"Some search results was not displayed..."
The red underlined message, courtesy of Google China, reads "Some search results was not displayed according to local laws and policies." And this is what you get when you Google on "1989" in China, that of course being the year of the Tiananmen Square democracy uprising that was violently quashed by the Chinese government. In other words, Google has joined the ranks of internet companies that have decided not to resist the Chinese government's censorship not due to easily dismissed fears that the Chinese government will send agents to Silicon Valley to "get them", but because of fears of shareholder uprisings. They fear that shareholders will demand to know why their morals got in the way of their pursuit of profit in the Middle Kingdom. So corporate change in this area will depend on shareholders. When Google's shareholders, some of whom presumably invested in that company in part for its dedication to "not be evil," begin to demand that it resist Chinese censorship and controls, then change may be accelerated. But as long as the PRC pays no price for its heavy-handedness then our cousins in China will continue to have their freedom restricted.Why do I keep bringing this up on a "Godblog"? What does Jesus have to do with copyright? Or free speech, for that matter? Everything. Our God is a god that respects freedom. When did he last restrict your freedom of speech, or your freedom to commit whatever sin you pleased? Our ability to grapple with, to know and understand the truth, to sharpen each other, to learn and grow in or out of the faith, to make mistakes and earn wisdom, depends on the free exchange of ideas and information. The notion that governments can edit this exchange for "higher purposes" is simply offensive to me and as long as I have my own freedom of speech I will call attention to it.
Amidst the genuflection to the profit incentive, there still exist in this world men who will stand up for what they believe, and we owe it to them to give at least our acknowledgement of their courage and do what we can to promote liberty.
posted by Zeke @ 6:51 AM
11 Comments:
You know this reminds me. There are young people today who think the Holocaust never happened. They did not have the benefit I did of a Holocaust survivor telling there story. I wonder a few short years from now without the benefit of people speaking about Tiananmen Square will it fall away.
Its almost like the Matrix someone is flashing something in front of eyes and *poof* it never happened. This is one of the fears I have of people getting all there info from the internet its is so easily distorted. However a micro film search at the library would supply countless pictures and news.
I wonder now if the imprisoned in China like the man who spoke to us will no longer be freed they will just be killed in an "accident" and the story dies with them. That his how dangerous this really is.
Have we become so callous with all the "bad news" that we are now indifferent I sure hope not because if we are we might as well die we could no longer be of service to the human family we share.
*sigh*
Love you
ARG!
You know after hearing that news today I was saddened a bit. Well more than a bit. Sometimes I think that morals will win out over money. Well actually I think morals usually beat out over money. In this case in the short term money beat morals, but wait for round two.
Michael!
Your a beautiful site :)
Hi, Zeke.
So let me get this straight... you think it's alright for christians to have homosexual sex, but you want non-spiritual, corporate entities to defend freedom because freedom is a God thing?
I'm just asking. I'm not sure if I'm understanding you right?
Bill, I'm not even sure where to start with that. But since in this thread we're talking about God and freedom let me deal with that first.
One certainly doesn't have to be a Christian to be passionate about the concept of human freedom. I simply believe that God creates men free and, when they are in Christ, they are "free indeed." Standing up for freedom is as our founders have asserted to stand up for a basic right of all men, both believers and unbelievers.
As for the issue about gays, let me ask you: did you follow the link I posted to Two World Collision? Dealing with the issue of homosexuality in the church should start with hearing the heart of professing believers who are gay, not with a ritualistic condemnation of homosexual sex. I just want to hear that you have read it in its entirety before we engage on this issue.
Hey... No squawks, no beefs, no engaging mish-mosh here. I just asked a question! :)
And okay, I'll go read more closely, if you're asking me to. But any arguments boil down to basic assumptions, which boil down to dogma, really, one way or the other. That is, unless God himself were to speak on the subject...
I suppose you mean that I did, then, correctly understand your view? Again, just asking.
There is no condemnation in Christ.
Okay, Zeke, I read it, and I left a comment on part three. I think you'll like it, too.
No Broke Back Mountian,Will & Grace,Gay Parades,women marrying dolphins,Howard Stern & Jerry Springer.Chinese TV has no smut at all and nothing but holesome programming. Pedifiles,Perverts,Transexuals,Homosexuals and Porno are a very very low percent and prosecuted harshly. Children generally respect and honor their mother and Father much much more than american kids with no Coumbine to speak of.In Chinese society you are looked down on very harshly if you don't take care of your parents when they get old unlike us who have an almost completely self centered existance.They embarrass us this so called "christian nation"in many ways.Most of the garbage mentioned above has its highest percentage in Hong Kong which is Westernized.The people of Sodom and Gamora thought they where free and so did the children of Israel when they had their party and decided to tear their fetters and cast away their cords from God and worship the Golden Calf in the desert.Are we really any different?Who is really free here?
ROMANS 2
11)For there is no partiality with God.
12)For all who have sinned without the Law will also perish without the Law, and all who have sinned under the Law will be judged by the Law;
13)for it is not the hearers of the Law who are just before God, but the doers of the Law will be justified.
14)For when Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively the things of the Law, these, not having the Law, are a law to themselves,
15)in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them,
16)on the day when,according to my gospel,God will judge the secrets of men through Christ Jesus.
PSALM 2
The Reign of the LORD'S Anointed.
1)Why are the nations in an uproar
And the peoples devising a vain thing?
2)The kings of the earth take their stand
And the rulers take counsel together
Against the LORD and against His Anointed, saying,
3)"Let us tear their fetters apart
And cast away their cords from us!"
4)He who sits in the heavens laughs,
The Lord scoffs at them.
5)Then He will speak to them in His anger
And terrify them in His fury!
Sorry Zeke I couldn't resist
caucazhin, as sarcasm that's a powerful post, highlighting legalism to it's absurb conclusion: that a repressive regime that enforces "wholesome"-ness is more pleasing to God than a democracy that--like the Master himself does not try to force wholesomeness upon those who don't want to be wholesome. Aren't you glad you serve a God that offers grace to all that want to receive it, and does not stand in the way of those who don't?
Bill, that comment was nicely done. And for the record, I think that homosexuality is not God's standard but I have decided to not judge the gay Christian. This is because I've come to find that a) there is not nearly the Biblical clarity regarding homosexuality that evangelicals usually teach, b) even if I did think it was clear, I doubt that as a sin it is any more grave than divorce, so c) I think that patience, love, and mercy are more due and more effective towards building up the faith of gay believers than any brow-beating or out-of-fellowship-casting I could do.
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