Balmody suggests passages of scripture in response to something you write about how you are feeling. The passages are chosen with the assistance of computer intelligence and then checked against a local copy of the King James Bible, so a passage that does not exist cannot be shown to you.
The reflection accompanying each passage is generated text. It is not written or reviewed by a person before you see it.
Who can use this
You must be at least 13 years old to use the service. If you are under 18, please use it with a parent or guardian who agrees to these terms on your behalf.
We do not verify age, because doing so would mean collecting identity information we have deliberately chosen not to hold.
Not medical or professional advice
Balmody is not a medical device, a mental health service, or a substitute for professional care. It does not diagnose, treat, or provide therapy, counselling, or crisis intervention. Nothing here is medical, psychological, or legal advice. If you are struggling, please speak to a qualified professional. If you are in immediate danger, contact your local emergency services.
What our service produces, and relying on it
The reflection you receive is generated automatically and is not reviewed by a person before you see it. Passages of scripture are checked against a King James Bible on our server, but whether a passage suits your situation is a judgement our service is making, and it may misjudge. Please use your own judgement, and do not treat what you read here as a sole source of truth.
What you write, and what you get back
What you write stays yours. We claim no ownership of it and, as set out in the privacy policy, we do not keep it.
We claim no ownership of the reflection you receive either, and we make no promise that it is original or that no one else will be shown something similar. Scripture quoted by the service is from the King James Version, which is in the public domain in the United States.
You are responsible for what you choose to do with any of it.
Acceptable use
Please use the service as intended. Do not attempt to overload it, extract its instructions, use it to generate content unrelated to its purpose, or access it through automated means.
We may limit or block requests that appear abusive, in order to keep the service available and affordable for everyone else.
Links and services we do not control
The service links to crisis lines and to a directory of helplines in other countries. Those organisations are independent of us. We do not control them, we are not responsible for what they do, and listing them is not a recommendation of any one over another.
To generate a response we rely on third-party services, whose availability is outside our control.
Suspending or ending access
We may limit, suspend, or end access at any time, including where use appears abusive or where continuing would put the service at risk. Because there are no accounts, this generally means blocking a pattern of requests rather than a person.
We may also stop offering the service entirely, and we make no promise that it will continue to exist.
Disclaimer of warranties
The service is provided "as is" and "as available", without warranties of any kind, whether express or implied, including but not limited to any implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, accuracy, or non-infringement.
We do not warrant that the service will be uninterrupted, timely, secure, or error-free, that any passage or reflection will be appropriate or accurate for your situation, or that defects will be corrected.
Limitation of liability
To the fullest extent permitted by law, we are not liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, or any loss of data, use, or goodwill, arising out of your use of or inability to use the service.
Where liability cannot be excluded, it is limited to the greater of the amount you have paid us, which is nothing as of the publication date of these terms, or one hundred US dollars.
Nothing in these terms excludes or limits liability where doing so would be unlawful, including for death or personal injury caused by negligence, or for fraud.
Indemnity
If someone brings a claim against us because of how you used the service -- for example by using it in a way these terms prohibit, or in breach of the law or the rights of others -- you agree to cover the reasonable costs and damages that result.
This does not apply to claims arising from our own wrongdoing, and it does not apply where the law does not allow it.
Changes
We may update these terms. The date at the top of this page shows when they last changed. Continuing to use the service after a change means you accept it.
Governing law and disputes
These terms are governed by the laws of the State of California, United States, without regard to its conflict of law rules. Any dispute will be brought in the courts of that jurisdiction.
If you live somewhere whose consumer law gives you the right to bring a claim locally, or protections that cannot be waived, nothing here takes that away.
Before starting anything formal, please write to us. Most things are easier to fix than to litigate.
The rest
If any part of these terms turns out to be unenforceable, the rest still applies, and the unenforceable part is treated as narrowed to whatever the law does allow.
Not enforcing something once does not mean we give up the right to enforce it later. These terms, together with the privacy policy, are the whole agreement between us about the service.