[theoblank]

Definitely an important question. In an ideal world, I believe people would want to explore and learn from viewpoints that differ from their own (after all, how else can you learn?). But, of course people tend to be very embattled on issues like these and shy away from anything that sounds different than what they already believe.

One idea I have is to use a ML recommendation model that would use theological preferences as inputs. The trick would be how to personalize that model for a given user before knowing what content they want or would be put off by. Perhaps that could be part of the onboarding process though.

[Syonyk]

> One idea I have is to use a ML recommendation model that would use theological preferences as inputs.

Please don't.

If I want machine learning based AI augmented recommendations, that's literally the entire internet at this point outside a few niche circles.

A Bible app does not need to go down that path.

[wizzwizz4]

My advice? Don't filter bubble. Instead, just write “disputed”, with a link that goes into detail as to what various people think, and why.

[highmastdon]

This would be great. It’s about the way the Talmud is structured. Every piece has multiple interpretations and they’re written together and can be discussed an though about

[aae42]

Literally every view on there would end up marked "disputed"

[wizzwizz4]

Not every view. Some of them have an obvious, indisputable truth value – like “the start of Genesis 2 is just an out-of-order version of Genesis 1” (something I used to think until I looked at an untranslated version – it's obviously wrong, and only the specific word choice of a specific English translation suggests it could be right).

[lalaland1125]

There is no need for ML here. The app can simply ask for the name of the person's church.

[jtbayly]

And if the name is "Johnsonville Presbyterian Church" then what?

[goldemerald]

They will have no free will but to accept the recommendations given to them. But seriously, most churches belong to a denomination. And practically all denominations have a specific alignment on every theological issue you can imagine. In any case, you could simply go with reformed theology beliefs and that'll work for most users.

[dragonwriter]

> And practically all denominations have a specific alignment on every theological issue you can imagine.

That's...not particularly true, especially for the denominations that are both large and institutionally old, or are newer but less centrally authoritarian. The Roman Catholic Church (for an example in the former category) for instance, has a small number of declared-as-infallible dogmas, a larger number of doctrines that arr understood to be certain or argued to have been infallibly declared, a wide space of broadly accepted doctrine about which there is still debate which is recognized as legitimate and not dissent, and plenty of open theological questions, more of which are added all the time, because changing circumstances raise new questions not previously considered, and change the factual context of previous considerations so that, even for doctrines that are solid, what piece of the prior articulation is the actual doctrine and what piece reflects the limitations of the context considered at the earlier time must be discerned, and is often actively debated.

[gerdesj]

"has a small number of declared-as-infallible dogmas"

There's rather more to it in general but the concept of dogma is one of the reasons that many Christian denominations exist - in protest of the notion of dogma.

For example: Papal Infallibility. The dogma of Papal Infallibility is that God created the post of Pope and inaugurated St Peter as the first one. God created the papacy for His purposes therefore holders of that role cannot be fallible. However, the Pope is a man (why can't Papa be Mum?) and I'm pretty sure that involves being a sinner. It takes some pretty fancy footwork to elevate a bloke who was a mere automatically sinning Cardinal into an Infallible Pope.

For me the whole crux (if you like) of Christianity is that the ultimate divine being became a person and suffered as such - if you like: They experienced Their creation first hand. I don't think you should go around elevating people into little or demi Gods - that's a form of polytheism. Funnily enough I'm declaring my own form of dogma: People are not infallible: Pope, Queen, nor gerdesj.

I do understand the Catholic concept of dogma and even why it still exists. It is not my point to belittle it either but there is quite a good reason why: "practically all denominations have a specific alignment." Those people find the concept of dogma and the like ... sometimes unsatisfactory.

[QuarterReptile]

Your definition of papal infallibility is wrong. It is not constantly in effect, but has to be declared.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papal_infallibility

[brightball]

I hope other people got the chuckle out of your comment that I did.

[amerine]

Seems pretty easy, https://www.hrc.org/resources/stances-of-faiths-on-lgbt-issu..., most major denominations are open about their stances on LGBTQ things.

[calvinmorrison]

That tells you about PC USA. Which is a historical mainline liberal presbytery in the US. It doesn't tell you in the last 5 years a good number of individual congregations have left because of this very issue and emigrated to the EPC or other slightly 'less' liberal denominations. Or that PCUSA has been hemmoraging numbers for a long time. Or the PCUSA has often been thought of as a big umbrella denoms that has in the past allowed individual prebyterys (regionally) to have differing rules.

Or that presbyteries are not like catholic churches or anglican ones! There are no priests or higher authorities! Each presby congregation is made up of members, who elect elders, who then visit their local presbytery (the regional org) to vote on matters.

Most importantly, it misses the fact, that Presbyterian is an anagram for Britney Spears

[sudosteph]

You know, I thought I already knew everything you were saying... but I'm really glad I read until the end.

[tptacek]

You mean "Presbyterians", right?

[jtbayly]

Church name doesn't tell you the denomination. Do you know how many presbyterian denominations there are in the US alone? Most of them are probably completely the opposite of the PC(USA) on those particular issues the HRC cares to discuss at all.

[microtherion]

I'm sure Emo Philips could design an UX for that.

[andrewmcwatters]

This is pretty blatantly against what disciples taught.

[brightball]

2 Timothy 4:3-4 pretty much covers this head on.

Teaching that you want to hear essentially.

[reducesuffering]

It's a spectrum. On one end you can just find someone to teach and validate all your existing beliefs. On the other, you can blindly follow religious leaders verbatim; all the way into a cult, Southern Baptist approval of slavery, or Catholic indulgences.

[andrewmcwatters]

This is just handwaving.

[vineyardmike]

Showing people only a small view of a bigger complex issue is def not the way to go - especially when things like human rights are involved.

[ngngngng]

Does this app include teachings from Latter-day Saint theologians? While I'm interested in this, typically my faith is excluded from these sorts of projects, and often it doesn't take long when I dive into "mainstream" christian communities to come across hostility towards my faith or non trinitarian views.

[ybbond]

I also have difficulties to find good iOS app for Catholic. Nah. It's very hard for me to find any downloadable version of Catholic publications.

Anyway, that's too bad that you received that hostility. I have 2 mormon friends in my high school. They are chill and fun to hang-out with. They often invited me to join their church, but I can reject without making it a big issue.

[wonderinglife]

Hey, you might like to try get.catenabible.com - we have a large catholic, orthodox, and protestant user base interested in understanding Christianity from the early Christian interpretation. Hope you find it helpful, God bless!

[wyclif]

No, it's a Christian app, so no Mormon content.

[euthymiclabs]

More accurately, I might say it's a protestant Christian app, whereas Mormonism considers itself restoration Christianity and may not fit as well here.

[OxO4]

Can we please stop suggesting that anti-LGBTQ "viewpoints" are worth exploring and that people are just to "embattled" on the issue of basic human decency?