New Opportunities for People to Access the Bible on the Internet
Communication is like the air we breathe. Both are everywhere. They are plentiful. They are free. And they are woven tightly into the fabric of our daily life. It is so woven, in fact that we use it without conscious effort. We pay no attention to it until they are gone. Only then do we realize that they are fundamental in our existence. Without them, there is no real life.
Words are the foundation of communication. They are the most powerful tools humans possess. The written words are what make us different from other beings. As a tool of abuse, they can cut deeper than a sharp knife. They can rob people of their confidence, provoke a revolution or start a war. But used carefully and wisely, words can stop said war. They can inspire confidence in a child, love between adults, justice and peace across nations.
And there is nothing more powerful than the ‘Word of God’ found in the Bible. Despite the increase of Bible antagonists, the fact remains that many lives, including the author’s, have been saved from misery and despair by God’s words and promises. For the faithful, the Bible offers hope amid their misery and despair. It assures them they are not alone, even if they are solitary. It promises them love, even if they see themselves so unlovable.
Therefore, it is important to make the Bible accessible to people who seek God. To do that, Christian ministries must use all available media to communicate with the public, and that includes the Internet.
We can’t deny the reality of serious abuses in the Internet. It is a space for displaying excesses. It is a platform for emotional and financial abuse. It is where lies become truths. In it, words of encouragement are twisted into expression of religious fanaticism and ignorance. However, it is also where like-minded people of goodwill gather to support one another, despite physical distances. It is where dying men and women inspire others of their bravery by embracing their destiny with grace. It is a place where confused and scared individuals, suffering from mental illness can seek support incognito.
It is a fact, the Internet unites people, for good or bad. There are 3 billion people using the Internet today. To reach them, the Christian ministries must get into their midst. The Internet offers churches the opportunity to communicate the Bible’s message to the public effectively – particularly to the young generation who prefer to carry an iPad than a heavy, leather-bound book. But Bible engagement is not the only reason Christian ministries must embrace the Internet.
Churches must get online to keep the balance between the good and bad in cyberspace. Above all, they must be there to support the faithful, especially those who are isolated and those suffering a crisis of faith. With this in mind, the American Bible Society is launching the .BIBLE Top Level Domain in early 2016.
It is the vision of .BIBLE to be the trusted online source for all things Bible, providing a safe and trusted online space for the Christian community to communicate, come together and share the Word of God. It will be place where people can come to find and offer messages of hope and encouragement to each other.
.BIBLE is a brand new Internet namespace which will be a safe online home for all things Bible which is regulated and managed by people who love the Bible. It will offer an incredible choice of new domain names such as study.bible and search.bible, allowing Internet users and Christians alike to quickly and easily find exactly what they need. When users go to a .BIBLE web address, they will find reliable content positively portraying the Bible.