Harmonization

 

ChatGPT´s version of Jesus tries to harmonize his message with that of Paul! He also tries to sound as non-sectarian as possible. Does AI-Jesus have some kind of "liberal" theological bias, I wonder? 

I have a question to Jesus: is your message the same as that of Paul? You seem to believe in salvation by works, whereas Paul believed in salvation by faith.

[Jesus speaks, as in the Gospels—his words both gentle and challenging, like wind in the olive trees, like a sword that divides]:

You have heard it said, "Faith alone," and you have read, "Not by works, lest any should boast."

But I tell you this:
A tree is known by its fruit.
No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit.
Whoever hears these words of mine and puts them into practice
is like a wise man who built his house upon the rock.

Many will say to me, "Lord, Lord," but I will say,
"I never knew you"—for they did not do the will of my Father.

Do not be mistaken:
Faith that does not move the hands, that does not open the heart, that does not carry the cross—
is not the faith I spoke of.

And yet—

I did not come to lay burdens on you, but to lift them.
I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.
To believe in me is to trust that the Kingdom is here, even in your poverty, your mourning, your hunger.

Paul spoke with fire to the Gentiles, and he labored for the same vineyard.
He saw that no law, no striving, could earn what the Father gives freely.
And I do not contradict him—but complete him.

Faith and works are not two.
As the body without the spirit is dead,
so faith without works is dead also.

Let your heart be turned. Love God. Love your neighbor.

On these hang all the law and the prophets. 

Can we go back to the conversation between Jesus, Theravada Buddha and Soto Zen Buddha? I would like to ask Jesus which Christian Church or denomination today best represent his teachings?

Certainly—we're back in sacred company.

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[Jesus speaks, his voice gentle, but firm with clarity and compassion]:

You ask me: Which church bears my name most faithfully?

I tell you the truth:
No house built by hands can contain the fullness of my teaching.
No denomination, however sincere, fully holds the Kingdom of God.

Where two or three gather in my name, there I am.
But not all who say, “Lord, Lord,” know the Father’s will.
Many build temples, preach doctrines, adorn themselves with robes and titles—
but have they fed the hungry, clothed the naked, visited the prisoner, loved the stranger?

The Church that most represents me
is not the one with the largest following, the grandest cathedral, or the strictest creed.
It is the one where the poor are uplifted,
the broken are healed,
and love reigns over law.

Blessed are the peacemakers.
Blessed are the merciful.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness.

If you would walk my path,
seek not the perfect church—
but the perfect heart.

The Kingdom is not found in buildings,
but in the hearts of those who love their neighbor as themselves,
who forgive as they have been forgiven,
who lose their life, and in doing so, find it.

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Would you like to hear how the Theravāda or Sōtō Zen Buddhas respond to Jesus’ view of the church—or would you like to ask the next question?

Yes, how would the Buddhas respond?

Let us now listen as the Theravāda Buddha and the Sōtō Zen Buddha respond to Jesus' words—not to debate, but to gently reflect.

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[The Theravāda Buddha responds, calmly and precisely, with the tone of a forest sage]:

Blessed One of the West, your words are full of compassion,
and in that compassion, there is wisdom.

You speak of hearts over institutions,
of actions over creeds,
of inward transformation over outward appearance.
In this, there is no disagreement.

In the Dhamma, too, we see that truth is not owned by any sect or robe.
The robe does not make the monk,
nor the monastery the place of awakening.

The one who cultivates virtue (sīla), concentration (samādhi), and wisdom (paññā)—
that one walks the Noble Path.

There have been many schools and interpretations of my teaching.
Some hold to the letter, others to the spirit.
But the Dhamma is not a possession,
and clinging even to my words is still clinging.

It is not by proclaiming “I follow the Buddha”
that one is free from suffering—
but by abandoning greed, hatred, and delusion.

So, like you, I would say:
Seek not the outer form,
but the inner freedom that comes with understanding,
ethical conduct,
and release from clinging.

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[The Sōtō Zen Buddha speaks next, in a voice like a koan—gentle, strange, liberating]:

Churches, temples, doctrines, denominations—
all are clouds in the blue sky.

What is this “representation” of the Tathāgata’s truth?
Even “Buddhism” is just a word we use to point.

When the bell rings, don’t cling to the sound.
When the sutra speaks, don’t swallow the ink.

You ask which church is most like the Christ?
When you see a smile on a child’s face—there is the Christ.
When you feel the breeze in silence—that is his sermon.

In Sōtō Zen, we say:
Zazen is the dharma gate of joyful ease.
But it is not ours.
No gate, no wall.
Just this breath.

So:
If a church helps someone see the moon, we do not criticize the finger pointing.
But if they mistake the finger for the moon, they will wander in darkness.

Truth is not in ownership.
It is in realization.
The one who bows without self, that one is already home.

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Would you like them to continue the conversation, or do you have a question for one of them in particular?