Posts in social media
Viral Videos Draw Attention To Church Benevolence Practices

Benevolence ministry never slows down, but it picks up during the holidays. For it to truly be successful, benevolence must also be ongoing. It may begin with a phone call, but it doesn’t stop there.

Read More
The World Is Full Of Irrational Hatred: Here’s How You Can Choose Peace

(OPINION) Among humanity, the opportunities for offense are endless. But if you don’t want to get trapped in this habit of spreading bile, you don’t have to. Pastor Paul Prather gives practical tips to have more peaceful, loving relationships.

Read More
Woman’s Church ‘Baby Formula Test’ Goes Viral, Exposing Compassion Gap

A Kentucky woman who was turned down by dozens of churches of various denominations and sizes in the Bible Belt in donating formula to her hungry baby has created a TikTok sensation. Fortunately, a few said yes.

Read More
Oversight Board Urges Meta To Address Information Gaps After Syria Case

(ANALYSIS) The Oversight Board, a body making precedent-setting content moderation decisions on the social media platforms Facebook, Instagram and Threads, issued a decision calling on Meta to mitigate information asymmetries in armed conflicts. The Oversight Board is a body examining whether Meta’s decisions are in line with its policies, values and human rights commitments.

Read More
Why Tucker Carlson Actually Sat Down With Nick Fuentes

The uproar over Tucker Carlson’s decision to host Nick Fuentes, a notorious Holocaust denier and white nationalist, for a friendly chat on his popular online talk show last week focused on the need to maintain a firewall between mainstream conservatives and antisemites such as Fuentes.

Read More
Graffiti-Style Prayers: ‘Hear Us’ Brings Marginalized Voices into Canterbury Cathedral

(REVIEW) Visitors to Canterbury Cathedral in the U.K. have been surprised to find that parts of the building’s majestic architecture are currently daubed with eye-catching graffiti. But this is not the work of vandals. The colorful graphics are part of a thought-provoking art installation centered on the idea of asking questions to God.

Read More
Tradwife Content Fuses Femininity With Anti-feminism

(OPINION) When people think about online misogyny, they probably envision forums and video game chat rooms filled with young men using lewd language, promoting sexist stereotypes and longing for the good old days when women “knew” their place. Arguably the most popular anti-feminist content today, though, is produced by women: tradwives.

Read More
Crossroads Podcast: The New York Times’ Surprisingly Solid Erika Kirk Story

Doing this interview was consistent with Charlie Kirk’s history of reaching out to leaders on the other side of the chasm between red and blue America. I would argue that many other conservative groups should take a similar approach, if their leaders are sharp enough to handle these kinds of encounters (with both sides recording what happens).

Read More
‘Jesus Makes Me Holy ... And Hot’: What Christian Influencers Say About Christ

(ANALYSIS) These so-called “Jesus glow-up” posts, and their influencer authors, communicate a message that a relationship with Christ provides a “blessing of heightened physical beauty.”

Read More
China Tightens Digital Grip On Clergy With Sweeping New Rules

China has introduced sweeping new regulations that strictly control how clergy from the country’s five state-recognized religions can operate online. The 18-article “Code of Conduct for Religious Clergy on the Internet” bans livestreaming, social media preaching, AI-generated religious content and all online outreach to minors.

Read More
The First Amendment Trinity And Charlie Kirk’s Murder

(ANALYSIS) What do Joe Rogan, Charlie Sheen and Charlie Kirk have in common? On many levels, the correct answer is, “Not much.” And I never thought that I would be discussing Sheen in the context of someone like Kirk who, whatever you thought of his MAGA messages, was maturing into an increasingly effective public apologist on topics of faith, family and public life.

Read More
Crossroads Podcast: School Shootings And The Death Of Honest Questions

After each and every school shooting, the usual suspects in public life produce their familiar soundbites that draw cheers from the faithful in their various choirs in blue America and red America.

Read More
Online Blasphemy Scams Destroying Lives In Pakistan

Blasphemy laws in Pakistan are a set of legislative provisions that forbid statements or actions that are considered offensive to Islam or its sacred figures. These rules inflict severe punishments, including life imprisonment and the death penalty under Section 295-C for defaming the Prophet Muhammad. These laws were expanded during General Zia-ul-Haq’s Islamization of the country.

Read More
How Ronaldo’s Engagement Put A Spotlight On Saudi Arabia’s Shifting Social Boundaries

Cristiano Ronaldo’s engagement in Riyadh highlights Saudi Arabia’s evolving — but still inconsistent— social norms. Once governed by strict Islamic law, the kingdom has relaxed restrictions under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s reforms. Ronaldo and partner Georgina Rodríguez live openly as an unmarried couple — something that remains risky for ordinary Saudis, especially women.

Read More
On Religion: Vatican Gathers Global Creators To Rethink Online Evangelism

(ANALYSIS) With a nod to digital life, Merriam-Webster has expanded its “influencer” definition to include a “person who is able to generate interest in something (such as a consumer product) by posting about it on social media.” Pope Leo XIV didn't use that term in his latest remarks on faith in the internet age, even while addressing the recent Vatican Jubilee for Digital Missionaries and Influencers.

Read More
Pope Leo XIV Urges Youth Toward Real Relationships In A Digital Age

(ANALYSIS) In a summer when world leaders debate regulation of artificial intelligence and digital platforms scramble to retain user trust, Pope Leo XIV is offering a different vision — rooted not in control but in communion, not in efficiency but in encounter. Over a million young people under the Roman twilight, that invitation resonated — not as nostalgia, but as a hopeful step into the future.

Read More
Crossroads Podcast: Where Does Colbert Go Next?

Channeling the rage on the Bluesky social-media platform, Sunny Hostin at “The View” claimed that the decision by CBS executives to cancel Stephen Colbert's “Late Show” could be the start of dangerous people "dismantling of our Constitution.” This raised questions for me, several of which were discussed during this week’s “Crossroads” podcast. For starters, who — other than President Donald Trump & Co. — were these dangerous people? Did this include millions of Americans who used to watch late-night TV and are now watching whatever they choose to watch on YouTube? 

Read More
Why Is The Department Of Homeland Security Quoting The Bible On Instagram?

(ANALYSIS) The more people are inundated by joking memes about people being beaten and handcuffed by U.S. government forces, the less startling they are. And the easier it is to believe that, perhaps, this is the way things have been since the beginning — just as God made them.

Read More
Why Are Christian influencers Promoting Mezuzahs?

(ANALYSIS) There’s a new TikTok trend for Christian influencers: Gluing a small, rectangular box with a scroll inside, marked with a cross, that observers can nail to their door frames. Available to buy on TikTok shop, the boxes — called “Grace Marks” — come in gray-marbled white as well as a “terrazzo” confetti-flecked version.

Read More