There are parts of the world in which Christians can not use the Internet to share the good news of the Gospel. Why? Because the Internet that many of us take for granted is under the control of countries hostile to the gospel. We think of the Internet as an open marketplace, the ultimate expression of the freedom to share ideas and opinions, but it is a marketplace in which the tools of control and surveillance are growing stronger in the hands of those least trustworthy. Consider this report by the OpenNet Initiative (AP - Study finds 25 countries block Web sites):
At least 25 countries around the world block Web sites for political, social or other reasons as governments seek to assert authority over a network meant to be borderless, according to a study out Friday. [...] China, Iran, Myanmar, Syria, Tunisia and Vietnam had the most extensive filters for political sites. Iran, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Tunisia, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen had the strictest social-filtering practices, blocking pornography, gambling and gay and lesbian sites.What this report does not mention, and should, is that these countries consider the expression of Christian sentiments to be on a par with pornography and other blocked sites. This is yet another reminder that the Internet can be used as a tool for good or evil and while our task is to use it for good, we must also be aware of how it is being used and misused by those against religious and political freedom.
