News: October 24, 2025
Members and Friends,
I hope everyone is enjoying what passes for fall in Houston. The temperatures are a bit lower, as is the humidity. Of course, allergies are on the increase and if you want to see the spectacular colors of fall, you need to schedule a short trip to Vermont or New Hampshire.
Another sign of fall is the church calendar filling up. For instance, we are planning a Thanksgiving potluck dinner, a dinner at Montrose Grace Place, our various Religious Exploration programs, our arts council, and other groups.
The reason I am mentioning this is these programs rely on volunteers. Without volunteers, we cannot fulfill our covenant of service to ourselves and the broader community. So, find a church program you care about and join it. Both you and the program will be richer for the experience.
A few months ago, the board adopted the 10-year strategic plan for the church and now we will start implementing it. Two of the new programs are the implementation of the eighth principle into our church life and the developing of new leadership. They are planned to start immediately. We will need volunteers for both committees.
Recently, the New York Times published a piece on religious chatbots. It turns out that the apps are available in both the Apple Store and Google Play Store. These apps had, at one point, more downloads than Netflix, Instagram, and TikTok.
When I first read this piece, I was reminded of my youth sitting in a confessional, confessing my sins and waiting for the assignment of penance. My next thought was Lucy’s Psychiatrist booth where the doctor is always in.
After I stopped being so snarky, I thought about how these bots work. It turns out that they are trained by using the foundational text for each religion. For Christians, it is the bible, for Muslins, it is the Quran, and so on.
The worrisome thing is someone could train these bots by using some other less wholesome text. The Art of the Deal comes to mind. The effect might be truly Orwellian.
Joan Waddill
