News & Ideas

Friday's News & Ideas - 3/3/2023

  • Religion & AI
  • Clergy with trans kids
  • Labor Dept axes Trump exemptions
  • Black Methodists
  • Learning from seder
  • School lunch crisis

Can religion save us from artificial intelligence?*
The Los Angeles Times: Religious thinkers and institutions are increasingly wading into the conversation around the ethical uses of a rapidly expanding technology that might one day develop a consciousness of its own — at least according to its Silicon Valley apostles.

‘Our state is at war with our family’: Clergy with trans kids fight back*
The Washington Post: They say their children’s lives and religious liberty are threatened by bills in Missouri and elsewhere

US Labor Dept axes Trump-era expansion of exemptions from anti-bias laws
Reuters: The U.S. Department of Labor on Tuesday withdrew a rule adopted in the last days of the administration of former Republican President Donald Trump that had expanded a religious exemption from anti-discrimination laws for federal contractors.

Meet the organization preserving and promoting the stories of Black Methodists
Religion News Service: After funding from the United Methodist Church General Conference ended and in-person events were put on hold during the COVID-19 pandemic, the AAMHC is looking for donations in order to continue its work.

Learning from the Passover seder without co-opting it*
The Christian Century: What wisdom can Christians find in Jesus’ meal-gathering around a religious holiday of his people?

The Spark

America’s school lunch crisis
A federal program allowed schools to provide free lunch to all children, Vox says. Why did it have to end?

*access is limited for nonsubscribers



Sign up to receive religion news every weekday in the free News & Ideas newsletter

Signup options

Most recent News & Ideas

Friday’s News & Ideas - 8/14/2026

  • Pastor detained at airport
  • Nuns provide migrant aid
  • LDS schools enroll other faiths
  • Eagle remains saved
  • New Bible in Welsh language
  • George Harrison's favorite book

Thursday’s News & Ideas - 8/13/2026

  • Chicago seminary leaving building
  • Paxton & Talarico’s Christianities
  • Episcopal story of renewal
  • Democracy activists
  • Israeli settlers & ‘culture of fear’
  • Russian literature award

Wednesday’s News & Ideas - 8/12/2026

  • Fighting ICE facility building
  • Hobby Lobby billionaires
  • UMC conference sues church
  • Pentagon’s count of religious groups
  • Hindu defining of swastika
  • Shopping is exhausting
FTE logo

Are you exploring the call to teach?

Apply now for the Forum for Theological Educators in Denver, Nov. 18-20. This gathering is an opportunity for underrepresented first and second-year doctoral students to network with emerging scholars, discover professional development opportunities, and explore vocation in a supportive environment. 

Travel, lodging, and meal costs will be covered. Apply by Sept. 30, 2026.

Learn More