Science & Tech

New dating apps — and ‘in person’ mixers — target religious and political niches
By Kathryn Post — September 27, 2022
(RNS) — Two new niche dating sites are hitting the market, promising that shared values are key to long-lasting relationships.

Pushed online in pandemic, women of color find safe spaces for faith and healing
By Kathryn Post — September 8, 2022
(RNS) — ‘There’s really no space in the nonprofit world, racial justice world or the ministry world that is just for women of color.’

In his debut country album, Rhett McLaughlin breaks up — with God
By Riley Farrell — August 11, 2022
(RNS) — The ‘Good Mythical Morning’ comedian goes on a spiritual deconstruction journey in his album, ‘James and the Shame.’

Millennials adopt digital worship, but not at the expense of IRL faith
By Kathryn Post — August 5, 2022
(RNS) — Forty-one percent of US respondents and 29% of Canadian respondents reported consuming religious or spiritual digital content at least once a month.

When mixing faith with furries, things can get hairy
By Riley Farrell — August 2, 2022
(RNS) — A Christian movement has established itself inside the mostly religion resistant world of furry fandom.

There is a lot of antisemitic hate speech on social media – and algorithms are partly to blame
By Sabine von Mering and Monika Hübscher — July 26, 2022
(The Conversation) — Antisemitism today does not always appear in the form of traditional hate speech. It manifests in GIFs, memes, vlogs, comments and reactions on social media platforms.

The Webb telescope vs. young Earth creationism
By Mark Silk — July 21, 2022
(RNS) — The Webb telescope's images have elicited faith-based comments that Galileo might recognize.

As states ban abortion, a new spotlight on an old battle over sex education
By Riley Farrell — July 14, 2022
(RNS) — Half of the states set to ban abortion have no mandate that schools teach sex education. Only four require curricula to address contraception.

Fundie Fridays, the snarky critic of conservative religious zeal, faces YouTube termination
By Riley Farrell — June 30, 2022
(RNS) — By poking fun at fundamentalists, Jennifer Sutphin and James Bryant stand as symmetrically antithetical to Christian content creators. Thousands of followers worship them for it.

Humanist children’s books translated, available free in Muslim-majority countries
By Kathryn Post — June 9, 2022
(RNS) — ‘The world is a very special place even without magic or the supernatural,’ said Bailey Harris, who began writing her book series at age 8.

The danger of finding our meaning at work
By Kathryn Post — June 8, 2022
(RNS) — In extreme cases, work isn’t just rewarding: It’s religion.

What the Voyager space probes can teach humanity about immortality and legacy as they sail through space for trillions of years
By James Edward Huchingson — June 7, 2022
(The Conversation) — A professor of religion and science explains different views on immortality, from the religious perspective of President Jimmy Carter to the scientific, secular take of Carl Sagan.

American Airlines dubbed most faith-friendly Fortune 500 company
By Kathryn Post — May 23, 2022
(RNS) — 'You just cannot compartmentalize the things that are your core value,' said Greg McBrayer, American Airlines chaplain.

How to know if your practice of Buddhism through listening to podcasts or use of meditation apps is ‘authentic’
By Gregory Grieve — May 22, 2022
(The Conversation) — A scholar of digital religion and Buddhism argues that not all Western Buddhism practice is inauthentic. Here’s a way to know what’s real.

Why the world has a lot to learn about conservation – and trust – from Indigenous societies
By John Ziker — May 13, 2022
(The Conversation) — Traditional ecological knowledge, or TEK, can encompass science, medicine, ecology, religion and culture – and help protect the environment.