Podcast Summary:

Know What You Believe with Michael Horton
Episode: Debunking AI's Misinformation on Constantine, Christianity, and Christmas
Date: December 4, 2025
Host: Michael Horton
Summary by: [Your Name]

Episode Overview

This episode confronts a growing trend: the spread of historical myths about Christianity via AI-generated content. Host Michael Horton and a Christian apologist respond to clips from a widely viewed AI video that recycles misinformation about the origins of the New Testament, Emperor Constantine’s involvement in Christianity, and alleged pagan roots of Christmas. The goal is to equip listeners with accurate history and thoughtful engagement for thriving in an age of “combative media.”

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. AI and the Resurrection of Old Myths

• [00:45–02:21]
  • Context: The apologist highlights a surge in AI videos making old, debunked claims—such as Christmas having pagan origins or Constantine inventing the New Testament.
  • Insight: "In the age of AI, we're seeing a whole new wave of fake historical content reaching hundreds of thousands of people." (Christian Apologist, 01:07)
  • Purpose: These arguments are recycled from earlier fringe sources but are now gaining traction via new technology.

2. The New Testament’s Origins: Dating & Canonicity

• [02:21–05:32]
  • AI Claim: The New Testament was compiled in the 4th century, long after the events it describes, thus lacking early corroboration.
  • Correction:
    • The Muratorian Fragment (late second century) lists most canonical NT books.
    • "Paul quotes the Gospel of Luke as on a par with Deuteronomy. And Peter refers to Paul's writings as Scripture." (Christian Apologist, 03:19)
    • Early Christians knew their sacred texts because only canonical books were read in church.
    • "They didn’t get together at the Holiday Inn to figure out what they would include in a New Testament." (Christian Apologist, 03:48)
    • The Creed in 1 Corinthians 15 is nearly contemporary to Jesus’s crucifixion.
    • Non-Christian scholars date this creed to within 2–3 years of the crucifixion—far too early for myth-making.

3. Challenging Myths about Constantine and Nicaea

• [05:32–09:22]
  • AI Claim: Constantine called the Council of Nicaea to impose order, create a unified faith, and participate in the creation of the New Testament.
  • Correction:
    • The Council of Nicaea tackled doctrinal issues (notably Arianism), not the creation of Christianity or its scriptures.
    • Constantine himself “wasn’t quite sure of” the doctrine Nicaea affirmed. It wasn’t ‘top-down’ imposition.
    • "The Council of Nicaea actually affirmed doctrines that Constantine himself wasn't quite sure of." (Christian Apologist, 06:04)
    • The statement that Nicaea reviewed “2,231 scrolls” and synthesized rival gods (Zeus, Mithra, Krishna, etc.) is outright fabrication.

4. Names and Deities: “Jesus” and “Christ”

• [10:06–11:21]
  • AI Claim: The name “Jesus Christ” was fabricated at Nicaea by combining a British druidic god and the Hindu Krishna.
  • Correction:
    • Jesus is the Greek translation of Joshua (“Yahweh saves”), a thoroughly Hebrew name.
    • Christ is not a name but a title: “Messiah” or “Anointed One” (Greek “Christos” from Hebrew “Mashiach”).
    • "It has no relevance whatsoever. It doesn’t follow any of the actual historical reasons for Jesus’s name." (Christian Apologist, 10:46)

5. The Gospel and Pagan Parallels

• [13:09–15:52]
  • AI Claim: Christmas, the virgin birth, and resurrection narratives were plagiarized from pagan religions (e.g., Mithraism, Osiris).
  • Correction:
    • Celebrations of Christ’s birth predate pagan Sol Invictus festivals.
    • Paganism began borrowing from Christianity, not the other way around, as recounted by historian Tom Holland.
    • Christian imagery of “light” is biblical, not an adoption of solar worship.
    • The broad “mythic parallel” argument largely comes from 19th-century Victorian theorists (e.g., Frazer’s Golden Bough) and is dismissed by serious historians.
    • "How did Christianity get off the ground? Not by scrambling to get all of the other religions to agree—Christianity grew precisely as it stood out over against the other beliefs and practices of the world around them, and that's why they were persecuted." (Christian Apologist, 16:20)

6. The Dangers of AI Misinformation

• [17:37–18:17]
  • AI simply aggregates fringe theories and “pseudo-scholarship,” reaffirming long-running conspiracies.
  • "Just walk away from AI and open a book and look at the history of what really happened, and you’ll be surprised." (Christian Apologist, 17:57)
  • The Christian faith stands not on conspiracy or myth-making, but on historical roots and rigorous documentation.
  • “The earlier developments came first. They were historically foundational for the Christian faith.” (Christian Apologist, 16:04)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "In the age of AI, we're seeing a whole new wave of fake historical content reaching hundreds of thousands of people."
  (Christian Apologist, 01:07)

• "They didn’t get together at the Holiday Inn to figure out what they would include in a New Testament. People knew what it was because it went back to the apostles themselves..."
  (Christian Apologist, 03:48)

• "The Council of Nicaea actually affirmed doctrines that Constantine himself wasn't quite sure of."
  (Christian Apologist, 06:04)

• "Jesus comes from Joshua, the leader of Israel after Moses. And it means ‘God saves’... Christ is not a name. Christ is a title."
  (Christian Apologist, 10:36-10:49)

• "These modern myths are really 19th century Victorian ideas..."
  (Christian Apologist, 15:52)

• "Just walk away from AI and open a book and look at the history of what really happened, and you'll be surprised."
  (Christian Apologist, 17:57)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [00:45] — Christmas, old “pagan roots” claims, and AI misinformation
• [02:21] — Dating and early canon formation of the New Testament
• [05:32] — Constantine, Nicaea, and the myth of scriptural invention
• [10:15] — “Jesus Christ” name fabrication refuted
• [13:09] — Christian distinctives vs. pagan myth parallels
• [15:52] — Origins and allure of modern “pagan parallel” theories
• [17:37] — The inherent limitations and dangers of current AI-generated content on religious history

Tone & Final Reflection

Michael Horton and his guest engage with clarity, patience, and occasional humor, aiming to “equip you to engage with trends and popular ideas” by contrasting popular internet narratives with hard-won historical understanding. The episode insists that, while new technology can multiply confusion, old-fashioned critical thinking and historical literacy remain vital.

Final Takeaway:
"Walk away from AI… open a book… see what really happened." (Christian Apologist, 17:57)