Baptist leaders encourage North Carolina lawmakers to protect life

On May 3, the North Carolina legislature passed the “Care for Women, Children, and Families Act” (Senate Bill 20), legislation that reduces the state’s elective abortion limit from 20 weeks down to 12 and includes an exception for rape and incest through 20 weeks. It also establishes an exception for fetal life-limiting anomalies through 24 weeks (there is no limit if a doctor determines the life of the mother is in danger).

However, within hours of the bill passing, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper issued a video statement on Twitter accompanied by text that said he would veto the bill.

The North Carolina Baptists (Baptist State Convention of North Carolina) and the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC) wrote a letter urging North Carolina lawmakers to take action on the bill. Acknowledging the political considerations that come into play, the Baptist leaders made a heartfelt plea to legislators to override the veto.

Join us at this free SBC week event:

Save the date on your SBC calendars!

The ERLC, in cooperation with the Unify Project, is hosting an event on racial unity called Simple Steps to Unity: Walking Together Toward a Better Future on Monday, June 12 at 9pm CT.

Register here to reserve your free ticket!

This Week in Washington, D.C.

This week in Washington, D.C., attention was turned to the U.S.-Mexico border where, after over three years, the pandemic-era policy that allowed for the rapid expulsion of migrants, Title 42, was ended. We are already beginning to see a significant influx of migrants sparking concerns of a buckling asylum system and a humanitarian disaster.

The ERLC sent a letter to the Congressional delegations of the border states highlighting the great work Send Relief and SBC congregations are doing to serve migrants in their state at this critical moment. A second letter was sent to other Members of Congress urging them to take steps toward desperately needed immigration reforms that could limit the current crisis and prevent future ones.

You can read more about the end of Title 42 and the ERLC’s advocacy here.

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From The Public Square

Americans bet $220B on sports in 5 years since legalization
Associated Press

When Sunday’s anniversary of the court ruling in a case brought by New Jersey arrives, two-thirds of the country will offer legal sports betting, with additional states likely to join in coming months or years.

Montana Governor Signs 5 Abortion-Related Bills
Religion Clause

On Wednesday, Montana Governor Greg Gianforte signed into law five bills recently passed by the Montana legislature which regulate abortion procedures or availability. The Daily Montanan reports on the bills that will now become law.

States add laws on pronouns, sports for transgender students
Associated Press

Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb this week signed into a law a requirement that schools notify a parent when their student asks to be called a different name or uses pronouns that correspond with their gender, not their sex.

Sharing deepfake pornography could soon be illegal in America
ABC News

A new piece of legislation being introduced this week would make sharing non-consensual AI-generated pornography illegal in the United States, and open up new legal avenues for those impacted.

What You Need to Read

Jason Thacker with Why we (still) need a statement of principles for AI

One of the fascinating aspects of the current cultural conversation on AI is how quickly people have become entranced by these technologies, especially after the launch of ChatGPT and other generative AI tools. While many are excited about the advances these tools may bring, many are incredibly disturbed by their dangers and risks.

Debates over the future of AI have centered on the reality that these tools are doing things once reserved solely for human beings, leading many to ask the age-old question: What does it mean to be human?

ERLC Staff with What you should know about ChatGPT and other AI Large Language Models

Over the past year, there's been increasing debate about the nature and classification of Large Language Models (LLMs) like ChatGPT, an artificial intelligence chatbot developed by OpenAI and released in November 2022.

Are these systems truly representative of artificial intelligence (AI)? Do they propose a threat to humans? The answers, as with many things in the complex world of technology, are not as straightforward as they might seem.