Weekly Cultural Update: Paper Drugs in Prisons; Public Muslim Prayer; The Catholic Church and Social Justice; Meta and Youtube Lawsuit

The New Frontier of the Drug War: Hosts Sean McDowell and Scott Ray discuss a terrifying "quantum leap" in the drug trade where synthetic, lab-made drugs are being sprayed onto innocuous items like books and letters to be smuggled into prisons.Public Prayer and Religious Liberty: The hosts examine the implications of thousands of Muslims praying publicly in New York City, balancing the Judeo-Christian roots of religious freedom with the need to maintain the right to disagree with different worldviews.A Shift in Catholic Priorities?: Sean and Scott examine an Atlantic article suggesting the U.S. Catholic Church is pivoting from abortion to immigration as its most urgent issue, reflecting a broader trend in leadership messaging toward social justice and migrant care.Meta and Youtube Negligence Lawsuit: he hosts break down a recent case where Meta and YouTube were found negligent for using addictive design features that caused mental health distress to young users.Listener Question: Just War Theory and Iran: Following up on last week's discussion, the hosts discuss whether a war with Iran could be considered "Just War," noting that while Iran is an imminent threat to Israel, it is not currently one to the U.S. unless it acquires nuclear weapons.Listener Question: Biblical Perspectives on Cremation: In response to a listener's question, Scott and Sean discuss the theological precedents for burial over cremation, answering whether or not that's a barrier to funeral attendance.==========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].