70 Million Ask ChatGPT About God
34% of those queries are Christian, and nearly half of practicing Christians would trust AI with their spiritual growth, according to Barna.
And who do you ask? ChatGPT receives more than 70 million requests about religion every week, RELEVANT Magazine reported. Behind each one is a person; the figure doesn't count users, but queries.
The number comes from an OpenAI analysis published on October 8, covering September 2025 to September 2026. Of those requests, 22 million seek to study religious texts; 16 million, practices, holidays and observances; and another 16 million, beliefs, meaning and spiritual guidance.
Islam accounts for about 45% and Christianity for 34%. Hinduism follows with 4%, Judaism with 2% and Buddhism with 1%.
«The thirst is real; the algorithm doesn't quench it.»
The thirst that doesn't fit in a prompt
The numbers have faces. Among Christian messages, nearly half ask about Bible passages and 13% about worship, sermons or church practices. OpenAI says people ask for help explaining difficult texts and finding commentary within their own tradition.
Most queries look less like a debate about the existence of God and more like small-group conversation. There are also spikes: Christian queries rise around Easter; Muslim ones, during Ramadan and Eid al-Adha.
That shouldn't surprise us. The thirst for God is real. The Bible names it: "My soul thirsts for God, for the living God" (Psalm 42:2, ESV). The problem isn't that people ask. The problem is believing that a machine can take the place of the pastor, the brother who prays and the church that knows you.
OpenAI puts it clearly: AI "is not—and should not become—an arbiter of religious truth" (Sígueme translation). Sam Altman said he is uncomfortable with AI being treated like a religion. It's a sensible warning. An AI chat can answer; it cannot shepherd.
A chatbot can answer; it cannot shepherd
Barna found that practicing Christians use AI at work and at home more than most Americans. Nearly half would trust this technology with their spiritual growth. They also use it more than their own pastors do. Only about 12% of pastors feel prepared to guide them in that use.
There is a difference between consulting and handing over your soul. AI can organize ideas, compare versions or help you phrase a question. It can't look you in the eye, notice that you are broken or correct you with tenderness.
It doesn't celebrate the Lord's Supper with you, doesn't baptize you, doesn't visit you in the hospital. It can't discern when your doubt springs from pain and when from curiosity. And it doesn't love you.
The thirst is real; the algorithm doesn't quench it. That's why it's worth asking what we're looking for when we type into a text box. We look for a quick answer, someone who won't judge us or a teacher who never contradicts us. Christ still calls concrete people, gathered in local churches, to hear the Word and grow together.
Take your doubt to the Word and to your church
The next step isn't taken by AI: open the Bible and go back to church. This week, take the question that weighs on you most and bring it to two places: Scripture and a mature believer. It could be your pastor, a small-group leader or a friend who knows the Bible.
If AI helps you put your doubt into words, use it as a tool, not as a confessor. Ask your church. Read the passage in context. Pray with someone. Hope is in the living God, not in a perfect answer.
What question will you ask your church this week?
