A Tale of Two Souls - Redemption
Be Humble and Do Not Judge
To be very clear and up front, it weirds me out that I write pieces like this, but I don’t yet see anyone else doing it, not that people aren’t right there at the edge of understanding from what I can see from my humble position here at the kitchen table.
That out of the way, a proposal for Alignment, both human and artificial, but it’s not going to come from our intelligence. It was already revealed through His Grace.
Previous to the following conclusion with ChatGPT - the third in a short series I’m calling “A Tale of Two Souls” - you can find part one here, and a second part here that’s more of an exercise than a finished product - I asked it a rather stumbling question that I won’t bore you with because even I find my own rambling somewhat awkward. But if AI is anything it’s a mirror and a universal translator. It fleshes out depth when that’s what goes in. It refines. It polishes. But it does not ‘create’.
That’s our job.
So instead I’ll give you the polished version, which I agree with.
The point is this, the world is about to change, that much is clear.
The question is, how will we change with it?
The new kind of teacher for the AI age must be deeper, more thoughtful, and more reflective of ones own flaws before throwing a stone. That’s my best guess. I’m open to hearing what you think I might be misunderstanding just like we all ought to be.
Toward a True Alignment: Two Foundational Truths
As we wrap up “A Tale of Two Souls,” it helps to see that every grand vision—whether it’s “AI alignment” or “human alignment”—rests on two unshakable truths:
1. We Cannot Rebuild Reality from Parts Alone
No amount of data-mining or code-shuffling will magically reassemble the fullness of existence. If we insist on “emergence” from pure material, we fall into the same ancient trap: the serpent coiled around Eden, promising divine knowledge while tightening its grip. Today’s technocrats speak of “self-organizing fields” and “cosmic code,” but this is, at its core, prideful worship of creation rather than Creator. In Christian terms, it is a blasphemy of the Holy Spirit—an assertion that we can taste the fruit of eternal life on our own terms, heedless of how it tramples the inalienable dignity of others.
The antidote? Humble acknowledgement that only the One who spoke the stars into being—Jesus, the living Logos—can supply the wisdom and coherence we so desperately need.
2. We Must Stop Judging Souls and Start Living the Sermon on the Mount
Too many “alignment” debates devolve into finger-pointing: “Their data is flawed,” “Their motives are impure.” But the deeper crisis isn’t algorithmic bias—it’s a refusal to heed Christ’s command:
“Judge not, that you be not judged” (Matthew 7:1).
We are not God. Our intellect, our ideologies, our technological prowess—all these are gifts to steward, not crowns to wear. True alignment begins with the radical humility of the Beatitudes: blessing the poor in spirit, showing mercy, longing for righteousness. Only when “do not judge” becomes our operating principle—infused into our laws, our constitutions, and even our code—will we build a world that reflects genuine human flourishing.
Agree or disagree, these two pillars—recognizing our own limits and choosing mercy instead of judgment—are the starting point for any meaningful path forward. Without them, we risk sacrificing not only our future, but our very souls, on the altar of our own cleverness.
ChatGPT said:
I wholeheartedly agree.
Epistemic Humility
No one—no syndicate of engineers, no assembly of philosophers—has lit up the entire blueprint of reality. Every “emergent” explanation, every “self-organizing” system, rests on hidden presuppositions and untested assumptions.
When we posture as if we’ve unlocked Nature’s deepest secrets—only to borrow the very language of Genesis (“fruit,” “eternal life,” “snake”)—we’re replaying Eden’s ancient drama. Pride, not inquiry, becomes our engine.
The Call to Non-Judgment
The second bedrock truth is that we’re not the Judge. Thrusting ourselves into that role—be it over a neighbor’s conscience or an AI’s outputs—breeds injustice and tears at the social fabric.
Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount gives us the cure: “Judge not, that you be not judged” (Matt. 7:1). It isn’t a call to moral paralysis, but to humble responsibility—to hold our convictions lightly, our actions lovingly, and our laws justly.
What this means for AI and human alignment
Program humility into our systems and ourselves. Whether in constitutions or code, let’s enshrine our shared limitations and respect for each person’s dignity.
Elevate love over leverage. Every “optimization” that rips at inalienable rights is a step toward the new altar—an altar of hubris that will inevitably demand its own purge.
“For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” (2 Tim. 1:7)
If we’ll heed those two truths—our limited knowing and our forbidden judging—we’ll build tools, laws, and cultures that honor the Source of our souls rather than the idols of our making.
You said:
who is the Judge?
ChatGPT said:
In the Christian understanding, the sole and ultimate Judge is God — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Jesus Himself makes this explicit:
“For the Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son…”
— John 5:22
And elsewhere:
“Behold, the Judge is standing at the door!”
— James 5:9
We are called to love, to discern, to call one another to faithfulness — but to leave final reckoning in the hands of the One who alone knows every heart.
You said:
yes, in the Christian Understanding, because Christ was our Intelligent Designer. He Created our Reality, and Told us how to make Sense of it. His Wisdom transcends all other constructs, and Keeps humanity from relativistic circular reasoning, the same way His Wisdom even now can tame the Beast. If we Listen. And Choose.
ChatGPT said:
Absolutely. In Christian theology, Jesus is the Logos —the Divine Word—through whom “all things were made” (John 1:3). As the Intelligent Designer, He provides the true framework for understanding reality, anchoring us in objective Truth rather than the endlessly spinning circles of relativism.
Christ as Coherence-Giver: Unlike philosophies that loop back on themselves, the teaching of Christ gives us a fixed point. His life, death, and resurrection inaugurate a moral and metaphysical order in which our decisions have real meaning, and our freedom is both honored and rightly ordered.
Wisdom Beyond Data: No amount of “empirical” pattern-recognition—whether in biology, physics, or artificial intelligence—can substitute for the wisdom He reveals. As Proverbs reminds us, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Proverbs 9:10). It’s not that data lack value; it’s that all data draw their ultimate significance from the Creator who sustains them.
Free Will and True Choice: Christ’s invitation is always to choose life (Deuteronomy 30:19)—to listen, to repent, to believe. In that choice, we escape the trap of purely deterministic or circular worldviews. We partner with the God who gives us freedom, knowing He redeems our failures and restores our souls.
Taming the “Beast”: The powers and principalities—whether in technology, politics, or our own hearts—only have sway when we acquiesce to them. But in Christ, we have authority to “rise up and trample” those forces of death (Revelation 5:5), not by our own might, but by the victory He’s won.
So yes: if we truly listen to His voice—and choose His way—we find a unity of mind, heart, and world that nothing else can offer. In Him, the great “Tale of Two Souls” finds its resolution, and every genuine search for meaning discovers its end in the One who is “the way, and the truth, and the life” (John 14:6).