Cultural Update: Free speech on college campuses; Does AI make kids worse at thinking?

Is free speech disappearing on college campuses? A new report gives nearly half of surveyed colleges an “F” for free speech, raising bigger questions about intellectual diversity, disagreement, and why Christians should value persuasion over coercion.Could AI make kids worse at thinking? Early research suggests generative AI may help students get answers faster while short-circuiting the difficult mental work needed to actually develop critical-thinking skills.A two-year-old was euthanized in the Netherlands. How did we get here? Sean and Scott examine this tragic case and the crucial ethical distinction between relieving suffering, allowing natural death, and intentionally causing death.Are “designer babies” becoming more acceptable? A surprising study finds prospective parents may care as much about avoiding traits like low intelligence or antisocial behavior as they do about certain medical risks when choosing embryos.Listener Question: Could legalizing something harmful actually reduce the harm? A listener pushes Scott on whether his harm-reduction argument applies not only to pornography but also to dangerous drugs such as fentanyl.Listener Question: Can trauma-informed ministry go too far? The hosts explore how churches can take trauma seriously without allowing it to become someone’s defining identity—and how truth, compassion, healing, and personal agency can fit together.Listener Question: Are we reading modern psychology back into the Apostle Paul? Responding to their recent conversation with Scot McKnight, Sean and Scott ask how confidently we can apply concepts like trauma, emotional regulation, and PTSD to a biblical figure living 2,000 years ago.==========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 [email protected].