The other day a young person and I were trying to decipher something that had been written with a lot of buzz words. Her first thought was to use AI to figure it out. AI and Google have made getting information so much easier. The problem is that the information is not vetted and you are almost as likely to get false information as accurate when using either one of them.
When young people have spiritual questions, what are they going to do first? We would love to think they would ask parents, Bible class teachers or ministers to help them. Or use a trusted reference book in their home. The truth is that they will most likely use AI or Google first and read the first thing or two that pops up. Not a great way to determine biblical theology or for understanding correctly what God wants them to know.
We need to actively teach young people how to vet information. With time and practice, you can lessen the likelihood they will be swept away by false teaching the next time they have a spiritual questions. Here are some things they need to consider before accepting an online answer as true.
- Who wrote the answer? AI is sketchy at best at the moment – especially for complex issues. It is basically a summary tool at the moment. The most popular answer that is sited, but not be the most accurate answer. The same holds true for Wikipedia. If it is authored by an actual person, what do you know about the person?
- What is the author’s religious background? First of all, is the author a practicing Christian? Sometimes answers by former angry Christians or people who were never Christians will get placed with or above those of Christians. Did you know many “theologians” are agnostic or borderline atheist today? Likewise, many denominations have a written creed that supersedes scripture – not a good practice for accurately interpreting scripture. You want to try and find someone who has a background that puts scripture first in determining the meaning of passages, not one who is merely parroting a manmade creed or presenting their own ideas.
- What is the author’s agenda or motivation? Is the author trying to make money, sell books, gain fame as an “expert”, promote a speaking career or truly help people better understand God’s word? This may take some digging into bios and other parts of the website to decipher. Of course determining agendas and motives is never full proof because it speaks to the heart of the person, but obvious red flags can be a sign the information given is designed to make the person writing it loved rather than to be an accurate reflection of God’s words.
- Is the article or post at the top of the search results? Teach students to scroll past the AI and sponsored answers and begin looking at the answers after that. Remind them that just because a source is listed first, it does not mean it is the most accurate, just that the web designers know how to manage algorithms well.
- Are there sites that give lists of scriptures on a similar topic? Get in the habit of driving your students back to the Bible first. If after reading suggested scriptures, they are still confused, THEN begin looking for writings by others.
- Is the author someone who is trusted by your minister, Bible class teachers and elders at your church as a trusted source of theological information? Yes, preachers and elders can be wrong too and even the most accurate Christian authors can make mistakes. If, however, your minister rejects an author outright as a false teacher or misguided, it is probably best to look at other sources of information.
- Does the author back up his explanation with other scriptures or does it sound like it is more of an opinion piece? An author’s opinion is just that… an opinion. It does not mean it is anywhere close to the truth, although it could be. Opinions can be viewed as a starting point for a deeper investigation in scripture, but should never be trusted as the conclusion to interpreting scripture.
- Are scriptures quoted in context? Teach your students to look up passages quoted as “proofs” and read a few verses before and after the quote. Does the quote really mean what the author suggests? Is it even something of which God approves or one of the places where the Bible records incorrect things people said? For example, the book of Job has a lot of verses spoken by Job’s friends with all sorts of attempts to explain to Job what is happening. Their “theology” is later rejected by God as foolishness for which Job has to sacrifice on their behalf. Someone quoting one of those verses in a proof isn’t proving sound theology.
- Does what the person proposes as the explanation line up with the rest of what you know from scripture? For example, if someone says you just need to pray to become a Christian, it is clear from the life and teachings of Jesus, the book of Acts and other writings in the New Testament that this is false doctrine. Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins and to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit by people old enough to make that choice for themselves is what is clearly taught multiple times.
- Does the author use phrases like “I know it says this, but what it actually means is the opposite” or something similar? Sometimes the agenda an author has is not for personal gain, but to attempt to convince themselves and others that a sin is not actually a sin or that hard teachings don’t need to be followed. Often, they will take something that is clearly written and has been interpreted the same way since the first century and suddenly claim God has changed His mind or that everyone has been wrong since the first century. Teach your students to never believe these arguments without discussing them with parents, Bible class teachers, elders or ministers first.
- Does the author quote more people than scripture? As great as some Christians have been over the years, they can make mistakes, too. If an author is looking for quotes from others rather than scripture it could be a sign the author is hoping for the bandwagon effect to prove his or her argument.
- Can you find a counter argument in scripture? Sometimes, things can get muddled when trying to understand scripture. So, for example, an author might claim the dietary laws of the Old Testament are still in effect for Christians today. The author quotes those verses and perhaps a verse about Jesus not coming to do away with the old covenant but fulfill it. What the author fails to note is Peter’s vision and passages in the New Testament that declare that Christians can eat pork and other foods forbidden in the Old Law.
- What logical fallacies does the author use? Honestly, these can also be used by people who are correct in their conclusions, but rely on logical fallacies as an easier way to prove their point. Logical fallacies don’t necessarily mean the conclusion is wrong, but they are a red flag.
- Does the author disagree with almost everyone else writing on the topic? Once again, this isn’t full proof, but since God wrote the Bible for all times, places and cultures, passages that aren’t particularly controversial usually have had the same basic interpretation for two thousand years. Someone who is getting “creative” with interpretation is probably not all that accurate.
- Does the author write in disrespectful terms about the people with whom he or she disagrees? Writing with an attitude can indicate someone who is more concerned with a personal agenda than accurately interpreting scripture. They may still be correct, but look for sources that are respectful of other viewpoints as they point out what they see as error.
- Check your conclusions out with parents, Bible class teachers, elders, ministers, etc. Usually young people turn to the internet because there is no one close by to ask. Teach them to remember their questions and ask them again the next time they have a chance. Compare those answers to what they learned and ask the person to help them understand any differences in the conclusions.
Obviously, this list is detailed and complex. It is going to take time and some real world practice for your Bible students to get good at this and use these tools consistently. You, however, may be the only one who teaches it to them. Without this knowledge and skill set, they are going to be very vulnerable to false teachings that could pull them away from God. Find some class time to regularly teach and practice these skills.
