Back in the old days - say, 10 years ago - Christians used
to complain about liberal media bias. The newspapers and
networks had a stranglehold on what was considered news. And
because most members of the national media were part of the
liberal cultural elite, polite indifference was usually the
best we could expect.
Now, of course, all that has changed, right? The mainstream
media monopoly has been broken up. You don’t have to rely on
ABC, NBC, CBS, or The New York Times to get your
news - or to air your views. Technological advances have
opened up amazing communication opportunities through
outlets like the Web, Facebook, Twitter, smart phones, and
more.
But as encouraging as this democratization of communication
has been, we’re still facing viewpoint discrimination, and
in some ways it’s harder than ever to root out.
The National Religious Broadcasters, the respected
evangelical trade group, has issued a new report warning
that religious content faces a “clear and present danger of
censorship” from Facebook, iTunes, and other new media
platforms. The NRB’s Craig Parshall says, “With the single
exception of Twitter, all the new media platforms and
services that we examined have issued written policies
governing citizen users that are clearly inconsistent with
the free speech values of the
U.S. Constitution.”
Strong words, but proof isn’t hard to find. Remember how
Apple dropped our Manhattan Declaration iPhone app because
gay-rights activists had complained about the Declaration’s
support of traditional marriage? That was not an unfortunate
aberration. The NRB report notes, “Of the 425,000 apps
available on Apple’s iPhone, the only ones censored by Apple
for expressing otherwise lawful viewpoints have been apps
with Christian content.”
Then there is the discriminatory policy that Google has
just introduced. The Internet search giant has excluded
churches and other so-called “proselytizing groups” from
free or discounted access to several of its tools, including
e-mail, that other nonprofits receive.
Meanwhile, the report says, Facebook has partnered with
gay-rights advocates to halt content on its social
networking site deemed to be “anti-homosexual.” Friends,
that means that traditional Christian teaching about homosexuality and marriage may soon be off
limits on Facebook
That’s censorship. The NRB report says all this is not just
a question of protecting religious liberty. It’s also an
issue of free speech, which is supposedly what the new media
are all about.
That’s why the NRB isn’t looking to sue anyone or pass a
new law. No, it’s hoping to convince the new media companies
to live up to their best ideals and change these injustices
voluntarily.
But the NRB could use our help. First, please get a copy of
the report, “True Liberty in a New Media Age,” and share it
with your friends. You can get a link on our website. Then
contact your Internet service provider and other new media
platforms and let them know you support free speech and
religious liberty.
Ask them what their policies regarding religious speech
are. Then let them know, politely and firmly, what you
expect. And share your free-speech views with other users.
Let’s encourage members of the new media to practice what
they preach, and of course, we’ll do the same.
