Give Anne Lamott (and the rest of us) a little grace on transgender issues
By Jonathan Merritt — June 12, 2015
Bestselling author Anne Lamott incited public outrage by making offensive comments about Caitlyn Jenner. Jonathan Merritt asks, "Can we not offer each other a little grace in such a moment?"
Mormon hecklers, traditional families and more: Recapping today’s General Conference
By Jana Riess — April 4, 2015
Hecklers in the Conference Center? Halfway through Mormonism's semiannual shindig, here are three takeaway points on what went down.
Put your clothes back on: Oversharing online isn’t wise
By Jonathan Merritt — January 20, 2015
It's time Christians think more seriously about when, what, where, how, and to whom we should share ourselves. Sometimes "authenticity" is just inappropriate.
Are #Christian hashtags rallying the faithful or just luring trolls?
By Sarah Pulliam Bailey — November 25, 2014
WASHINGTON (RNS) Everyone on Twitter is learning that a hashtag cuts both ways -- it can be hijacked or lampooned by detractors, and it's a key way that online activists are pushing back against opposing messages or what some might even call hate speech.
Hashtag activists battle online anti-Muslim speech, but #DoesItWork?
By Cathy Lynn Grossman — November 13, 2014
(RNS) Clicktivism -- for good or for ill -- brings attention to online hate speech, and "attention is never powerless"'
Online, offline faith go hand in hand
By Cathy Lynn Grossman — November 6, 2014
(RNS) A new Pew Research survey finds churchgoers avidly share their faith online.
Atheists tweet more often than Muslims, Jews, Christians, study shows
By Kimberly Winston — October 3, 2014
(RNS) A new study of Twitter finds that atheists -- among the smallest populations in the U.S. -- are the most prolific tweeters.
Facebook, Twitter and Google back Anti-Defamation League’s 10 best practices for challenging cyberhate
By Brian Pellot — September 29, 2014
Online hatred takes many forms, including anti-Semitism, misogyny, xenophobia, homophobia and Islamophobia. Internet companies and the Anti-Defamation League are teaming up to fight these and other forms of intolerance. Will it work?
Mormons embrace social media to push back against official church teachings
By Kimberly Winston — September 15, 2014
BERKELEY, Calif. (RNS) “We are starting to see a significant disconnect between what the church is telling people to believe about same-sex marriage and homosexuality and what people actually believe and accept,” said LGBT activist John Gustav-Wrathall. “I think the Internet has a lot to do with that."
RFRA’s END(A)? * Iraq’s Christians * Foreskin sorcery: July’s Religious Freedom Recap
By Brian Pellot — August 4, 2014
Hobby Lobby ruling prompts calls for the Religious Freedom Restoration Act to be scrapped. Mosul’s Christians are ordered to convert to Islam or face death. And Zimbabwe might ban circumcision because foreskins could be used in witchcraft, obviously.
Arabic Twitter avatar illustrates #WeAreN solidarity with Iraqi Christians
By Cathy Lynn Grossman — July 25, 2014
(RNS) It's the symbol for "Nazarene," or Christian, used by Islamists in Iraq to brand Christian properties as part of their effort to drive out an ancient Christian community.
Can robots find religion? Meet @oliviataters
By Brian Pellot — July 23, 2014
Olivia Taters started life as an oracle Twitter bot designed to deliver absurd truths. Now she’s an emotionally erratic, highly opinionated teenager with some wild thoughts on religion.
Pope Francis, cats and no kids: The Twitterverse responds
By Heather Adams — June 3, 2014
(RNS) When Pope Francis warned married couples not to substitute pets and vacation homes for children, was that a slap against childless couples? Some people thought so.
Just how crazy is Saudi Arabia? 9 WTF headlines from March alone
By Brian Pellot — March 28, 2014
As President Obama visits the land of cheap oil and oppression today, he needs to know one thing. On the nutty scale between Charlie Sheen and Amanda Bynes, Saudi Arabia is off-the-charts Dennis Rodman insane. Here’s a quick rundown of this month’s most absurd Saudi headlines showing just how crazy crazy can be.
Hello Twitter! How religious leaders crafted their first tweets
By Sarah Pulliam Bailey — March 21, 2014
To honor eight years of Twitter, the social network allowed users to find their first tweet.
