Thursday’s News & Ideas - 8/14/2025
- Religious zeal dividing military
- Network for exiled progressives
- New laws affect libraries
- From megachurch to satellite
- When chatbots pray
- Addressing the fentanyl crisis
How Pete Hegseth’s zeal to bring religiosity to the Pentagon is dividing the military
The Guardian: Veterans say that Hegseth’s religiosity — rubbing off in new recruitment ads and official US Department of Defense social media activities — is dividing the ranks and doing untold damage to the future of the US military.
The 19th: The Christians advocating against women’s right to vote
Small denomination emerges to support exiled progressive ministers
Baptist News Global: Open Table Network is a small collection of clergy who seek community and credentials often after being expelled from their home denominations for their views on LGBTQ inclusion.
How new laws are changing Colorado school policies on religion, library materials
CBS News: The new policies allow books and materials to stay accessible for all students but allows students and parents to opt out of curriculum covering controversial themes with no questions asked.
When a former megachurch becomes a satellite congregation
Baptist News Global: It is not the normal pattern for a church with 400 people in weekly attendance to subsume its identity into a larger neighboring church, writes the publisher of Baptist News Global.
The priesthood of all chatbots?*
The Christian Century: I’m sure there are good uses for AI in our churches. Prayer and preaching aren’t among them, writes an Episcopal priest.
The Spark
A radical answer to the fentanyl crisis
For the past 19 months, San Francisco has been attempting to expand involuntary commitment* to treatment facilities for those struggling with addiction, says The Atlantic. What can the rest of the country learn from California?
*access is limited for nonsubscribers
