Weekly Cultural Update: Traditional Dating Apps; Jehovah's Witnesses Blood Policy Shift; Pope Leo in France; Smartwatches for Kids in China

Traditional Values in Dating Apps: The Match Group relaunched the Upward dating app for "next gen traditionalists" seeking marriage and family through modern courtship, reflecting a growing desire for stability and traditional relationship roles. 

Jehovah's Witnesses Update on Blood Policy: The governing body of the Jehovah's Witnesses announced that accepting individual blood components—such as red blood cells, plasma, and platelets—is now a matter of personal conscience, though their core prohibition on whole blood transfusions remains intact. 

Pope Leo’s Reception in France: Pope Leo drew massive crowds in France, including over 800,000 people for a papal mass in Paris, highlighting a shift in the country from an "inherited Christianity" to a "chosen Christianity". 

Smartwatches over Smartphones in China: Hosts Scott Rae and Erik Thoennes discuss why parents in China are giving their children scaled-down smartwatches instead of smartphones to help set healthier boundaries around technology. 

Listener Question: Church Hopping: The hosts address an audience question regarding church hopping, exploring when personal preference becomes too dominant a factor in choosing a church body—a situation the first-century church never had to consider. 

Listener Question: Public Neutrality: The episode tackles a listener query about neutrality in public settings, assessing whether genuine neutrality exists in the public square and how Christians should navigate public involvement.

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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 thinkbiblically@biola.edu.