One News Now | Censoring Christians: Google and Facebook and Twitter, oh my

After years of censoring Christians online, the big three Internet technology giants – Google, Facebook and Twitter – are now being targeted by the Internet Freedom Watch initiative to give believers their online voice back.

The National Religious Broadcasters (NRB) launched the initiative via the InternetFreedomWatch.org website, where numerous cases are documented, such as former Gov. Mike Huckabee’s (R-Ark.) Facebook post in 2012 supporting Chick-fil-A’s pro-family stance regarding same-sex “marriage” and Twitter’s removal of an ad by Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), who stands for biblical morality on a number of hot-button issues.

Let the censorship end

NRB announced that the free speech effort is being endorsed by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and a former commissioner of the Federal Communications Commission, as the campaign focuses on exposing the censorship of Christians on the Internet by social media search engine giant Google, as well as the popular social media channels Facebook and Twitter.

NRB President and CEO Jerry A. Johnson stresses that his organization was founded back in 1944 to fight corporate censorship of evangelical radio ministries at the time – something that continues to plague America more than seven decades later.

“[NRB is focusing on] those who desire to expunge opposing viewpoints from the marketplace of ideas by recklessly using nebulous terms like ‘hate speech,’” Johnson told those attending a press conference held last week at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., according to WND.

President Donald Trump-appointed FCC Chairman Ajit Pai pointed out the hypocrisy of Twitter and other tech giants last week for pushing for free and open Internet while blocking Christian speech.

“When it comes to a free and open Internet, Twitter is part of the problem, [as it continues to] routinely block or discriminate against content they don’t like,” Pai pointed out, according to CNN. “[Twitter appears to have a] double standard when it comes to suspending or de-verifying conservative users’ accounts – as opposed to those of liberal users.”

NRB issued a letter to tech giants, inviting them to engage in dialogue in order to arrive at a resolution and fight the war on religious freedom online.

Johnson is calling on the federal government to take immediate action.

“[Congress should hold hearings on the] severe problem of viewpoint censorship on the Internet,” NRB’s head insisted, according to WND. “It is unacceptable for these titans to discriminate against users just because their viewpoints are not congruent with ideas popular in Silicon Valley.”

Johnson went on to stress that the NRB is just trying to make sure that Christian censorship on the Internet is seriously addressed – noting that his organization is not pushing for new laws or regulations to be enforced.

FCC Commissioner Robert McDowell, as well as conservative and evangelical leaders such as PragerU Chief Marketing Officer Craig Strazzeri and Century Strategies Chairman and CEO Ralph Reed, joined Cruz in NRB’s recent panel discussion led by Johnson.

One case and point

Internet Freedom Watch included in its list of cases PJ Media D.C. Editor Bridget Johnson, who’s Twitter account was suspended without the social media giant giving her any warning or explanation as to why it shut her down.

After more than a week with no change in status or response, it appears as if the editor is the recipient of the more serious of Twitter’s two disciplinary actions – a “permanent” suspension.

“The company did not flag a particular tweet that was problematic, and her request for an appeal has gone unanswered,” PJ Media reported.

With Johnson’s politically incorrect views candidly expressed in her articles, it is believed that Twitter is not happy about the conservative reporter’s conservative influence – and the fact that she shoots down the leftist agenda promoted by those leading the social media giant.

“Bridget is a respected terror analyst and is known for her fact-based, impartial reporting,” PJ Media’s Paula Bolyard explained. “Bridget doesn’t engage in any of the banned behaviors, but it is possible that she was targeted by groups or individuals who reported her to administrators, hoping to silence her.”