Fred Phelps dies, America tweets
By Kimberly Winston — March 20, 2014
(RNS) Fred Phelps' death lit up the Twitterverse. Here is a selection of tweets to mark the passing of perhaps the most hated pastor in America.
Russell Crowe really wants Pope Francis to see ‘Noah’
By Eric J. Lyman — February 25, 2014
ROME (RNS) "Screening? The message of the film is powerful, fascinating, resonant," actor Russell Crowe tweeted to Pope Francis.
‘America the Beautiful’ and Cheerios ads draw post Super Bowl outrage
By Cathy Lynn Grossman — January 31, 2014
Multi-racial, multi-lingua, multi-ethnic Super Bowl ads prompted social media outrage but there's danger in slapping political labels on it.
Pope Francis tops Facebook’s list of most-talked-about topics
By Eric J. Lyman — December 10, 2013
(RNS) Pope Francis took the top spot, followed closely by Royal Baby George.
Can God take a tweet? ‘The Twible’ delivers holy writ with Twitter wit
By Cathy Lynn Grossman — November 13, 2013
(RNS) Jana Riess, popular Mormon blogger at Religion News Service, spent four years tweeting every book of the Old and New Testaments with pith and wit. Now, the complete collection -- each chapter condensed to 140 characters -- is on sale as "The Twible."
The Vatican sets rules for new Internet domain: sorry, Catholic bloggers
By Eric J. Lyman — November 8, 2013
ROME (RNS) The Vatican has said that use of the new “.catholic” Internet domain will be limited to official organizations such as Catholic churches, parishes, schools and the like, and that individual Catholics or bloggers won’t be allowed to use it.
‘Blasphemous’ tweets * God graveyard * Zombie panda?!: Religious Freedom Recap: Oct. 28 – Nov. 4
By Brian Pellot — November 4, 2013
A Saudi man is released as a Kuwaiti’s jail sentence is upheld over “blasphemous” tweets. Atheists erect a fake graveyard for gods that are no longer worshipped. And I still look like an emo teen covered in black eyeliner. Thanks, Halloween.
Vatican’s pop culture guru Gianfranco Ravasi backpedals his tribute to rocker Lou Reed
By Eric J. Lyman — October 29, 2013
ROME (RNS) Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, who was considered a leading candidate to become pope in the March conclave that selected Pope Francis, is no stranger to pop music-related controversy.
The Pain of Facebook Unfriending
By Jana Riess — October 17, 2013
Considering that Facebook offers so many options (friend or acquaintance? Some or all updates?), the stark alternative -- "I don't want this person's voice in my life anymore at all" -- can be hurtful.
COMMENTARY: Old habits die hard
By Tom Ehrich — October 8, 2013
(RNS) Old ideas just need to be abandoned and something fresh and responsive allowed to emerge. Old ideas always benefit someone, and those someones tend to push back to protect their benefits. But that self-protective push-back isn’t a viable strategy.
Twitter and tragedy: A revamped American religious experience
By Timothy K. Snyder — September 13, 2013
Social media creates new avenues for innovative religious practices, like photo sharing as an offering of prayer. These new religious practices don’t replace religious communities; rather, they add to them.
‘God is the best artist’ takes off on social media
By Menachem Wecker — August 22, 2013
(RNS) The notion of God as an artist is hardly new. But when Twitter and Pinterest users take to their smartphones to snap pictures of sunrises and sunsets and attribute those “masterpieces” to God, they are exhibiting a new sort of adoration.
Tweet your way out of purgatory (but there’s work involved)
By Bob Smietana — July 18, 2013
(RNS) Pope Francis plans to grant plenary indulgences by Twitter during the World Youth Day, which will be held July 23-28 in Brazil. But to get an indulgence, Catholics must have already had their sins absolved by a priest.
Pastor’s tornado tweets stir up a theological debate
By Sarah Pulliam Bailey — May 23, 2013
(RNS) Popular evangelical author and speaker John Piper regularly tweets Bible verses, but two verses tweeted after the Oklahoma tornado struck some as at best insensitive and at worst bad theology.
The 5 Kinds of People I Unfollowed on Twitter
By Jana Riess — April 12, 2013
I recently unfollowed nearly 1,000 people on Twitter. Here are 5 reasons why.
