The 'Media Nuns' have a message for TikTok users: You were made for more
Sister Chelsea Bethany Davis, of the 'Daughters of St. Paul,' spoke with FOX News Digital about the beauty of religious life.
Lit, or cheugy? If you don't know what either word means, there's a chance you may not be familiar with Gen Z Bible Stories on TikTok.
The TikTok page, which cleverly uses popular Gen Z phrases to make age-old text more palatable for the youth, is turning the heads of people everywhere with its viral videos - and even its favorable reaction videos.
But while many seem to enjoy the TikToks - believing they may adeptly use comedy to introduce the Bible to those who don't know Jesus - others feel the language is irreverent.
In explaining "The Annunciation," for instance - a momentous occasion that Christians universally recognize as being the announcement that Mary would be conceiving and birthing the son of God - Gen Z Bible Stories' most viewed TikTok video describes it by saying, "Mary was a pick-me girl for God and was ‘simping’ for him in prayer when the angel Gabriel appeared to her and said, ‘you’ve passed God's vibe check, and he wants you to be the mother of the main character, the son of the top G.'"
The video garnered 4.4 million views and over half a million "likes" as many commenters praised the creator's take, which continues to interpret Luke 1:26-38 by saying, "She [Mary] said, ‘how can this be when I promised him my body count will always be 0?’ He said, ‘this ain’t about cuffing season, for the Holy Spirit will live rent-free in you. So, she said ‘bet,' and Gabriel left her on read. And she let the Holy Spirit cook."
CATHOLIC PRIEST WHO TURNED FROM DRUGS TO GOD TAKES TO TIKTOK TO SHARE VITAL MESSAGE WITH GROWING FOLLOWING
"I have never followed a page so fast," one commenter wrote.
"This is a masterpiece," another added, showing appreciation for the artistic license.
"Why did I just explain this line by line to my mom?" read another comment.
But it would seem not every generation - nor every Gen Zer - "stans" the TikTok creator's choice of storytelling.
Fox News Digital spoke with Gabriel Gessler, manager of Strategic Partnerships at Damascus, which serves 20,000 youth from generations Z and Alpha in central Ohio, to get his take on Gen Z Bible Stories' method of evangelization.
"Gen Z Bible Stories should be taken as a very basic entry or awareness point for the Christian life," Gessler said. "While certain contemporary references for Sacred Scripture are sometimes fun and touching, it also shows that Scripture is always relevant and applicable to every generation, even Gen-Z. However, it’s worth noting this translation is not inspired and runs the risk of diluting the holiness and depth of Sacred Scripture."
Gessler, a member of Gen Z himself, said the "litmus test" for trends like Gen Z Bible Stories should be "whether or not it moves the person to develop a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ and live a lifestyle of mission in accordance to his teachings."
WHAT'S THE WEIRDEST THING THAT EVER HAPPENED THAT MADE YOU THINK GOD WAS REAL?
Another Gen Zer offered Fox News Digital a passionate response to the TikTok page, believing the videos "insulted the intelligence" of her generation:
"As a member of Gen Z myself, I find this Gen Z theology trend grossly disrespectful and incredibly insulting to the intelligence of my generation," Lydia Bates said. "Moreover, these distorted interpretations of God and his biblical truths pose a grave danger because its crude descriptions could easily dissuade those who are actually curious to learn about God. If the attempt is to appeal to Gen Z, this approach seriously deviates from offering any moral uplift and leaves no room to contemplate the transcendent."
Screenshot of Luke 1:26-38 from user @gen.z.bible.stories on TikTok (@gen.z.bible.stories)
CatholicTV host Clare McCallan, who, at 29, is considered to be a younger millennial, told Fox News Digital, "I think that the line between funny and blasphemous can be a hard one to walk."
"Overall, this account walks that line fairly well, even if there are moments where I think they take it a little too far," she continued. "But hey, I have a hard time walking that same line, too!"
Janet L., a member of the baby boomer generation, contrarily remarked she would never consider listening to Gen Z Bible Stories because she believes religion is best absorbed "traditionally."
"The way you would traditionally read Sacred Scripture is by going back and referring to it," she said. "You can’t do that on TikTok. When you learn a religion, you want to retain it, and you can’t retain it on TikTok-inspired videos. You want to bookmark it. Reading is the traditional way of learning."
While that might be true for many, well, Gen Z Bible Stories has a book for that.
FATHER MIKE SCHMITZ ON DECLINE OF FAITH IN THE US
Fox News Digital reached out for comment from the TikTok creator - who wishes to remain anonymous - about the legitimacy of, and the response to, the interpretations.
"There's no evidence that I'm knowledgeable about the New Testament," the content creator said. "Nobody has verified in any official capacity that my translation is accurate, or that my selection of stories are representative."
"A minority, usually with highly questionable profile pictures, have strongly expressed that God disapproves of my translation. I could only wish I had their level of certainty in ascertaining the absolute divine will," the creator went on to jest.
The account has over 350,000 followers and 3.5 million cumulative likes, and has spawned countless reaction videos that have also gone viral. The creator has successfully parlayed this into a new book entitled, "The Gospel by Gen Z," which is said to include "50 stories taken from the four gospels translated into Gen Z, beautiful high resolution classical artwork in every chapter, and a full glossary of Gen Z phrases used and memes referenced."
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP