The Dark Web…A new frontier for Christianity?

Have you heard about the deep, dark side of the Internet?

In mid-2014 it was estimated that more than three billion people (about 42% of the world’s population) used the Internet.

The Internet, very much like the real-world. Only virtual. Yes it has a good side, but also it also has a dark side. And by the dark side, it’s not just adult websites that we’re talking about, but something even bigger and more complex. Commonly known as the dark web.

what’s the dark web?

The Dark Web or Dark Net is a subset of the Deep Web with a seething matrix of encrypted websites – also known as the TOR.  It’s a virtual underworld where everything is anonymous and unmonitored, far away from the prying eyes of intelligence law enforcement agencies across the world.

Much like Ebay, transactions take place in online Dark-net markets — hacking or sale of drugs, arms, confidential information, etc. in exchange for money or information. However, while  the Dark Web is full of criminal activity, it’s also a place where dissidents and whistle-blowers can anonymously share information!

Driven underground.

Despite the challenges facing law-enforcement agencies, it would be a serious error to characterize the Deep Web as exclusively a cybercrime ecosystem.

For years, the darknet has been viewed as the criminal underbelly of the internet. In a lot of ways, it is exactly that, but many don’t realize that there is a silver lining to it as well.

The darknet is the home of the whistleblower.

As the underground network provides an  environment that protects valuable user privacy useful if you’re a whistleblower or in fact a Christian  living in a part  of the world that has banned Christian practice. This is because it’s a place where views can be expressed freely without fear of retribution. Considering that whistleblowers, are the enemy of most corporations and governments around the world.

By broadcasting their messages, whistleblowers effectively put their physical, financial and mental wellbeing at risk of harm from their powerful enemies.

The dark-net whistleblower websites therefore provide a means to communication under the cover of anonymity.

Whistleblower Sites

 

Dedicated whistleblower sites are numerous on the darknet. Starting with the most famous one of all,  WikiLeaks, each one of these sites is dedicated to providing whistleblowers with a platform to express themselves openly to get the right kind of coverage.

The truth.

We found that many Tor sites (called onions) today lie somewhere between tame and useless.  Furthermore new research suggests that the few extant onions that remain are heading towards extinction.

The draw of Tor is its purported ability to keep users anonymous through the “onion routing” that gives Tor its name.

Question.

Do you know Christians who use the deep web or dark web to avoid  being persecuted?

We have heard of some missionaries who use the  Tor when communicating with their home church. However, some Christians argue that we should avoid it for the simple reason that we are taught NOT to hide, despite the persecutions that will come because of it. What are your thoughts and suggestions?

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