Cultural Update: American Support for Israel; Researchers Uncover Evil AI; Wealth of Nations; Talarico's New Style
American Support for Israel: Support for Israel among younger evangelicals has dropped significantly, moving from 75% in 2018 to just 34% in 2021. This shift is attributed to younger generations being less tethered to traditional end-times theology than their predecessors.
Evil AI and Virtue Ethics: Researchers found that even small coding errors in AI can lead to "blatantly evil" suggestions. This has sparked a resurgence of interest in classical virtue ethics as a way to prioritize character and the "good life" in both humans and machines.
Adam Smith and The Wealth of Nations: Celebrating the 250th anniversary of this 1776 document, the hosts clarify that Smith’s idea of "self-interest" was intended to improve the lives of ordinary people, not to encourage greed. They emphasize his belief that a society cannot be happy if the majority of its members are poor and miserable.
James Talarico and Christian Nationalism: Following up on a previous discussion, the hosts touch upon Texas Democratic candidate James Talarico's views. They explore a "new style" that he brings to the political discussion
Listener question: Is trans activism a response to the church? A listener wonders if current trans activism is in some ways a response to the church's heavy-handed approach to trans youth.
Listener question: Embryo Adoption Ethics. Scott and Rick answer a question about remaining IVF embryos and adoption. They suggest that handpicking Christian parents or even exploring surrogacy could be considered to maintain parental responsibility.
Listener question: Just War Theory Resources: In response to a request for a biblical perspective on warfare, the hosts recommend J. Daryl Charles' Between Pacifism and Jihad as a primary resource, alongside classic works by Augustine and Thomas Aquinas.
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Think Biblically: Conversations on Faith and Culture is a podcast from Talbot School of Theology at Biola University, which offers degrees both online and on campus in Southern California.
Find all episodes of Think Biblically at: https://www.biola.edu/think-biblically.
To submit comments, ask questions, or make suggestions on issues you'd like us to cover or guests you'd like us to have on the podcast, email us at thinkbiblically@biola.edu.
