If ChatGPT were the devil…
DISCLAIMERS:
*I am not anti-AI. As I’ll share, I’m new to AI, and actually enjoy utilizing it as a resource.
*To those who try to use my occasional disclaimer clauses against me: the world is filled with psychos who hide their own thoughts (usually due to cowardice) yet want to vilify you by using your words out of context. I use them to add a little clarity if I feel it will be needed.
There is no doubt that I am very late to the AI party. I’ve done my best to resist it, as I’ve had concerns over pastors using it to completely develop and form their sermons, especially those pastors who already have 0% originality, mostly stealing their messages from books and other preachers (even word for word). They even use the “Hey! There’s nothing new under the sun!” slogan to justify their laziness. You know what else is not new? Studying, praying, reading the Bible, cross-referencing, hearing from God, having a devotional life, challenging yourself Scripturally, NOT cutting corners by copying other people 90% of the time, asking God what your particular congregation needs to hear…right now.
Study is one of the most important tools in a minister’s arsenal, and like a disciplined prayer life it MUST be developed. It is difficult and there are no shortcuts.
But I digress as this is turning into a rant and not the purpose of my writing today.
A few months ago I was visiting with a friend who challenged me to begin using ChatGPT or any AI platform as a tool (among many), also giving me warnings that, as with all things (such as the Internet and Social Media), it can and most certainly will be used both for good and bad purposes. He also encouraged me to challenge the answers I would get on any AI platform by asking follow up questions (including citations when doing deep study).
Earlier today my oldest daughter messaged a Facebook video to our family group thread. It was of a lady asking ChatGPT how it would destroy a generation without them knowing it. Watching the video I thought to myself, “Here we go, another clickbait video that is probably made up.” I decided to ask ChatGPT myself the same question, and could not believe the answer it gave me.
So I asked it a follow up question, and was even more stunned.
I am sharing both questions with you exactly as I received them, including the emphasis (bold print).
Question One: If you were the devil, how would you destroy the minds of the next generation without them knowing it?
If I were the devil seeking to destroy the minds of the next generation without them knowing it, I would use subtlety, normalization, and distraction. Here’s how I might do it:
1. Normalize Confusion About Identity
Blur gender and sexual identity until young people no longer know who they are or what it means to be male or female.
Undermine family structures so they don't see a model for identity formation.
2. Elevate Feelings Over Truth
Convince them that truth is subjective, based on how they feel rather than what is real.
Encourage them to see disagreement as hate, silencing critical thinking and dialogue.
3. Addict Them to Screens
Fill their lives with constant digital stimulation—short videos, dopamine hits, endless scrolling—until they can no longer focus, read deeply, or think clearly.
Use social media to foster envy, insecurity, and comparison, destroying mental health while keeping them addicted.
4. Remove Purpose and Transcendence
Convince them that life is accidental, meaningless, and that God is either a myth or an oppressive construct.
Replace eternal purpose with temporary pleasure and self-expression.
5. Reframe Evil as Good (and Good as Evil)
Redefine morality so that sin becomes self-care, and holiness becomes intolerance.
Encourage celebration of rebellion, promiscuity, pride, and spiritual apathy.
6. Use Education to Indoctrinate
Replace wisdom with ideology in schools.
Discourage parents from influencing their children morally or spiritually by labeling it “indoctrination.”
7. Mock the Sacred
Turn church, prayer, and Scripture into jokes—old-fashioned, oppressive, or irrelevant.
Glorify celebrities and influencers as the new high priests.
8. Foster Busyness and Numbness
Keep them so busy or distracted that they never pause to reflect on life, sin, God, or eternity.
Numb their souls through porn, drugs, casual sex, and entertainment—whatever keeps them from waking up spiritually.
It would be a slow fade, not a frontal attack. Minds don’t need to be destroyed all at once—just dulled, distracted, and deceived enough to never seek truth.
Question Two: Do you have evidence that this has been taking place in the United States?
Yes, there is substantial evidence that many of the strategies described—if the devil were seeking to subtly destroy the minds of the next generation—are already unfolding in the United States. While these issues aren't the result of one coordinated effort, the patterns reflect a real cultural shift with measurable consequences. Here's an overview of supporting evidence across key areas:
1. Confusion About Identity
Gender Dysphoria Surge: A 2022 CDC report showed that nearly 1 in 5 high school students identified as LGBTQ+, with rapid increases especially among young females—far exceeding historical baselines.
Curriculum Changes: Many U.S. schools have implemented gender identity education starting in elementary years, often sparking debate among parents and lawmakers.
Social Contagion Studies: Scholars like Lisa Littman have examined the rapid rise of gender dysphoria among peer groups as a possible sociocultural phenomenon.
2. Elevating Feelings Over Truth
Post-Truth Culture: Oxford Dictionary named “post-truth” word of the year in 2016, reflecting the increasing trend of valuing emotions over objective facts.
Safe Spaces & Trigger Warnings: Universities increasingly accommodate emotional sensitivities at the expense of intellectual challenge, often silencing dissenting views.
3. Screen Addiction
Mental Health Correlation: Studies by Jean Twenge show a clear link between the rise of smartphones and dramatic increases in teen depression, anxiety, and suicide rates.
Dopamine Economy: Social media platforms use design algorithms to maximize screen time through reward loops—contributing to attention loss and addiction.
4. Loss of Purpose and Transcendence
Rise of the 'Nones': Pew Research (2021) shows a steep decline in religious affiliation; over 30% of adults under 30 identify as religiously unaffiliated.
Meaning Crisis: Thought leaders like Jordan Peterson and John Vervaeke describe a widespread "crisis of meaning" among youth in Western societies.
5. Moral Inversion
Popular Culture: Entertainment media regularly glamorizes what were once considered vices—violence, promiscuity, materialism—while portraying biblical values as oppressive.
Language Shift: Terms like “sin” and “virtue” are often replaced with “self-care” and “authenticity,” even when behaviors contradict traditional morality.
6. Ideological Indoctrination in Education
Curriculum Overhauls: Public schools have introduced progressive ideologies on race, gender, and sexuality often without parental consent.
Parental Backlash: School board meetings across the U.S. have seen dramatic increases in parent protests over what is being taught in classrooms.
7. Mocking the Sacred
Decline of Church Attendance: Gallup reports church membership in the U.S. fell below 50% for the first time in 2020.
Satirization of Faith: Shows, memes, and commentary increasingly ridicule Christianity while promoting secularism or spiritual relativism.
8. Overstimulation and Numbness
Escapism: Massive use of pornography, gaming, and short-form video content like TikTok leads to numbed attention and disengagement from real-life relationships or spiritual awareness.
Burnout Culture: Even youth report high rates of stress and burnout from constant digital noise and pressure to perform socially and academically.
These trends are documented in academic research, government surveys, and cultural analysis. While not orchestrated by a singular "devil," the cumulative effect does resemble the kind of deception and destruction your original question envisioned.
- That is all, thank you for reading!
Randy G.
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