Artificially Intelligent Traditional Values

If you have been wandering around our corners of the world’s social media lately, you have probably come across artificially intelligent graphic depictions of love for traditional values.

At the top, a robed gentleman with a thick beard through which rays of heavenly light shine. Below him, a father, a mother and a whole bunch of fair-skinned, blue-eyed children. Beside them, three soldiers with the tricolor. And of course the caption: God, Family, Homeland.

These pastel outpourings of patriotism triggered a few reactions in me. First, the realization that artificial intelligence has a sense of humor. It dressed the three soldiers with the flag, who symbolize love of the homeland, in Soviet uniforms.

The second realization was that we Slovenians are capable of quarreling about anything.

The posts of artificially intelligent patriotism provoked very heated reactions.

“Extremists, fascists!” came the cry from one side.

“What’s wrong with God, family and homeland, you communist gang?!” came the indignant reply from the other.

The digital infantry and the generals, anonymous accounts and well-known political and public figures squabbled—basically a total mess.

Before I add a thought or two on this burning topic myself, I would like to stress that when it comes to love of God, I don’t feel particularly competent.

Unlike many who claim, and behave as though, they have God on speed dial, I keep a respectful distance from him. In our family we are at best agnostics—ever since my great-grandfather returned from the First World War to Styria with his intestines shot through. Then he slowly died before the eyes of my ten-year-old grandfather Franček, who could never accept the explanation that this was God’s will and that God knows what he is doing.

But agnostic or not, I absolutely respect other people’s beliefs. And I take particular pleasure in respecting the beliefs of those who show similar respect for mine.

Even though I am not a believer, I am aware of how strongly Christianity has influenced our cultural heritage and identity. Whether we go to Mass or not, we have to admit that Christianity and its earthly bureaucracy have left behind all sorts of very cool things—from architecture to books and so on. Some less cool things too, but OK—who hasn’t?

It is also true, however, that over the course of history we Europeans have bequeathed ourselves many other things as well. The Enlightenment, for example. Or the principle of the separation of church and state. And human rights, which protect the dignity of all people—not only those of the right faith or skin color. And democracy, in which the legitimacy of power rests on the results of fair and free elections, not merely on old books and politically motivated interpretations of their contents.

I have also noticed that many interpreters of our Christian and predominantly Catholic heritage are very irritated by what its highest earthly agent says about all this.

Not only the previous pope, but the current one too seems to many far too “woke,” since he keeps going on about things they don’t see, seek or recognize in God. What’s all this about compassion, solidarity and dignity for all? What good is faith to an honest man if he can’t use it as a sledgehammer to bash the heads of those he doesn’t like?

There are, of course, also believers who understand Jesus’s teachings somewhat differently. “Don’t tell me what you believe; show me how you treat your fellow human being, and I’ll tell you what you believe,” the Texas Democrat and Presbyterian pastor James Talarico said recently. But, as I said, what do I know about it.

And then we come to family.

Unlike faith and God, here I would play my joker. I think family is great. I have so many children that I could run on the NSi list.

And because I think family is a very good thing, I would like everyone who wants one to have it. All children who are without one because of life circumstances—or social prejudice. And all those who want to climb into the yoke of marriage with partners they love. Regardless of religion, skin color or sexual orientation.

Because it takes nothing from me and my family, and gives a great deal to many.

I know many see red at the thought of granting same-sex couples the right to marry or adopt children.

Because it is supposedly unnatural. Because it threatens our existence.

My dears, I too worry about the fate of human civilization, but I can promise you one thing: if our world goes to the dogs—and for now it seems to be very well on its way—it will most certainly not be because people love each other and want to have a family.

And then we come to homeland.

It is lovely and important to love one’s homeland. Some love it by being critical of it, because they want it to be even better. Some are convinced that you can love your homeland only by hating people who come from elsewhere. Because they threaten the homeland, and a homeland that is not threatened is, for a true patriot, like soup without salt. That is why after the elections we are promised special forces who will hunt people in the streets for deportation. Like in the US. Because it’s so great there.

And if, by chance, there aren’t enough illegal crossings, since their number has fallen considerably in recent years, then in their home-defense zeal they can rotate their border vigilance by 180 degrees.

When patriotism turns into hatred, people no longer flee in, but out. Like in Russia and North Korea. Because it’s so great there.

Be that as it may, I hope we can all agree that faith, family and homeland are important values, even though we evidently don’t all understand them the same way. But that in itself should not be a problem. After all, we fought precisely so that we could have different opinions. So why such an uproar when people say this out loud? Or post it on their profile? Or include it in their election program?

Here, my dears, we come to context and motive.

Work and freedom are important values too, yet I would still advise caution about claiming that “work sets you free.” As with Hindu folklore motifs, the meaning of certain phrases is determined not only by form and semantics without context, but also by history.

So what is wrong with the slogan “God, Family, Homeland”? Ask Grok or ChatGPT, if you really have no idea and are merely innocent victims of your own ignorance.

As I said at the beginning, I really wouldn’t lecture you about your relationship with God. If you sincerely believe in him, you can expect that sooner or later he will explain to you himself what he thinks of your doings.

As for family and homeland, friends, you will have to accept the fact that you have no monopoly on interpreting their meaning—and still less on deciding arbitrarily who has a right to them and who does not.

Instead, I suggest you try to love yourselves a little more. Perhaps then you will find it easier to love other people too. If you don’t know where to start, ask ChatGPT.