Republicans gather in Milwaukee; Many Christians believe AI could help churches with basic tasks; New hope found in Jesus

Good News for Today

With Good News for Today, I’m Brandon Porter.

The Republican National Convention kicks off today in Milwaukee. While the convention is set on Donald Trump as its nominee for president in the November election, there are still many watching the convention’s recent development concerning pro-life policy.

Last week, the convention’s platform committee voted to propose a platform that some thought softened the party’s stance on abortion. Specifically, delegating the work of passing abortion bans to state legislatures.

The move comes two years after the Supreme Court overturned Roe vs. Wade, but it is a significant shift from the work toward a federal abortion ban by the party that dates back to the early 1980s.

Republican leaders like Donald Trump and J.D. Vance have indicated that a softening of the party’s position might be needed to persuade independent voters to cast their ballot for Trump in the fall election.

While the party’s platform held strong on many of their valuing of human life, some ethics leaders and even Vice President Mike Pence expressed disappointment over the party’s proposed platfrom.

Baptist Press will be following the convention.

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Artificial intelligence could organize worship music sets, plan church budgets and perform administrative tasks as well as or better than humans, half or more of Christians said in new research from Barna Group and Gloo.

Reaching online audiences and creating online content for outreach are also prime areas for AI contributions, Christians told researchers.

But sermon planning and writing, and spiritual and mental health counseling are best left to humans, Christians said in Barna’s “Faith and AI” research conducted in partnership with Gloo.

“It’s no surprise that most Christian adults believe ministry tasks requiring a personal touch should be done by humans,” Steele Billings, head of AI at Gloo, said July 9 upon the data’s release. “But what may be surprising to most ministry leaders is that many Christians are optimistic about using AI beyond just everyday administrative tasks.”

Specifically:

• 53 percent of Christians believe AI could organize music sets as well as or better than humans; 41 percent would leave the work to humans, and 6 percent aren’t sure.
• 50 percent believe AI could give financial advice in church budgeting, 39 percent believe humans are best, and 10 percent are uncertain.
• 67 percent believe AI could perform just as well as or better than humans in administrative tasks such as scheduling and planning, 28 percent would prefer a human’s hand, and 4 percent are unsure.

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In a Lifeway Bible Study, Jeff Iorg writes, “Jeremiah promised a new covenant was coming. The new covenant was going to be different than former covenants in significant ways. But it was also a continuation of God’s historic work among His people. This covenant was unlike previous covenants, yet it built on those previous covenants.

“In the past, God’s covenants were focused on external symbols and requirements. God’s new covenant was devoid of external symbols or requirements. He declared, “I will put my teaching within them and write it on their hearts” (v. 33). The new covenant focused on internal change.

God still wants changed behavior, but only when motivated by inner transformation.

“A new covenant was coming, and God would establish it through the death of Jesus. Under the new covenant, we live in forgiveness, fully committed to God in heart and mind.”