Self-censorship is the first response to soft totalitarianism.
Here I’m not talking about being kind and generous with others in public. We should focus on others-centered care. We should be ethically upright in communication
No, I’m talking about wariness of saying anything in public that could jeopardize our social standing, economic livelihood, media de-platforming, or public de-friending. Being concerned about Big Tech, Slant News, Job Speech. Social Distance is not a result of a pandemic but of systemic quieting.
What is the best response to censorship? How does a community respond which has become estranged from its neighbors? R. R. Reno writing in First Things (March 2021) suggests we counter “acids of mistrust” with “gestures of loyalty” (62). Against cultural storms Reno encourages believers to stand firm: 
Our trust will be tested – our trust in God and our loyalty to one another. This testing reflects, perhaps, the wisdom of God’s providence. As long experience in marriage teaches, it is not intelligence or beauty or even principled conduct that undergirds a couple’s enduring life together. It is fidelity, not just of two people to each other, but to the institution of marriage itself, which we trust is noble enough and strong enough to survive our failings. Let us apply that trust as widely as we can. In the coming storm, we will need each other and the institutions that are worthy of our loyalty (print edition, 63).
Rod Dreher’s “Standing in Solidarity” (chapter nine) targets the need for an “underground church,” where “communities could feel free” (167).
Perhaps unwittingly Dreher assembles practical principles of allegiance in chapter nine. Here are a few in his and others’ words. I have combined the whole of them throughout the chapter into ten principles below. Christians “should not neglect to nurture friendships with people of goodwill outside the churches . . . with people of goodwill belonging to other religions, and no religion at all” (174, 181). “Join your grief with the grief of others, and then you will find it easier to carry” (178). Create or join a “third place” (al la “The Great Good Place”) where one can find “shared purpose” (179). Have a “bend don’t break” philosophy of living (182). My ten principles inspired by the chapter follow: 
Small groups combined create a strong bond.
Courage is knowing who or what to fear.
Spreading the word makes a louder voice.
Patience is a strategy.
Find goodwill allies, one in spirit if not in doctrine.
Grieving with others is better than grieving alone.
Create spaces of shared purpose.
Digital friends are great, local friends are greater.
Dissent against what matters most.
Deep roots of belief weather storms.
I wrote to one of my young friends recently asking them to spread the word about a certain event. The response was, “I’m not on social media anymore.” The young person I mention here is following the directives of former dissidents under Soviet rule: get off social media. I absolutely appreciate the mindset and the action taken. Personally, and regularly, I feel the pressure of self-censorship. But I stay on social media for one purpose: to offer light in darkness. Those who are believers on social media sites have told me they are glad I’m there with them. For those antithetic to the gospel, there is active resistance and, at times, outright outrage against my postings. 
We will each have to decide what to do personally and collectively in our spheres of influence. Some will leave social spaces. I understand why. Some will be belligerent, opposing the status quo. I understand why. Some will decide to silence themselves for personal reasons. I understand why. Some march in the streets to show their refusal to submit. I understand why. Some will write, speak, and challenge the dominant system, the authorities which set themselves against the believing community. I understand why because I am one of them. [Read again what I wrote here at the inception of this site: https://markeckel.com/2021/01/13/9021/ ]
Whichever position you take, form alliances with others. Consider chapter nine as a watershed moment, a time to decide your course of action. Be serious about the times in which we live. Understand the gravity of our situation living in a culture which despises us.
Further practical responses and biblical principles to consider:
Find out how The Church in Communist China thrived in the 20th century (here, $5 for the magazine).
Loving One’s Neighbor The documentary Film Weapons of the Spirit (1989) is the stirring account of the villagers of Le Chambon, France, many of them of French Huguenot (first Protestants in Catholic France) ancestry who remembered their own persecution but who also believed the biblical injunction to love one’s neighbor as oneself. Led by their pastor, Andre Trocme, they defied the Nazis and took in thousands of Jews into their homes, giving them safe haven. Not a single Jew who came to them was turned away, and about 5,000 Jews were saved. The villagers never spoke of it until much later and then only reluctantly viewing their acts as the human and Christian thing to do. 
What Scripture Says (from Part 9 PDF, “Suffering” video series on MarkEckel.com):
Why Were Christians Persecuted? 1. Threat to Roman Authority: a. Enemy of the State (Jesus as “Lord” and “King”); b. Insurgent Terrorist (Acts 4, 5, 7, etc.); c. Individual Non-Conformist (Acts 21, 22); Antithetic to Cultural Mores: A. Protecting the Ethos of the Roman Mindset (Acts 15; Romans 1); B. Threatening the Economics of the Roman World (Acts 19); 3. Scapegoat for Societal Ills: A. “Blame the Christians” (Acts 24:2-9); B. “They are turning the world upside down” (Acts 17:6)
A Response to Pressures from Without: Persecution Jesus: John 16:33; Paul: 2 Timothy 3:12; 1 Peter 1:6-7; 2:18-20; 3:1, 13-17; 4:1-4, 12-19; 5:1
What Kind of Persecution? 1 Peter 1:6 “Now for a little while you may have to” Indicates that the opposition was sporadic, limited to pockets of social, financial resistance against believers and physical attacks on Christians. 1 Peter 1:6 “trials” of “various kinds” are general words, the result of some evil intent. “Suffer” means there are difficulties and sorrows caused by opposition. This opposition is broad—everything from slander to threats to physical torment. “Suffer” = same word Jesus uses at last supper describing all He would face
How Should Christians Respond to Persecution? 1. Understanding Who We Are: “Aliens and Strangers” (1:1; 2:11); “God’s People” (2:9-10). 2. Understanding Our Place in The World: a. Good Citizens (2:13-17); b. Model Slaves (2:18-25); c. Gentle Wives (3:1-6)
The Results of Persecution in 1st Peter: a. Silencing, Shaming Evildoers (2:12; 3:16); b. Gives Meaning to Life (4:12-19); c. Perseverance (1:7, 13; 2:1; 4:7, 19; 5:8-10); d. Hope in Eternity (1:3, 13, 21; 3:15); Solidarity with Others who Suffer (5:9)
2nd Peter Challenges to Readers: 1. Grow in Knowledge (1:2-3, 5-6, 8, 12, 14, 2:9, 20-21; 3:3, 17-18); 2. Beware (3:17; see 1 Peter 1:17); 3. Be Holy (3:10-13; see 1 Peter 1:13-16); 4. Remember the Truth (1:12, 13, 15; 3:1, 2, 15; “don’t forget” 3:5, 8); 5. Stay on The Way (2:2, 15, 21; Acts 9:2; 16:17; 18:26; 19:9, 23; 22:4; 24:14, 22)
Self-censorship is a big deal, whether or not it fits the dictionary definition of “censorship.” But there’s a fine line between self-censorship and knowing when not to cast pearls before swine. I don’t think I’m very good at knowing where the line is.