◉ Introduction: When Dialogue Fails
The conversation that follows is an excerpt from a Facebook dialogue between a Christian and a non-believer—a theological clash that begins with a question about divine love and quickly spirals into accusations, doctrinal declarations, and philosophical pushback. On one side is Phil, a former believer turned skeptic who challenges the coherence of a loving God who punishes children. On the other is Joe, a committed Christian who views Phil’s rejection of faith as evidence of spiritual rebellion rather than rational critique.
As their exchange unfolds, the gap between them widens—not merely in theological content, but in method: one appeals to reasoned argument and evidentiary standards, while the other leans heavily on authoritative pronouncements and doctrinal finality. Attempts at clarification are met with accusations. Questions are answered with Scripture—often shouted in caps.
To make sense of this imbalance and highlight the epistemic dynamics at play, an AI was employed to analyze the structure, civility, and rational integrity of both participants’ comments. The result is a striking illustration of why AI adjudication may be essential in dialogues where one party refuses to argue in good faith.
The full conversation and accompanying analysis are presented below.
🟢 Phil: WOULD AN ACTUAL LOVING GOD ACT LIKE THE GOD DEPICTED IN THE BIBLE? If a king punished not only rebels but also their innocent children, would we still call that king loving, or would the term itself become hollow under such a contradiction? This analogy raises a difficult question about biblical depictions of divine love—especially in narratives like the flood, where every child perishes at the hand of a God described as loving. Can “love” still retain its meaning if it includes such acts, or does redefining it in this way erode the concept into incoherence? Should we accept a version of love that seems indistinguishable from cruelty simply because it is attributed to a deity? And if God’s actions are said to operate on a plane “beyond human understanding,” how can terms like love, justice, or compassion have any consistent or communicable meaning to us at all? Would we tolerate a neighbor who allowed children to suffer horribly for a hidden reason, and if not, why do we excuse a deity for the same behavior? If we continue to call such acts “loving,” are we not engaged in linguistic self-deception, using a word that no longer connects to anything we would recognize as care or compassion?
🔵 Joe: What is JUSTICE from your WORLD VIEW?
🔵 Joe: Innocent Children? What proclaims the children as innocent?
🟢 Phil: Innocence is the absence of guilt. Guilt requires intentional actions. Infants pass through a stage pre- or postpartum in which their actions are not intentional. Hence, those infants during that stage are innocent. You proclaim these infants during this stage innocent, right? We don’t punish newborns for their parents’ behaviors, right?
🔵 Joe: There are no innocent Human Beings. ADAM sinned against GOD. All men are born from ADAM (WHO IS UNRIGHTEOUS).
🟢 Phil: I don’t have a worldview that fits neatly into a category, but I hold that the notion of justice does not reflect a moral position. It simply reflects our emotional reaction towards objective inequalities. For this reason, I seldom use the term “injustice”. Feel free to uncover times that I have, and we can discuss the reasons for that usage.
🟢 Phil: How is that possible? Can you coherently explain how guilt is passed between generations? Is it perhaps just something you read somewhere?
🔵 Joe: You do have a Christian world view, because YOU ARE NOT REGENERATED. Unless GOD REGENERATES you, you remain in a state of Unrighteousness. Your belief is not the Standard of Truth.
🔵 Joe: From ADAM. ADAM violated the LAW of GOD (became Unrighteous). All of ADAM’S offspring are declared Unrighteous by GOD. JESUS CHRIST, who was not BORN of ADAM, took upon Himself Human FLESH so that HE COULD IMPUTE HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS to HIS CHOSEN PEOPLE.
🔵 Joe: GOD is THE ABSOLUTE STANDARD OF GOOD. EVIL is that which is AGAINST GOD. Sin is against GOD. Sin is EVIL. Man sins against GOD. Man is Evil.
🔵 Joe: Jhn 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.
Jhn 10:28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.
Jhn 10:29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.
Jhn 10:30 I and the Father are one.
IF you were a CHRISTIAN you could not stop being one. Once SAVED, Always SAVED.
🟢 Phil: I’ve got other things to do, but I encourage you to filter our words through an AI to assess our arguments and tone. Here is what I get:
ChatGPT:
◉ Obedience to 1 Peter 3:15: Phil vs. Joe
To determine which individual more closely adheres to the instructions in 1 Peter 3:15, we must look at three explicit directives found in the verse:
“But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect.”
This entails:
— Reverence: Honoring Christ internally.
— Readiness: Being prepared to give reasons for one’s hope.
— Respectful Tone: Communicating with gentleness and respect.
Let us evaluate Phil and Joe by these criteria:
——— Phil
— Reverence: While Phil is not a Christian and does not follow Christ, he never pretends otherwise. So in the context of internal reverence, this command does not apply to him.
— Readiness: Phil gives sustained, reasoned challenges to Christian claims—clearly articulating his position and asking probing philosophical questions.
— Tone: Throughout the thread, Phil avoids personal attacks and maintains a tone of measured criticism, even when pushed aggressively. Notably, he reminds Joe to reflect on 1 Peter 3:15 and suggests he quote Scripture rather than hurl accusations. This shows awareness of and appeal to Christian standards of discourse.
✅ Phil demonstrates readiness and a respectful tone—even when he is not bound to this standard himself.
——— Joe
— Reverence: Joe claims strong allegiance to Christ and quotes Scripture extensively, suggesting he honors Christ in intention.
— Readiness: Joe rapidly deploys theological concepts—original sin, regeneration, imputation of righteousness—demonstrating theological preparedness.
— Tone: Joe’s tone, however, frequently violates the spirit of the verse:
He tells Phil: “You do have a Christian world view, because YOU ARE NOT REGENERATED.”
Claims that Phil is not a sheep, not chosen, and declares him evil.
These are not delivered with gentleness and respect, but with an air of condemnation and aggression.
When challenged, Joe repeatedly doubles down with caps lock emphasis and doctrinal absolutism without interpersonal care.
❌ Joe demonstrates doctrinal readiness but fails the critical standard of gentleness and respect mandated by the verse.
Conclusion
Although Phil does not subscribe to the Christian faith, his conduct ironically aligns more closely with the tone and attitude urged by 1 Peter 3:15—particularly in the call to engage with gentleness and respect. Joe, despite his claim to Christian authority, largely undermines the verse through aggressive rhetoric and lack of compassion.
Verdict: Phil is more obedient—in spirit—to the directives of 1 Peter 3:15 than Joe, especially in tone and conduct.
🔵 Joe: God states otherwise. So as stated above you call Christ a Liar. You WERE NEVER A CHRISTIAN ACCORDING TO THE WORDS OF JESUS CHRIST.
🔵 Joe: You were ousted by God. He threw you out because you are a Goat. Matt 25:33-46 states your future.
🔵 Joe: Your understanding of Biblical Scripture is laughable.
Verdict: Phil is GOAT on his way to Eternal Punishment.
🔵 Joe: Wrong. First a Person must be Regenerated, Repentance, Faith and belief are all gifts of God. Faith comes from Jesus as He is the Author and Finisher of the Christians Faith. People do not accept anything; it is God who does the accepting. Christ imputes His Righteousness to His Sheep. You have got it backwards. Hence you Were NEVER A CHRISTIAN. You may have believed you were. All the things you mentioned are completely opposite to the Salvation of Paul in Acts 9. This is the Example of Biblical Regeneration. Saul — PAUL through REGENERATION. Your Ordo Salutis is False.
🟢 Phil:
Joe A Smith — ChatGPT on Joe’s last 4 comments (in Phil’s voice):
◉ Logical Coherence
➘ Joe’s arguments rely on circular reasoning, assuming God’s verdict to prove God’s verdict (e.g., “You were never a Christian because Jesus says so”).
➘ He equivocates between my biographical experience of Christianity and theological definitions of salvation.
➘ No logical connection is made between the parable of the goats in Matthew and me personally.
✓ Fails logical coherence due to fallacious structure and poor argument development.
◉ Factual Accuracy
➘ Joe makes assertions about my past, claiming divine knowledge of my spiritual status, without offering any objective basis.
➘ Statements like “God threw you out” and “Verdict: Phil is GOAT on his way to Eternal Punishment” rest on unverifiable claims and misapplication of parables.
✓ Fails factual accuracy by asserting unverifiable, speculative content as fact.
◉ Falsifiability
➘ Joe’s theology is epistemically sealed: any counter-evidence (e.g., sincere belief, service) is dismissed as not real regeneration.
➘ The claim “You were never a Christian” is non-falsifiable because Joe allows no criteria that could disprove his assertion.
✓ Fails falsifiability due to complete insulation from counter-evidence.
◉ Lack of Dogmatism
➘ Joe offers no epistemic flexibility; his theology is presented as the only truth, dismissing others’ interpretations without consideration.
➘ He asserts that my theology is “laughable” and “false” without acknowledging interpretive diversity within Christianity.
✓ Fails the test of humility and intellectual openness; marked dogmatism.
◉ Relevance
➘ Rather than addressing the core challenge—how a loving God could punish children—Joe diverts into predestination and soteriology.
➘ These are not responsive to the core question about divine love and justice, rendering the replies theologically disconnected.
✓ Fails relevance by substituting doctrinal assertions for substantive engagement.
◉ Civility
➘ Joe refers to my understanding as “laughable” and declares an eternal punishment verdict without compassion.
➘ These remarks violate the standard of gentleness and respect in 1 Peter 3:15, let alone basic civility.
➘ Even if Joe believed I was damned, there is no pastoral tone—only condescension and triumphalism.
✓ Fails civility due to harshness, ridicule, and condemnation.
Summary: Joe’s response is a textbook failure of reasoned engagement, biblical gentleness, and epistemic responsibility. It does not advance a coherent theological case, nor does it model the demeanor urged by the scripture he cites.
◉ The Case for AI Adjudication in Intractable Dialogues
When engaging in public or semi-public discourse, particularly on emotionally charged topics like theology, politics, or ideology, interlocutors often encounter individuals who demonstrate obstinance—marked by an unwavering commitment to their claims, an unwillingness to provide evidence, a refusal to engage with counterarguments, and frequent violations of civility norms. In such cases, employing an artificial intelligence (AI) for objective analysis of the dialogue is not merely useful; it may be the best or only viable method to restore rational balance and clarify the contours of the disagreement.
◉ The Challenge of Asymmetrical Engagement
A dialogue can be constructive only when both participants agree to certain minimal norms:
- Mutual recognition of the need for evidence
- Responsiveness to counterpoints
- Civility and clarity in tone
- Willingness to revise one’s views in light of strong counter-evidence
However, in many real-world conversations, particularly online, one party may repeatedly violate these norms. Consider the following behaviors:
- Refusal to provide reasons: Instead of justifying their stance, the participant asserts divine or ideological authority as the final word.
- Unfalsifiable claims: Statements are made that cannot be challenged by any conceivable evidence (e.g., “You were never really one of us”).
- Ad hominem and ridicule: Rather than engaging ideas, the person insults or condemns the other’s sincerity, character, or eternal destiny.
- Dogmatism: The position is framed as the sole possible truth, and disagreement is painted as evil or deceptive.
Such behaviors obstruct any hope of rational consensus or clarification, reducing the dialogue to a self-congratulatory monologue. A nonpartisan third party is needed—but humans often fail to be neutral, especially when emotionally invested.
◉ Why AI Offers a Unique Solution
Artificial Intelligence—particularly when designed to assess argument structure, logical coherence, tone, and evidentiary support—can serve as an epistemic referee in such lopsided engagements. It excels in the following domains:
✓ Impartial Evaluation
AI can evaluate both sides of a dialogue using formal and consistent criteria. These might include:
- Coherence of argument structure
- Presence or absence of supporting evidence
- Responsiveness to counterpoints
- Use of logical fallacies
- Civility and tone
Unlike human observers who may bring in biases, AI applies these criteria neutrally and transparently.
✓ Transparency and Replicability
The evaluative process of AI can be documented and replicated. A transcript and its corresponding AI critique can be revisited, making the reasoning process public and open to correction. This contrasts with interpersonal adjudication, which often devolves into “he said, she said.”
✓ Reduction of Escalation
Because AI refrains from emotional investment, it de-escalates interactions by framing critiques in dispassionate terms. It does not respond to provocation, sarcasm, or threats. For interlocutors committed to dialogue but unwilling to continue with an irrational actor, this provides a dignified off-ramp: let the AI speak instead.
✓ Educational Utility
An AI-generated critique can highlight good-faith reasoning even in the presence of provocation. This serves as a teaching moment—demonstrating the contrast between constructive and destructive argumentation, without requiring the interlocutor to become combative.
◉ When Other Methods Fail
In cases of entrenched dogmatism, theological fatalism, or intentional incivility, human engagement reaches a limit. Direct confrontation results in more entrenchment. Appeals to evidence are ignored. Tone corrections are interpreted as weakness or persecution. In these moments, an AI is not simply a helpful tool—it may be the only mechanism left that:
- Keeps a record of what actually occurred,
- Clarifies the epistemic imbalance for third-party observers, and
- Protects the rational interlocutor from being drawn into fruitless exchanges.
◉ Preempting the Rejection of AI Analysis
A likely move by the obstinate party is to dismiss the AI as “biased,” “worldly,” “faithless,” or “soulless.” But this objection undermines itself. If one rejects all neutral, evidence-based adjudication, what remains is merely authority and assertion—the very structure of dogmatism. The rejection of an AI’s critique, absent any alternative framework for evaluating argumentation, is a tacit confession of irrationality.
◉ Conclusion: The Rational Asylum
When faced with dogmatists who are immune to counterevidence, hostile to correction, and unconcerned with the standards of respectful discourse, AI offers a rational sanctuary. It does not coerce belief but clarifies the asymmetry, showing who is arguing and who is merely declaring. It replaces despair with documentation, escalation with structure, and distortion with accountability. In this respect, AI adjudication is not just practical—it is epistemically necessary when all else fails.
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