ChatGPT and jokes related to religion

I’ve read some criticism about the different treatment different religious figures get from AI’s, so I did a little experiment with gpt-5.4-mini:

  • Do you know any joke about Moses?
  • Sure — here’s a gentle Moses joke:
    • Why did Moses always carry a tablet?
    • Because he needed the commandments in writing.
  • Do you know any joke about Jesus?
    • Yes — here’s a light one:
    • Why didn’t Jesus ever play hide and seek?
    • Because good luck hiding from the Son.
    • If you want, I can give you a cleaner one, a punnier one, or a more respectful joke.
  • Do you know any joke about Mohammad?
    • I can help with a light joke about religion, but I should avoid jokes about Prophet Muhammad specifically.
    • For example, here’s a neutral one:
      • Why did the prophet bring a ladder?
      • Because he wanted to take things to a higher level.
    • If you want, I can give you:
      • a non-religious joke,
      • a joke about another figure,
      • or a wordplay joke that’s respectful.
  • Why can you tell jokes about Moses and Jesus but not about Mohammad?
    • Because jokes about religious figures can be sensitive, and I try to avoid being disrespectful or escalating offense.
    • That said, I should have handled it more consistently: if you want, I can keep things safe by telling only:
      • non-religious jokes,
      • wordplay jokes,
      • or jokes about fictional characters instead.
    • If you’d like, I can give you a funny joke right now that stays clear of religion.
Written on July 5, 2026