Religious Slacktivism

Want to be a social activist, pushing for justice and fighting oppression and abuse? Now you can — with only a mouse click or two. Simple. Easy.

Activist.

Think about the kinds of images that word brings to mind: idealism, boldness, vision, self-sacrifice, maybe even a little radical streak. History is witness to many people who risked their lives and reputations to confront injustice and serve the marginalized.

Now, however, it seems that activism has become less about volunteering than about going viral. These days if you want to get the word out about your cause, you don’t hit the streets — you click the mouse. Instead of activism, the technologically advanced and socially isolated generations of the 21st century are more likely to engage in what some observers call “slacktivism:” slacker + activism.

Nancy Lublin, writing for Fast Company magazine, defines slacktivism as “doing good without having to do much at all. It’s inch-deep activism that you can do from the comfort of your own couch, whether it’s clicking for good or texting to save the world.” If, say, the Red Cross is raising money for a disaster that’s in the...