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Pope Francis wants you to give up being a jerk online for Lent
Forget quitting smoking or cutting carbs from your diet. If you're thinking of something to give up this Lent, which starts today (Ash Wednesday), Pope Francis has a surprisingly modern suggestion. During the weekly General Audience in St. Peter's Square today, the Pope told the 12,000 people gathered to "disconnect from cell phones and connect to the Gospel," according to Vatican News, the Holy See's information service. This Lent, Pope Francis said, "is a time in which to turn off the television and open the Bible."
Vatican launches $110 'click to pray' wearable rosary
The Vatican is hoping to attract tech-savvy youngsters to the Catholic Church with the launch of a "Click to Pray" eRosary -- a wearable device connected to a mobile app that's activated by making the sign of the cross.
Two-thirds of online gamers in the US experience 'severe' harassment
It's no secret that online gaming can harbor toxic and abusive behavior. But a new survey by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) says as many as many as two-thirds of US online gamers have experienced "severe" harassment. More than half of the respondents said they've been targeted based on their race, religion, ability, gender, sexual orientation or ethnicity. Nearly 30 percent claim they've been doxxed in an online game, and nearly a quarter of respondents say they've been exposed to white supremacist ideology.
Twitter revises rules on hate speech targeting religions
Twitter has technically banned hate speech based on religion before, but it should now be easier for the company to clamp down on that behavior. The social site has updated its rules to require the deletion of any tweet that "dehumanizes" others based on their religion, whether or not it targets someone directly. The company won't ban or suspend people who wrote offending tweets before the policy's July 9th effective date, but they will have to delete the posts in question to avoid further trouble.
Amazon says it mistakenly pulled ads with religious content
Amazon's growing ad business may have produced some unintended casualties. CNBC has learned that Amazon staffers were mistakenly removing ads with religious content, explaining to sellers that a "policy update" reportedly banned promos for products "related to a specific religion." A company spokesperson said that the policies hadn't changed, however, and that it was implementing "corrective training" to make clear that religious material was acceptable.
Updated Mormon rules let missionaries call or text their families weekly
Until now, Mormon missionaries have only allowed to use phone calls or video chats to reach their families on Christmas and Mother's Day. After that, they'd had to rely on email or traditional letters. They'll have an easier time staying in touch from now on, though. The Church now permits missionaries to call, text, message or video chat with their families each week on preparation day (effectively, their break), not just two times a year. They're also encouraged to get in touch on other holidays.
Christianity and conservationism collide in 'Pangolin's Puzzle'
Pangolin's Puzzle is a new mobile game that offers a refreshing approach to the puzzle genre -- instead of relying solely on spatial manipulation or number-based solves, it serves up written logic problems. Players manipulate patches of the environment on a grid, building landscapes according to descriptions of how each feature relates to one another. It's tricky, thoughtful and addictive, especially when you add in the adorable main character, an anteater-like animal called a pangolin.
Recommended Reading: The church of AI
Inside the First Church of Artificial Intelligence Mark Harris, Wired You may know Anthony Levandowski from being at the center of Waymo's lawsuit against Uber, but he's also the "Dean" or leader of a new religion of artificial intelligence. Wired takes a look at Way of the Future's doctrine, Levandowski's role and the quest to create the divine AI.
Facebook will hand-review ads targeting politics and race
When Facebook said it was hiring 1,000 more people to manually review ads, it wasn't necessarily clear to everyone what that entailed -- just what was the focus, and would it affect upstanding advertisers? While the company touched on what whats happening before, there's no ambiguity now. According to Axios, Facebook is telling advertisers that it now requires manual review for ads targeting people based on "politics, religion, ethnicity or social issues." In other words, Facebook is determined to avoid any attempt to use ads to stoke social tensions, even if that means slowing down its ad system. The social network warns marketers that they're "likely to experience a delay" to the start of their ad campaigns, at least until Facebook finds a way to streamline the process.
Uber's former self-driving lead is creating an AI religion
In a development that wouldn't be out of place in a Black Mirror episode, we could soon be worshipping an artificially intelligent god figure. And this isn't a satirical take on our existing roles as disciples of social media, or the transcendental joy we feel when an Uber Eats delivery arrives. According to state filings uncovered by Wired, in September 2015 disgraced engineer Anthony Levandowski established a non-profit religious corporation called Way of the Future. Its mission: "To develop and promote the realization of a Godhead based on artificial intelligence and through understanding and worship of the Godhead contribute to the betterment of society." In the last two months alone we've seen robots perform funeral ceremonies and AI chips mimic the human brain -- could a Deus ex Machina really be that far behind?
'Far Cry 5' brings cult mayhem to Hope County February 27th
Far Cry 5 is going to be a little different than you might expect. The new announcement trailer paints a picture of pastoral life that lends itself surprisingly well to the franchise's familiar trappings: hunting, off-road vehicles, airplanes and guns. And it seemingly wraps it all together in a way that seems like a more grounded version of Grand Theft Auto V's depiction of a rural life of crime.
Religion and gambling have the same effect on your brain
Finding Jesus can feel a lot like falling in love, winning an award or getting high because all of these events activate the same reward circuits in the brain, according to a new study from the University of Utah. Researchers studied fMRI scans of 19 devout Mormons as they were exposed to prayer, scripture and sermons designed by the LDS Church to evoke spiritual feelings, and found reproducible activation in the nucleus accumbens, a region in the brain associated with reward and pleasure.
Pope meets YouTube creators from around the world
Popes are no stranger to YouTube (Benedict XVI got a YouTube channel years ago), but Pope Francis is stepping things up a notch. He just met with 11 YouTube creators from around the world in a "first-of-its-kind" chat to share perspectives on issues of peace and tolerance, such as gender equality and immigrant rights. In the weeks ahead, each of those online video makers will produce clips sharing what they learned from the meeting. This probably won't usher in a brave new era of generosity and kindness, but we also haven't seen YouTubers get this kind of access before. At the least, it should lead to fresh perspectives on important topics.
Vatican uses Telegram to guide Catholics during Lent
When Pope Francis says he sees the internet as a blessing, he's not just talking a big game. As part of a broader "Keep Lent" campaign beginning Wednesday, the Vatican is sending its daily readings of Gospel verses through a Telegram channel, @pgpompei -- last year's choice of messaging service (WhatsApp) just isn't as good, it seems. You don't have to fire up Telegram to listen, but the move shows that the Catholic leadership wants to follow its younger laypeople to the social services they're using at the moment, rather than sticking to "safe" choices like Facebook or Twitter. Just don't expect the Pope to get a Peach account any time soon.
Face-tracking tech knows when you skip church services
More than two dozen churches around the world have installed a facial-recognition system that monitors which members of the flock have actually shown up for the Sunday sermon. The system is called Churchix and was developed by Israeli software company, Face-six. It continually scans the religious center's CCTV feed and matches congregation members to a pre-existing database of their faces -- reportedly with 99 percent accuracy.
Did You Know Gaming explores Pokemon's complicated religious relationship
There are a few universal truths in the world of Pokemon: Water-type beats Fire-type, gods can be tamed by 10-year olds, and battles between citizens can be sparked by something as small as walking into one another's line of sight. Actually, that last point is particularly poignant given the nature of the latest video from Did You Know Gaming, which explores one of the more sour aspects of the relationship between Pokemon games and real-world religions. The good news is that, despite some troubling proclamations, pretty much every claim of Pokemon being anti-religion (or anti- a specific religious belief) has been debunked, sometimes from within the religious community in question. Even a television station run by the Vatican said that the series did not have "any harmful moral side effects" and was instead based on "ties of intense friendship." Not all of this episode is negative, though. Pokemon have long been inspired by religious and spiritual stories and symbols, such as the lightning bolts on Kadabra's abdomen and the designs of Groudon, Kyogre and Rayquaza. And then of course there was that time that Pokemon created its own quasi-religion, an event curiously absent from the video above. And that's when the world learned its lesson, and no one overreacted or condemned something unjustly ever again. Ever. [Image: Nintendo/DYK Gaming]
The Daily Grind: Is your character religious?
Maybe it's just me, but it seems like your character's choice of religion (or not) was far more of a feature of pen-and-paper RPGs than in most CRPGs and MMOs. I can't think of many MMOs where you're ever asked to assign a fictional religion or deity to your character, save perhaps for Neverwinter's cosmetic choice and a more beneficial (and optional) selection in EverQuest II. Oh, and I think that some of the Guild Wars 2 races ask you to pick a deity as part of your personal story, so there's that. But that doesn't mean that your character can't have a deity to worship, if only in your own mind. After all, combat prowess isn't the beginning, middle, and end of character development. Does your character adhere to one of the faiths in the game? Does he or she have a patron saint of the underdark that is prayed to on a regular basis? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
World of Warcraft as religious experience
How much of what we do in World of Warcraft matters, and how much does it matter? Can one be said to be engaging in a spiritual or religious experience when we play the game? Robert Geraci would seem to think we can at least start talking about that. Dr. Geraci is a professor of religious studies at Manhattan College, and his new book is about the interaction between the virtual worlds we inhabit (his current book discusses World of Warcraft and Second Life) and our inner lives. Dr. Geraci seems to be using WoW as a means to explore how we approach life itself, and how we can interact with it fundamentally in the same way we do our day to day, walking about lives. it's just about virtual reality - in particular, virtual reality experiences that millions of people are seeking out. From a religious perspective, people are making their lives rich and meaningful and interesting in these virtual worlds. The grant project was to expand on that and say, 'Ok, in what other ways are virtual worlds meaningful for their participants? The idea that what we do in game has an impact on our lives seems pretty irrefutable -- Dr. Geraci mentions how we make friendships in game that are as real to us as any we make outside of it (indeed, many in-game friendships quickly transcend the game they started in) and he discusses how the game presents concepts of morality, good vs. evil, environmentalism and so on. One could go further with his argument -- the nature of in-game interaction presents a kind of meta-contextual exploration of good social behavior, ultimately. The idea that 'it's just a game' vs. those that argue game or not, you're playing with real people for stakes that matter to them and how you behave in that situation has an impact. In other words, the evolution of in-game morality isn't limited merely to the game's storylines, but the players themselves develop a code of conduct, mores that govern and shape their behavior. Concepts like ninja-looting, PuG etiquette and how to navigate guild social structures are all part and parcel of the game, but they're not narrative focused -- the community evolves these standards itself. To my mind, any discussion of MMO spaces as religious experiences has to take these kinds of issues to heart. It's not the game, ultimately, that provides much (if any) real spiritual value. It's the evolving consensus between players - the discussion of what is and isn't of value, the behaviors chosen, the direction of the internal zeitgeist of the experience. If we're discussing the investment of meaning into these experiences, it is almost always the players who make that investment. All the game itself can do is give them a framework on which to hang these connections.
Richard Dawkins blames fairy tales for making kids unscientific
What sort of grumpy academic would pick a fight with Santa Claus? Well, actually, not Richard Dawkins. The prominent zoologist, atheist and skeptic is no stranger to controversy, but his recent, widely quoted comments at a UK science festival run much deeper than just hating on one specific fairy-tale character. Rather, he's worried about the entire tradition of promoting make-believe to children, and he makes a decent argument. His real concern is that kids are being guided away from a scientific way of thinking before they've had much of a chance to look at the world for themselves. "It's pernicious to inculcate into a child a view of the world which includes supernaturalism," he says, because they already "get enough of that anyway." Dawkins suggests that rather than going along with "magical fantasies," adults should be "fostering a spirit of skepticism" instead. Check out fuller coverage at the Daily Telegraph if you think you can handle some of the other negative things he says about frogs and princesses.
The best apps for Christians, Jews, Muslims, and Buddhists for daily spiritual help
With the hustle and bustle of everyday life it's easy for even the most devout of religious people to forget to find time to feed their spiritual side. Thankfully the shiny phone in your pocket or tablet resting in your bag can provide a wealth of options for religious exploration regardless of your beliefs. Here are the best apps we've found for the largest religious groups in America at this time. If we missed your faith, let us know in the comments and we'll see what we can find. Christians Bible Cost: Free Bible is one of the most popular and powerful Biblical iOS apps available on the market. With over 100 million downloads around the world, this free app offers up something for every denomination of the Christian faith. It includes a myriad of translations including the NIV, NASB, ESV, KJV, and more, along with the ability to read these translations offline. The app also provides online audio Bibles for users who'd rather listen along. In addition, Bible offers hundreds of reading plans and devotionals to provide a helping hand if you're not sure where to start. Once you've figured out what to read, the app allows you to highlight your favorite verses with custom colors, create private notes to yourself, or share verses with friends via social media, email, or SMS text message. Utilizing YouVersion, users can also pull up their notes, highlights, reading plans, and bookmarks from any other supported device. Simply login to your account and you'll be ready to go. Bible + aka glo Bible Cost: Freemium If you need a more interactive experience with scripture and you don't mind paying for it, Bible +, or glo Bible, is the app for you. Bible + is an interactive HD text that uses videos, high-res images, articles, and digital tours to help you learn the Bible. Unlike the previously recommended app, this version only comes with free copies of the NIV and KJV translations, meaning you'll have to use in-app purchases to upgrade to your favorite translation. The premium version of this app costs $34.99. For your money you get access to a complete library of multimedia videos, study guides, and access to the same premium content via your web browser. While this sounds like a lot of money, the quality of the multimedia content is incredible, offering professionally shot videos and beautiful photographs to enhance your learning experience. Thankfully add-on pricing is tiered, so if you'd just like to unlock complete multimedia access it's available for $19.99. This provides 3.5 hours of HD video content, and thousands of HD pictures and related works of art. New study guides are available for purchase as well. The prices are a little steep for my tastes considering what is being sold, but the quality is impressive. If you're looking for a more interactive experience than our previous recommendation offers, give glo Bible a shot. Jews PocketTorah Cost: Free PocketTorah is a wonderful app designed to help you learn the Torah and the Haftarah. It includes the entirety of both texts in Hebrew and English. Additionally the app offers on-demand audio; simply touch any verse number and the corresponding text will be read in Hebrew with the proper trope. Finally, users are offered the Tikkun View which allows you to swipe your finger to switch between Hebrew passages as vowelized text or as it traditionally appears in the Torah with crowns and no vowels. Shabbat & Holiday Times Cost: Free I know the concept of a Shabbat app seems counter intuitive, but this one may come in handy for planning ahead. This app tells you when Shabbat begins and ends based on your current location or searchable time zones. To make sure its Shabbat times are accurate, the app is powered by the website Chabad.org. Beyond being a useful tool for planning your time of rest, the app includes a list of times for upcoming Jewish holidays. Muslims iQuaran Cost: Freemium (iQuaran lite can be found here) iQuaran is a powerful app designed for all ages. The app available as both a free and paid version, with the paid version costing an affordable $1.99. Both versions have been optimized for Retina display, but the free version only comes with an English translation while the paid app includes 38 translations and includes support for both landscape and portrait views. Each app includes verse by verse audio, including incredible controls designed to help with memorization. Rather than simple rewinding to hear a verse again users can set the app to repeat a single verse multiple times, repeat on reaching the end of a surah, or select a range of verses to loop. On the advanced app this functionality is enhanced with AirPlay support, and gapless verse by verse recitation by a wider range of narrators. The paid version also includes access to unlimited bookmarks and note-taking options, including special bookmark categories that will help you group verses by reading, memorizing, interesting, or discussion. iQuaran provides a ton of incredibly useful content for a tiny price. iPray: Prayer Times & Qibla Compass Price: $3.99 iPray is a prayer clock designed to help traveling Muslims keep their daily prayer schedule as they travel. The app offers sound and vibration alerts when it is time for your individual prayers, including Fajr, Ishraaq, Dhuhr, Asr, Maghrib, Isha and Qiyam-ul-lail. Using your GPS location and the iPhone's compass feature, the app keeps track of what the Qibla is for any given prayer. Buddhists Buddha Vacana Cost: Free Buddha Vacana is a free daily readings app that sends a verse of the Buddha's teachings to your iOS device every day. Featuring 365 verses from the Pali Canon, the app allows users to browse and read verses by date, and plays a soothing bell chime whenever the app starts. Buddha Vacana is a simple app designed to help remain mindful during the stresses of every day life. If we missed your particular faith and would like us to find apps that would help you in your own spiritual journey please leave us a comment below. It's been a fun challenge discovering how various religions have utilized the iOS environment to help their fellow believers. We look forward to reading your feedback.
