Thursday’s News & Ideas - 7/30/2026
- Pastor creates AI twin for church
- Pope recalls roots in US
- Liturgy for medically assisted dying
- Housing project at Bay Area seminary
- Judaism on official CA forms
- Analog restaurant
A pastor says his digital twin ‘can bring more people to God’*
The New York Times: To meet the growing needs of his church, Justin Lester created an A.I. duplicate of himself. Every day he sees more people using it.
Pope Leo invokes immigrant and slavery roots in call for US to honor founding ideals
The Guardian: The first US pope praises principles of freedom and opportunity in implicit critique of Donald Trump’s policies.
The Anglican Church of Canada offers liturgies for medically assisted dying
Religion Unplugged: “The Anglican Church of Canada is not of one voice on the topic, but leaders generally are in agreement that the Church has a duty of pastoral care to all who are dying,” the document says.
One of Marin’s biggest new housing projects could get derailed by a lawsuit*
The San Francisco Chronicle: The new buildings would be part of a large overhaul of the former Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary campus, a 127-acre site with academic buildings and residences in the unincorporated community of Strawberry covering prime hillsides overlooking the bay.
Are you Jewish? California considers asking on official state forms
The Forward: Supporters say collecting data on Jewish ancestry could improve health, education and public safety policy. Critics fear the risks of asking Jews to identify themselves to the state.
The Spark
In the age of AI, the analog restaurant feels radical
Some restaurants are leaning into handmade touches, as AI-generated food photos and flyers become commonplace, Eater says.
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