If you are plugged into online news, you know about the hacker group Anonymous. They have claimed being a part of many different online breakings, everything from simply defacing websites to stealing credit card and personal information. But they say that they do it all in the name of equality and being fair online.
Here is a YouTube video of their latest plans for attack, to bring down Facebook, and they are asking for help:
So the question is, as Christians, should we help Anonymous?
Better yet, living in the guidelines of our faith, can we even support their cause?
The government labels them cyber terrorists.
They say they are rebels fighting for freedom.
So what do you say?
I don’t mind protesting, but I do not agree that we should support a group who not only hacks into accounts but steals identity information. That’s just wrong in my opinion.
Thanks for sharing! I personally would agree with what you have to say, that protesting is wrong, but the actions they take are extreme and wrong.
I’m going to say no and no. I’ll spare you all having to watch the annoying video and tell you the plan. They want you to download a DDOS tool, and they want everyone to run it against Facebook at the same time (2 days from now) to cause a crash.
If you don’t like Facebook, there is something ethical that you can do to take it down. You can close your Facebook account and quit using it. Then anything they might do won’t harm you anymore.
If you are using Facebook to promote your blog/website/organization, and you participate in something like this, I would say you are being hypocritical.
Oh, one other thing: If you purposely download any program from a malicious hacker group and run it on your own computer, you are an idiot.
It can have alternative effects than what is stated, yes.
LOL – well put…they become part of Idiots Anonymous
:p
I did, and it has no virus, and it is very difficult for one to be caught, so I’m clearly not an idiot. Just saying.
The counter to this is that people think the steps to fix it are rigged, which they are. Facebook has too many politicians in their pocket, are the heads of many of the policies being spent, and spend millions on the government… so Anonymous states that this is there only action.
Facebook is not the only company. Microsoft is well known for lobbying, and Bill Gates himself is well known for supporting Planned Parenthood, amongst others.
Apple is very secretive, and they don’t like disclosing their financial information, but I’ll bet you they are also actively involved in lobbying.
And they are not the only ones by far. What should we do? Should we boycott Microsoft and Apple too? It’s a tough call. As Christians, I think we should pick our battles very carefully.
Personally, I use open source software, so I don’t deal with either companies much, nor do I care much for them, so due to my choices I’ve mostly side-stepped the issues.
I would even suggest that picking our battles is not an option. We should publically state that we are against it, share our reasons that are based in our faith, and proceed in that manner. But to cross that ethical, and I’ll add spiritual, line to promote and even participate in Anonymous’ attacks is not Christ-like.
Yeah, what I meant by picking our battles carefully is essentially what you wrote. I meant that as much as Anonymous seems to be trying to do “good”, there’s a whole lot of bad they are doing, and this battle that they have chosen is one we should NOT pick.
Definitely!
Controversial topic. The question is:
“Would you know about all the shady things our government is doing if it weren’t for those ‘hackers’ finding it out?”
How did the news find out about a plethora of secret campaigns, unlawful killings, and the like if it weren’t for these anonymous people?
Tough call.
Agreed! And for those that do not have a Christian worldview, the answer is easy: “Expose the government officials.” But as Christians, we hold to a higher ethics that has a God who already knows, thus the very reason we should not be supporting them.
Thanks for the great share!
Poli-Hackers do NOT do it to reveal security flaws/holes. They do it for an agenda.
Hacking to teach security protection – good idea…when implemented the right way. This type of hacking crosses that line, though. They do it more as a power play, and it’s gotten progressively worse over the last few years (due in part to the media attention given, as well as the powerful sway some have found it can bring).
It’s a dangerous area to be drawn into, as the grey areas and issues surrounding online use and mis-use, can warp a Christian’s compass – so to speak.
We’ve got to be careful actually supporting the activities that steal private info, mob-push to pull down sites, or maliciously go after sites. The motivation of stopping “inequality” is strong, and unfortunately, as the Occupy movement proved, many younger people will flock to a cause, even if that cause lacks focus, is brutally in-equal itself, and mis-quided in the manner it goes about making it’s “points” (have to put quotes around that, since they never actually did ;P).
I completely agree about avoiding the grey area. In fact, that’s why I left the open ended question instead of giving my opinion. Thanks for sharing!
Well done on the post, btw. I know – you wrote it with a nice finish. It is hard to answer, with regards to the motivation. Struggle with that. Some valid points are made in the comments. The “ends justifying the means”, is a detail we can’t ignore.
Thanks! I agree, even in a young and evolving world like the Internet, we must hold to our foundation of beliefs.
They’re criminals.
Absolutely not.
Agreed.
My opinion is same as others, absolutely no. It’s not ethical, it’s crime – there is thousand other, peacefull, ways how to show you do not agree with something, but this is a bad way. By the way, on the site i’m administering, is some attacking with DoS attacks and putting our server down – i’ve got lot of problems and work with it, that’s the other reason for my “NO” opinion
Regards from Slovakia.
Playing devil’s advocate as I did above, the peaceful route is slow, expensive, and so much of the time does not yield results and the solution that it has come to is Anonymous. But I agree that what they are doing is wrong and illegal.
Playing the devils advocate here:
Did Jesus, take care of injustice and wrong doing in a poilite/peaceful way?
When the Temple was being used as a market place did he walk in and politely ask them to leave? NO, he overturned the tables in anger and scolded all the people who were defiling his fathers house…
So is it not possible the this annonymous group is attempting to push the “flea market” of politicians and big business out of the “temple” which would be the government.. selling our freedoms to the highest bidder?
I am quite sure the Annonymous has a bigger agendas just wanted the add another POV
George,
To respond…
“Did Jesus, take care of injustice and wrong doing in a poilite/peaceful way?”
>>Yes and no. Y’shua share the Gospel, through word and action. He was peaceful in His ministry, because simply put, two wrongs do not make a right, and we cannot justify sin.
“When the Temple was being used as a market place did he walk in and politely ask them to leave? NO, he overturned the tables in anger and scolded all the people who were defiling his fathers house…”
>>The issue was twofold here. One, it was not just a marketplace, but a markup on the exchange rates to gouge Jews during the required time to give. Second, being the Son of G-d, it was His Temple. Essentially, the equivalent would be Mark Zuckerberg calling out problems with his own company. Y’shua had ownership and right.
“So is it not possible the this annonymous group is attempting to push the “flea market” of politicians and big business out of the “temple” which would be the government.. selling our freedoms to the highest bidder?”
>>Not really. Anonymous has no right to alter Facebook or its transactions. Private companies can operate themselves. Public ones generally do, but still have to consent to the Board, which represents stockholders. We are not required to use Facebook, and I don’t at all, so we really have no right to dispute how they operate. If G-d wanted Facebook to change, I am sure that He would handle it outside of rebellion and sin.
I like that you took time to look at Scripture and compare, but in this case, the comparison isn’t solid enough. While Y’shua had rights to the Temple, we do not have rights to Facebook. It is a privilege to use their services, if we choose to do so.
Definitely look at my point in reply to George’s comment. I agree that Anonymous has no right to alter other people’s property and should be punished for doing so, yet the protests of what is going on with SOPA and other things needs to be addressed, just in the proper manner.
Thanks for the share!
I agree with the fact that we are getting into grey ethics here, but the comparison of Jesus ending corruption ends with the fact that it was defiling the Church. At this point, we are talking about worldly things, not disgracing our Lord and so the comparison falls short.
Never-the-less, we should protect government corruption as well as unethical online attacks and can do so firmly in our faith.
Two things… In the statement they said ” people who want to take a stand against the Government”. This is anti-government. Then I add this for the US Law Section 802 of the USA PATRIOT Act (Pub. L. No. 107-52) “expanded the definition of terrorism to cover “”domestic,”" as opposed to international, terrorism. A person engages in domestic terrorism if they do an act “”dangerous to human life”" that is a violation of the criminal laws of a state or the United States, if the act appears to be intended to: (i) intimidate or coerce a civilian population; (ii) influence the policy of a government by intimidation or coercion; or (iii) to affect the conduct of a government by mass destruction, assassination or kidnapping”
It’s criminal and conducting such actions using a tool makes you an accessory to the act. The group is anti-government and criminal breaking many laws.
Also, what would be your motivation to partake in something like this as un-Christian as it is, hopefully not because everyone else is doing it?
I think that the anti-government and (as they would see it) “sort of criminal” act as necessary to show that the government needs to shape up or ship out. That is the whole notion of the masks that became popular from V for Vendetta.
The logic is that we have a voice to be heard and we will shout out loud how wrong we think you are.
That being said, Christ said to give unto Caesar which is Caesar’s and unto God what is God’s. If what the government is asking does not go against our faith, then we have no grounds to act this way.
Seems they don’t practise what they preach to me. They want to ‘expose’ those in companies, etc. who are influencing things, but like to hide behind masks themselves. Anonymous don’t like others double standards, but are happy with their own…
Jesus was in the temple everyday, very publicly, he didn’t hide behind his band of ‘secret’ disciples.
LOVE IT! Great addition man!
Well said James!