There are two aspects that leap at me, prompted by your interesting blog post, Dave. Both are missiological in nature.

The first has to do with placing ourselves in the context of those we seek to reach with the gospel. I would suggest that rather than “fakery”, our Blogger friend is using ingenuity and a very biblical approach to “be all things to all people, perchance to win some.”

John Piper has a good blog reflection on this verse (from 1 Cor 9.19-23) at http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/sermons/bydate/1996/945_Becoming_All_Things_to_All_Men_to_Save_Some/.

The second aspect has to do with whether we are approaching ministry in a Christendom world or in an exceedingly heterogeneous and multi-religious world – including hostile religions. The mission programs of many mainline denominations (including my own, Presbyterian) have difficulties recovering a true mission pulse because they have becomed so accustomed to living in a Christendom world in which “of course” one should be open about one’s faith when serving as a missionary – because conceptually missionaries would only be in a place where they are welcomed. In fact, the vast history of Christian mission has been in times and in places where the Christian faith (and Christians) were reviled and persecuted. In order to reach these people, one has to be willing to search for the bridges of God that span the gap and create the means for conversation. One man’s falsehood is another man’s contextual positioning, although I do agree that (as Piper says) this requires deep soul-searching because you are “walking the razor’s edge between fruitless separatism and unprincipled expediency. If you fall one way, you are of no use because you have no connection with the world; if you fall the other way, you are of no use because you are just like the world.”

An interesting subject! Thanks for reflecting on it and allowing me to do the same.

Your query raises some interesting questions, at a time incidentally when two missionaries that some of our team know, have pleaded guilty and await sentence in G A M B I A on charges of criticising the government.

Is a pen name a falsehood? Is a name slightly misspelled a falsehood?

In a slightly different context, I know someone who is a school teacher who posts syndicated articles which are broadly evangelistic and relate to popular culture. He does not want to get any sort of kickback that would affect his professional work, so he posts these under his firstname and shortened version of his last name.

It would certainly be a falsehood to misrepresent your age, location, gender, but is your name is in a sense what you choose to be called? Many married women retain their maiden name for employment purposes. My parents, brother, cousins always call me Anthony, but no one else does. Apart from the bank and such official things, I’m Tony. My Facebook profile is Tony.

I know a missionary who does need to travel into closed countries and so uses a pen name for his email writings to Christians, in his blog, etc.

There is certainly a problem on Facebook (or indeed in blogging etc) if you wish to go in and out of closed or semiclosed countries, or need that option for the future. There must be many countries where you cannot do Facebook evangelism (or other sorts of online evangelism) in your own full name if you also wish to safely visit or work in them.

Of course, this question is particularly important because the people most likely to wish to engage in M. evangelism, and probably those best equipped to do it, are those with mission experience. Well-meaning novices could probably cause more harm than good.

And if you have a Facebook profile for evangelism, you cannot also use it to network with Christians, and especially other missionaries, or you are exposing them indirectly too. As many people people in secular employment have found to their cost, employers tend to find out what you are saying about them. The English blogger Petite Anglaise found that her Paris company (British owned as it happened) had a humor bypass when it came to being criticised in the blog, and fired her.

Incidentally, chat room evangelism does not face this issue because you go in under any ‘handle’ ie nickname that you wish. I recall when we had a practical training session of chat room evangelism and we all went in under vaguely mid-east type nicknames. The best person at this was someone who works in a certain country and was gifted at asking leading questions and querying apparent illogicalities – ’sowing seeds of doubt’ – rather than going in to preach. No deception was involved in this.

Blessings

Tony

David B.,

I’ve read Brian’s blog post, your blog post and David Hackett’s comment. I completely share your concerns over using such tactics. I do not see this at all as a situation where “walking the razor’s edge” is justified. I have a hard time believing that Paul’s admonition to become all things to all people includes assuming fake profiles on Facebook.

Having used Facebook for quite a while, I think it really diminishes its utility to have people assuming fake identities for any reason. We would be outraged if Muslims did the same to us. If someone found out you were pretending to be something you are not, it most likely will destroy any credibility. And then they will probably report you, your account will be terminated, and that’s the end of that.

It is possible to meet Muslims and other unreached people on social networking sites like Facebook without resorting to the kind of
shortcuts Brian recommends. I’m active in a ministry to international students at our local university. By getting to know them, I earn the
right to connect with them online. I don’t usually aggressively share my faith with them, but Facebook provides the opportunity to live my
faith in front of them. On Facebook, you can build a profile, link to groups/pages, and post information that shows your interests. The power of social networking is that you can influence people in your circle of friends who, in turn, influence people in their circle of
friends. But it only works when done truthfully.

=======================================

David G. Richmond | david.richmond@usa.net
Certified Volunteer Apologist
Reasons to Believe | http://www.reasons.org
Home: 972-437-1605 Wireless: 214-673-7314

[...] it OK to use deception on Facebook for the sake of evangelism? January 1, 2009 Dave Bourgeois Related posts:I, Avatar At his blog, Lessons from Babel, Internet ministry researcher Dave…A [...]

[...] does this have to do with internet ministry you ask? Going back to the post a couple weeks ago on Facebook fakery, I think that many Christians feel that they have to hide who they are and not be 100% transparent [...]

The use of ‘fake’ identification on facebook can be considered from two perspectives.

1. in a not-hostile country…. it is better to be real. As Christians we need to tell the truth all the time.

2. in hostile countries ….. care must be taken in revealing your truE identity. Many had been persecuted, maimed and killed just for writing evangelistic articles which are regarded anti-goverNment especially in moslems countries. Missionaries in gated nations had shared their experiences on how they are badly treated. Even some will dare not say they are Christian missionaries when applying for visas. So, I understand the case of not revealing one’s identity when using facebook for M2M

thanks

SMB Johnson
Internet Positives International
http://www.apostle-smb.blogspot.com

When I blog in public forums, I use a screen-name (pen-name in the olden days). I do not give my street address, my telephone number, or my SSN … now that would be FULL disclosure. The biblical ethic of LOVE helps me to determine what NOT to say. This helps to avoid endangering innocent family members of my family or those with whom I interact. When I have lived abroad, I often adopt a “local” name for ease of pronunciation, ease of remembrance, and contextual identification. This first time this occurred, it was initiated by a national. Those different “names” do not change who I am as I communicate authentically with people either face to face or virtually. I appreciate all the comments above and the danger warning of deceptive instead of discreet. I used one of my screen-names simple as an illustration. Blessings!