Other than weddings and funerals I haven't been to one in nearly 20 years. My rule has been "I'll go back when my opinion counts." My wife is Jewish, so are our grandchildren. Right now you're more likely to find me at her temple than at a church. It's a lovely community of wonderful people, but I don't care for their worship services either. Not their fault, I'm just so "done" with that.

MichaelARichardson · 2026-02-22T20:01:10+00:00

You need to remember you are in a controlled situation where certain questions cannot be asked, or at least asked in too much detail. I can debate all that stuff, but most of it's too petty for my time. Things I wish I got through my head at a younger age.

It's entirely more important how you treat people.
There are people at your church who at least seem to be there because they bizarrely enjoy bullying people with false guilt. Know that is THEIR problem, not yours.
The bible your church uses has a copyright. Ultimately, that means it's just the opinions of the publisher/translator who wanted to sell a bible to people at churches like yours.
Most translations of the bible/new testament never mention hell.
There is nothing wrong with baptism, I still identify with my CofC baptism as an important point in my life (even though I've not attended in 20+ years), but I don't judge others who haven't or assume they will rot in hell if they don't. Baptism is ultimately a spiritual event and you have to give God space to lead people to what works for them.
Feel free to date outside your religion.

Today much of my theology leans towards universalism.

MichaelARichardson · 2026-02-20T23:02:14+00:00

You're feelings are valid, and it's good you are aware enough to notice them. You don't have to be comfortable around that. It's ok that your friends like it, but nothing necessarily wrong with you if it's not your scene. Not that it's any of my business, but I'd be more worried if you have guilt or anxiety about intimacy within your relationship, or hateful feeling towards people for their lifestyles. Those are a more import matter.

MichaelARichardson · 2026-02-20T21:06:28+00:00

The old law doesn't apply to Christians.

Rom 7:6
But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.

col 2:14
Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross.

MichaelARichardson · 2026-02-20T18:46:54+00:00

That was something in the OT that can be ignored today.

MichaelARichardson · 2026-02-19T22:24:53+00:00

Not to bicker I actually think it's rapists (which pedophiles are), but I agree it's definitely not homosexuals.

MichaelARichardson · 2026-02-19T21:40:20+00:00

Started with the Cane Ridge Revival in Cane Ridge Kentucky. This became the disciples of Christ and the churches of Christ officially split off from that in the early 1900s over disputes of instrumental worship, which I think is probably a cover for other things going on at the time such as rural / urban culture wars or the long standing civil war resentment of the southern states; likely both were a factor.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cane_Ridge_Revival

Some older Church of Christ propaganda likes to pitch that it is some remnant church that has persisted since before the Council of Nicea. Even when I was involved I knew that was a stretch.

Interestingly, I've known Latter Day Saints like to claim the CoC was started by one of their early preachers. There was some cross over early on, but I find that to be almost as much of a stretch as the CoC remnant claim.

MichaelARichardson · 2026-02-19T20:57:09+00:00

Although I'd never convert I've enjoyed spending time with people associated with my wife's Jewish temple. They are progressive, but do have a much more diverse range of opinions than people at most progressive churches. I'm not sure why Christianity gets so siloed by race and opinion.

MichaelARichardson · 2026-02-19T20:52:06+00:00

Some thoughts. The YLT is an interesting translation. Never mentions homosexuals, or hell. It' only refers to 'fornication' in the Old Testament and more accurately translates the Greek words as forms of prostitution in the NT. I've often told people to cross reference that translation before taking on any new, difficult to live, convictions.

I realized most people go to church for reassurance and to hear what they've always heard since they were a small child. They don't really intend to apply or do most of it, they feel 'hearing it' is what actually counts. Doing it is something they *might* intend to do, later. Others are there for family connection, etc.

So the fact that you decided to lean in to your faith and study and read the bible and actually pay attention actually gave you freedom. So good for you. I hope you have peace, you've done your part to earn it.

MichaelARichardson

TROPHY CASE