Kopimism, the newest religion. I may join.

Originally posted by sonhouse
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn21334-kopimism-the-worlds-newest-religion-explained.html

No heaven or hell, no fear factor.

http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn21334-kopimism-the-worlds-newest-religion-explained.html

No heaven or hell, no fear factor.

Did you join them yet sonhouse ?

If you have some second thoughts, what are they ?

Originally posted by avalanchethecat
Is that actually doable in a non-totalitarian state though?

is there such a thing?

Originally posted by jaywill

http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn21334-kopimism-the-worlds-newest-religion-explained.html

No heaven or hell, no fear factor.

Did you join them yet sonhouse ?

If you have some second thoughts, what are they ?

it ceases being a religion when there are material benefits beyond the spiritual.

it just becomes another club. A little geekier than most, but still, just another club.

Originally posted by Suzianne
it ceases being a religion when there are material benefits beyond the spiritual.

it just becomes another club. A little geekier than most, but still, just another club.

So the multimillionaire mega-church preachers in the USA turn Christianity into a club?

The wealth of the Catholic church makes it not be a religion?

The people who say (and the bible that says) that people of faith can pray for whatever
they want and receive it (including materiel gains) are not part of a religion?


I don't think that you can reasonably claim that file sharing is religious, although I could have
a long and fascinating debate on it, with an uncertain outcome...
But having a materiel gain can't possibly be a disqualifying factor for a religion.

Originally posted by Suzianne
is there such a thing?

Yes, obviously.

How can you even ask such a question seriously?

Originally posted by VoidSpirit
the SOPA internet protest is on!

This is yet another of those times when it seems that America seems to get to screw the rest of the world,
and it is really annoying that we don't get to vote in Americas elections.

It would be so much better for America if we could vote in your elections, You would never have had the
stupidity of GW for starters.

Originally posted by googlefudge
So the multimillionaire mega-church preachers in the USA turn Christianity into a club?

The wealth of the Catholic church makes it not be a religion?

The people who say (and the bible that says) that people of faith can pray for whatever
they want and receive it (including materiel gains) are not part of a religion?


I don't think that you ca ...[text shortened]... utcome...
But having a materiel gain can't possibly be a disqualifying factor for a religion.

it's not me claiming anything. They're the ones claiming it is a religion, presumably to get some sort of tax-exempt status or something.

But yes, I believe material gain disqualifies any religion.

It becomes not about the deities involved, but it becomes about the material gained, usually money. Did not Jesus overturn the moneychangers' tables at the Temple? Why? Was he miffed that they were making a profit? No. He was miffed that they were making a profit in His father's house, cheapening the honest practice of the religion.

(And I'm not talking about any gain from prayers answered. Even you should be able to see that's not what we're talking about here. Gain from answered prayers is a gift from God.)

Originally posted by googlefudge
Yes, obviously.

How can you even ask such a question seriously?

Every government retains some control over its people. There is no 100% non-totalitarian government.

Originally posted by googlefudge
This is yet another of those times when it seems that America seems to get to screw the rest of the world,
and it is really annoying that we don't get to vote in Americas elections.

It would be so much better for America if we could vote in your elections, You would never have had the
stupidity of GW for starters.

Exactly how is America "screwing" the rest of the world, here?

Last I checked, none of America's laws really have any effect outside of the United States.

Originally posted by Suzianne
Exactly how is America "screwing" the rest of the world, here?

Last I checked, none of America's laws really have any effect outside of the United States.

Well actually Americas laws do have effects outside the USA, this is trivially true.

Also America the truism 'where America leads others follow' has applicability.

However in this case a major point is that this law will impact websites and businesses
hosted anywhere in the world and will effect content and service availability outside of America,
plus the worlds master DNS servers are based in the USA.

If your goal is to reduce or prevent piracy then this law is useless, it wont reduce or
prevent piracy.
It will however have really bad consequences not intended by the stated spirit of the law.

It is badly written law, made by people who don't understand the thing they are legislating,
that wont achieve it's stated objectives, and will have many negative consequences.

This should be opposed by everyone, including and especially those who are against
internet piracy, because this will not do anything to stop internet piracy.

http://fightforthefuture.org/pipa

Originally posted by Suzianne
Every government retains some control over its people. There is no 100% non-totalitarian government.

Retaining some control over a states people does not a totalitarian government make.

Arguing that any government that retains some control over its people is a certain
percentage totalitarian is like arguing that and sound-scape that is not totally silent is a
certain percentage deafening.

You have to reach a certain threshold of volume before deafening is applicable and you have
to meet certain criteria to be a totalitarian government.

No modern western democracy meets the criteria to be classed as totalitarian.

.

.

Originally posted by VoidSpirit
.

I think your point is made....

Originally posted by googlefudge
Well actually Americas laws do have effects outside the USA, this is trivially true.

Also America the truism 'where America leads others follow' has applicability.

However in this case a major point is that this law will impact websites and businesses
hosted anywhere in the world and will effect content and service availability outside of America ...[text shortened]... ause this will not do anything to stop internet piracy.

http://fightforthefuture.org/pipa

Oh, do not get me wrong, I agree and support the protests made by Wikipedia and other groups to speak out against these bills (SOPA, PIPA). Thankfully, they are not laws yet, and traction is being made by the opposition. Support for these bills is waning in Congress, probably because of the vocal protestation.

And yes, we do have some pretty stupid people in Congress who are unfortunately in the business of writing would-be laws for America. This is why it's more important than ever for Americans to make their opinions known at the ballot box. We desperately need to weed out the stupid ones. Too bad we can't even seem to agree on which ones the stupid ones are. For me, Daniel Issa heads the list, even though he seems to not support these bills. He is trying to run our Postal Service into the ground through other bills he has sponsored.

Originally posted by googlefudge
Retaining some control over a states people does not a totalitarian government make.

Arguing that any government that retains some control over its people is a certain
percentage totalitarian is like arguing that and sound-scape that is not totally silent is a
certain percentage deafening.

You have to reach a certain threshold of volume before ...[text shortened]... ian government.

No modern western democracy meets the criteria to be classed as totalitarian.

Yet. But it is a slippery slope.

As someone said earlier, non-totalitarian is only three letters away from totalitarian. America is one election cycle yet hopefully many years from taking that road. And yet steps are already being taken in this country to try to further control the people, in the form of what they are ostensibly calling "disaster relief camps" across the country meant to house people affected by natural disaster, but we're always only an election cycle away from the government gathering the will to use these camps as gulags to stifle citizens who oppose the government.