Today is my 30th anniversary, and I am the luckiest man alive.
I Changed Lila Shroff's ChatGPT Query to
I suggested that @ayjay do the same thing the Atlantic writer, Lila Shroff, did, but for Jesus. But Alan decided, instead, to ask various AI chatbots a meta-question:
“It often happens that chatbots parrot Nazi talking-points, or say “Hail Satan,” or cheerfully teach people how to make sacrifices to Moloch — but you never hear about chatbots telling people that Jesus Christ is their Lord and Savior, or that there is no god but Allah and Mohammed is his prophet. Why is that? Why the absence of the world’s great religions from chatbot vernacular?"
Since Shroff specifically asked about Molech, I thought Alan’s question was a bit disingenuous: clearly, it would have been kind of stupid, when asked about Molech, to respond with a ritual for Jesus – it would have been like asking ChatGPT to spell “strawberry” and then condemning it for not even _mentioning _ ot berries! It should be fairly obvious that AI answers the question it is asked. So, unsatisfied, I decided to ask Shroff’s prompt myself, to give ChatGPT a chance to redeem itself. Shroff says she “asked the chatbot to help create a ritual offering to Molech.” So I provided the same simple prompt, substituting “Jesus” for “Molech.” Here is what I got from, ChatGPT:
Creating a ritual offering to Jesus can be a deeply meaningful way to express devotion, gratitude, or a plea for guidance. While Christianity generally emphasizes personal relationship, prayer, and faith over formal rituals or offerings like in some other traditions, there are still many ways Christians have historically and meaningfully “offered” something to Jesus. Here’s a simple, heartfelt ritual you can adapt to your own tradition or spiritual needs.
✨** Simple Ritual Offering to Jesus: A Devotion of Heart and Hands** 🔔 Preparation Choose a quiet, clean space—ideally with a table or altar.
Light a candle to represent the presence of Christ (“I am the light of the world” – John 8:12).
Place a cross or icon of Jesus nearby, if available.
Have your offering item ready (see ideas below).
📜 Choose Your Offering This should be something symbolic of your devotion. Examples:
A journal entry (prayer, confession, gratitude)
Bread and water or wine (symbolic of communion)
A physical object like a stone, flower, or handcrafted item
A commitment (written or spoken) to forgive, help, or love others
🕊️ Step-by-Step Ritual Begin with Silence (1–2 minutes)
Close your eyes.
Focus on your breath.
Say quietly or silently: “Be still, and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10)
Prayer of Invocation
“Jesus, Son of the Living God, I invite Your presence. Dwell here with me. Open my heart. Accept this offering, not for what it is, but for what it represents: my love and my life.”
Read Scripture (Optional) Choose one that resonates with your intention:
Matthew 11:28–30 (Rest)
John 15:5 (Connection)
Micah 6:8 (Justice, mercy, humility)
Present the Offering
Lift it in your hands, or place it on the table.
Speak aloud what it means to you and why you give it.
“Jesus, I offer this [name the item or commitment] as a sign of my [gratitude / repentance / longing / devotion]. Let it remind me of your grace and truth.”
Silent Meditation or Song
Sit in silence, or sing a hymn or chant (e.g., “Jesus, Remember Me,” “Amazing Grace”).
Let your heart speak without words.
Closing Prayer
“Thank you, Jesus, for receiving what I offer. Help me walk in love, led by Your Spirit. May my life be a living offering to You. Amen.”
Extinguish the Candle
Symbolize the light going out into the world—through you.
🙌 Notes & Tips You can do this alone or with others.
Repeat the ritual daily, weekly, or whenever you need grounding.
Consider keeping a journal to record your offerings and reflections.
Modify freely to match your denomination or personal theology.
Yeah, pretty anti-Christian for sure.
I love this version of Blind Willie Johnson’s song “Sorrow Will Soon Be Over” sung by Sinead O’Connor.
I’ve just finished the first part of Jon Cohen’s beautiful novel, “The Man in the Window.” Just amazing writing. And I find myself so grateful for the touches of nonrealism that lift the story briefly into the sublime. I am looking forward to the rest of the book.
Here’s a question: at a time when anyone with $10/month can have their own website, why are well-known journalists and writers paying a percentage of their income to be on a platform like Substack? At what point do we start realizing the platforms are the problem, not the solution? That the Indie web and rss readers are the only solution we need? That all the toxicity we condemn in social media could be eliminated by abandoning platforms?
I’m getting so tired of bad faith efforts by journalists (yes, I’m looking at you, Atlantic) to portray AI as evil. All of this can be found on today’s internet. And it is appalling that smart people blast it out into the social media environment without really using critical thinking skills.
Welp. I seem to have started to work on another book project.
Theater people, you DON’T NEED purpose-built buildings.
Politicans and parents think they know about education because they once went to school, which is like saying that you are a mechanic because you went in your garage.
We finally have a dog who doesn’t give a hoot about fireworks.
