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<title>Techdirt. Stories filed under &quot;religion&quot;</title>
<description>Easily digestible tech news...</description>
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<image><title>Techdirt. Stories filed under &quot;religion&quot;</title><url>http://www.techdirt.com/images/td-88x31.gif</url><link>http://www.techdirt.com/</link></image>
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<pubDate>Wed, 9 Jan 2013 09:44:45 PST</pubDate>
<title>School District Wins Suit Filed Against It By Student Who Refused To Wear School-Issued Location Tracking ID Cards</title>
<dc:creator>Tim Cushing</dc:creator>
<link>http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130108/20480121614/school-district-wins-suit-filed-against-it-student-who-refused-to-wear-school-issued-location-tracking-id-cards.shtml</link>
<guid>http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130108/20480121614/school-district-wins-suit-filed-against-it-student-who-refused-to-wear-school-issued-location-tracking-id-cards.shtml</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ Back in November <a href="http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20121125/15041521137/court-temporarily-blocks-school-district-suspending-student-refusing-to-wear-student-idtracking-device.shtml" target="_blank">we covered the story</a> of a Texas student whose refusal to wear a school-issued ID card with an embedded RFID chip led to her suspension. Her family, along with the Rutherford Institute, took the school district to court, seeking a temporary restraining order which would allow the student to return to her school <i>without</i> wearing the Smart ID card.
<br /><br />
The student&#39;s parents cited religious objections to the ID card/tracking device and the filing pointed out that requiring her to wear the badge violated both her First Amendment rights (by compelling speech -- conveying a message she didn&#39;t agree with) and the Texas Freedom of Religion Act.
<br /><br />
Considering the whole program itself was implemented almost solely in hopes of <a href="http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120907/08595920309/rfid-tagging-students-is-all-about-money.shtml" target="_blank">securing more funding</a> by boosting attendance numbers <i>and</i> that the district had no specific policies in place when it began requiring the ID cards, one would hope that we&#39;d be hearing of the student&#39;s return to school sans ID when the decision came down.
<br /><br />
<a href="http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2013/01/student-rfid-suspension/" target="_blank">Unfortunately, the court&#39;s decision went the other way</a>, and Andrea Hernandez has until January 18th to decide whether to wear the badge and return to her original school or transfer to another district school that has yet to implement the Smart ID cards.
<blockquote>
<i>A Texas high school student who claimed her student identification was the &ldquo;Mark of the Beast&rdquo; because it was implanted with a radio-frequency identification chip has lost her federal court bid Tuesday challenging her suspension for refusing to wear the card around her neck...</i>
<br /><br />
<i>[Judge Orlando Garcia] tentatively halted the suspension, but changed course Tuesday after concluding that the 15-year-old&rsquo;s right of religion was not breached...</i>
</blockquote>
Hernandez&#39;s family feels the ID card and embedded chip represent the "Mark of the Beast" as detailed in Revelations 13:16-18. The school&#39;s counteroffer -- to have Andrea wear the badge <i>without</i> the RFID chip -- was rejected by her family, which still felt the badge itself was representative of the Antichrist. Judge Garcia saw it differently, however.
<blockquote>
<i>&ldquo;The accommodation offered by the district is not only reasonable it <a href="https://www.rutherford.org/files_images/general/01-08-2013_Hernandez_Ruling.pdf" target="_blank">removes plaintiff&rsquo;s religious objection from legal scrutiny all together</a>,&rdquo; (.pdf) U.S. District Judge Orlando Garcia wrote.</i>
</blockquote>
The Rutherford Institute plans to appeal this decision, claiming this decision is "not permissible under our constitutional scheme" and turns the district court into "an arbiter of what is and is not religious."
<br /><br />
The Institute has a point, for whatever it&#39;s worth. Hernandez&#39;s parents claimed that <i>both</i> the ID card <i>and</i> the embedded chip were offensive to their religious beliefs but the court here seems to have decided the compromise offered by the district negates the family&#39;s opinion on the chip-less ID card. The school&#39;s offer to transfer the student to another school within the district is also reasonable on its face, but it does take away a few options -- <a href="http://thenextweb.com/insider/2012/11/23/judge-temporarily-saves-teenage-girl-facing-suspension-for-refusing-to-wear-rfid-tag-in-school/" target="_blank">namely, the classes Hernandez was attending this specific school for</a>.
<br /><br />
The school&#39;s interest in having Hernandez only <i>appear</i> to support the program could probably use some further examination as well, although angling for outward complicity isn&#39;t a violation of rights in and of itself. It does "compel" speech in a way, but more than simply rubbing the First Amendment the wrong way, it sends a message about what&#39;s <i>truly</i> important to the school district: that students show "support" for the district&#39;s policies... even if they object to them.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130108/20480121614/school-district-wins-suit-filed-against-it-student-who-refused-to-wear-school-issued-location-tracking-id-cards.shtml">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130108/20480121614/school-district-wins-suit-filed-against-it-student-who-refused-to-wear-school-issued-location-tracking-id-cards.shtml#comments">Comments</a> | <a href="http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130108/20480121614/school-district-wins-suit-filed-against-it-student-who-refused-to-wear-school-issued-location-tracking-id-cards.shtml?op=sharethis">Email This Story</a><br />
 ]]></description>
<slash:department>another-'win'-for-school-administration----go-school!</slash:department>
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<pubDate>Wed, 4 Jan 2012 15:14:29 PST</pubDate>
<title>Kopimism Approved As Official Religion In Sweden: File Sharing Now Protected Under Freedom Of Religion Laws?</title>
<dc:creator>Mike Masnick</dc:creator>
<link>http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120104/10385317277/kopimism-approved-as-official-religion-sweden-file-sharing-now-protected-under-freedom-religion-laws.shtml</link>
<guid>http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120104/10385317277/kopimism-approved-as-official-religion-sweden-file-sharing-now-protected-under-freedom-religion-laws.shtml</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ Last year, we <a href="http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20110414/17253913899/pirate-party-not-pirate-y-enough-you-maybe-you-need-kopimism-official-pirate-religion.shtml">poked some fun</a> at the folks in Sweden who were trying to create the religion of Kopimism, in which "copying and the sharing of information is the most beautiful thing in the world."  While there were some bureaucratic problems, and at least one rejection of the plan, it turns out that at the very end of the year, <a href="http://falkvinge.net/2012/01/04/missionary-church-of-kopimism-approved-as-official-religion/" target="_blank">Kopimism became an officially recognized religion in Sweden</a>.
<blockquote><i>
"Being recognized by the state of Sweden is a large step for all of kopimi. Hopefully, this is one step towards the day when we can live out our faith without fear of persecution", says Isak Gerson, spiritual leader of the Church of Kopimism.
</i></blockquote>
Of course, while some are claiming that this may effectively legalize file sharing for members of the "religion," I doubt that's accurate.  There are plenty of religious practices that are deemed illegal.  It can create some legal fights, but it certainly doesn't automatically legalize all religious practices (think: bigamy, human sacrifice, etc.).
<br /><br />
To be honest, while this is <i>amusing</i> and does a nice of job of pointing out the ridiculousness of trying to clamp down on culture, I'm not sure it does much beyond being a little publicity stunt.  For those who think stronger copyright laws are a good thing, this certainly isn't going to convince them of the error of their ways, and will simply reaffirm the belief that those opposing the excessive nature of copyright laws today are not to be taken seriously.  Of course, the flip side of that argument is that today's copyright laws are a complete joke themselves, so perhaps the most reasonable response is to make an even bigger joke out of them...<br /><br /><a href="http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120104/10385317277/kopimism-approved-as-official-religion-sweden-file-sharing-now-protected-under-freedom-religion-laws.shtml">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120104/10385317277/kopimism-approved-as-official-religion-sweden-file-sharing-now-protected-under-freedom-religion-laws.shtml#comments">Comments</a> | <a href="http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120104/10385317277/kopimism-approved-as-official-religion-sweden-file-sharing-now-protected-under-freedom-religion-laws.shtml?op=sharethis">Email This Story</a><br />
 ]]></description>
<slash:department>probably-not...</slash:department>
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<pubDate>Tue, 19 Apr 2011 11:31:24 PDT</pubDate>
<title>The Pirate Party Not Pirate-y Enough For You? Maybe You Need Kopimism, The Official Pirate Religion</title>
<dc:creator>Tim Cushing</dc:creator>
<link>http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20110414/17253913899/pirate-party-not-pirate-y-enough-you-maybe-you-need-kopimism-official-pirate-religion.shtml</link>
<guid>http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20110414/17253913899/pirate-party-not-pirate-y-enough-you-maybe-you-need-kopimism-official-pirate-religion.shtml</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ <p><a href="http://torrentfreak.com/file-sharers-await-official-recognition-of-new-religion-110410/" target="_blank">Kopimism, founded by 19-year-old philosophy student, Isaac Gerson</a>, is a new (still unaccredited) religion that believes &quot;copying and the sharing of information is the most  beautiful thing in the world.&quot; Having your information copied is a sign of respect and indicates that people believe you have done something well. </p>

<p>As a loyal member of the Freetardianism religion (kind of like Rastafarianism, only with more Kool-Aid and less smoke), I was visited by our mutal patron saint, Savelinkas, during a brief evening vision/blackout. The following words were seared into my brain like some sort of overly-long cattle brand and once I arrived home, I swiftly wrote down the saint's words, each one more astounding than the last.&nbsp;</p>

<p><b>The Kopimism Path of Enchanted Light and Enlightened Chants</b>, Chapter 1: </p>
<ol><i>
<li>Now it came to pass in that day that the people spake to Isaac and said, &qout;Isaac, who will hear our lamentations and heed our cries? For lo, we are beset on all sides by oppressors. Is there none that will lessen our load, and indeed, our download times?&quot;</li>
<br />
<li>The people cried as one, &quot;We have been laid bare by their divinations. They have acted against us in malice. We have had our <a href="http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20110217/00082213144/homeland-security-wont-even-admit-whether-not-it-seized-mooocom-taking-down-84000-innocent-sites.shtml" target="_blank">domains seized</a>, our servers confiscated, our mellows harshed.&quot;</li>
<br />
<li>&quot;We have seen brethren removed from their homes, connections cut, packets sniffed and motives vilified. Verily, we have been assailed by <a href="http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20110413/12094013882/joe-biden-theres-no-reason-to-treat-intellectual-property-any-different-than-tangible-property.shtml" target="_blank">men who know not that of which they speak</a>. They mix <a href="http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20110323/13350713602/why-is-vodafone-spreading-false-copyright-propaganda.shtml" target="_blank">lies with the truth</a> and <a href="http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20110406/12533513804/parade-strawmen-dominate-house-hearing-about-online-infringement.shtml" target="_blank">mangle metaphors</a>. They seek only vengeance and <a href="http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20110311/06521713462/judge-rejects-riaas-attempt-to-claim-trillions-damages-limewire.shtml" target="_blank">obscene amounts of damages</a>.&quot;</li>
<br />
<li>And Isaac heard their lamentations and gathered unto him an alliance. He spake to them in urgent tones full of vigor and perhaps some illicit substances.</li>
<br />
<li>He said, &quot;Is it just me or are my hands reaaaallly big right now? Also sharing, which has been derided as foul piracy, is unjustly punished within our borders, and indeed, amongst our brethren scattered throughout the many lands.&quot;</li>
<br />
<li>&quot;We have been made villains and spectres among the living and have borne undue scrutiny for our acts. I will take our complaints to the mountain and speak with our Savior, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falkvinge" target="_blank">Falkvinge</a>, in hopes that he will act on behalf of his many acolytes who seek justice.&quot;</li>
<br />
<li> Adding, &quot;Isn't sharing files like the most beautiful thing ever?&quot;</li>
<br />
<li>And Isaac travelled to the mountain to seek justice for his people, travelling through harsh climes and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Pilgrim%27s_Progress" target="_blank">multiple allegories</a>.</li>
<br />
<li>Isaac spoke to Falkvinge of his people's travails. He laid bare his plan for a new religion, borne of his people's desire to freely share, seeking Falkvinge's blessing. </li>
<br />
<li>He said, &quot;We seek understanding and respect for our actions and an ending to this oppression. We have looked to the government for help and have been cast out and deemed unclean. Canst thou not use thy 'pull' to grant our beliefs credibility?&quot;</li>
<br />
<li>A thunderous sigh, borne of disappointment rather than anger, filled the air. Falkvinge spoke, shaking the mountain:</li>
<br />
<li>&quot;Have I not given thee rules to abide by? Have I not made myself clear repeatedly? What commandments have I passed down to thee, in regards to these things?&quot;</li>
<br />
<li>&quot;Let's review. When drinking or otherwise impaired, thou shalt not discuss:
<ul><li>religion</li> <li>politics</li> <li>which actor was the consummate James Bond/Dr. Who.&quot;</li>
</ul></li>
<br />
<li>&quot;Neither shall thou maketh any bold proclamations or promises to others whilst influenced, in order that thou dost not raise false hopes within the people. And what have you done?&quot;</li>
<br />
<li>And Isaac was afraid and he covered his face as his shame was laid bare and he did not answer for he had nothing.</li>
<br />
<li>&quot;You have combined all of these 'shalt nots' into a half-assed scheme that shall surely maketh a mockery of us all! You have even forced me to use exclamation points, which are not normally found in religious texts! Roger Moore? Seriously?&quot;</li>
<br />
<li>And Isaac protested, &quot;But surely, Lord, you realize that the government is thick with corruption and greed, unlike major world religions. And surely you can recognize that without change from within, our people are surely fuckt?&quot;</li>
<br />
<li>And Falkvinge hedged a bit and said he would &quot;see what he could do&quot; but &quot;wouldst make no promises&quot; and retired to his black-lit lair for a bit of a nap.</li>
<br />
<li>Isaac returned to his people with great haste and good cheer, delivering a hearty &quot;definite maybe.&quot; A feast of epic proportions was planned but no one couldst agree on a date and it kind of fell apart after that.</li>
</i></ol><br /><br /><a href="http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20110414/17253913899/pirate-party-not-pirate-y-enough-you-maybe-you-need-kopimism-official-pirate-religion.shtml">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20110414/17253913899/pirate-party-not-pirate-y-enough-you-maybe-you-need-kopimism-official-pirate-religion.shtml#comments">Comments</a> | <a href="http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20110414/17253913899/pirate-party-not-pirate-y-enough-you-maybe-you-need-kopimism-official-pirate-religion.shtml?op=sharethis">Email This Story</a><br />
 ]]></description>
<slash:department>ctrl-c-and-ctrl-v-are-on-the-verge-of-sainthood</slash:department>
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<pubDate>Tue, 16 Jun 2009 02:37:00 PDT</pubDate>
<title>Electronic Arts Stages Protest of Dante's Inferno at E3</title>
<dc:creator>Blaise Alleyne</dc:creator>
<link>http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20090612/0853575211.shtml</link>
<guid>http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20090612/0853575211.shtml</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ At the E3 Expo a few weeks ago, Electronic Arts showcased an upcoming game, <em>Dante's Inferno</em>, to awkward protests from a group of concerned Christians going under the name, "Salvationists Against Virtual and Eternal Damnation." They had signs like "Trade in your PlayStation for a PrayStation," "Cheat codes won't save your soul," and "Hell is not a game," as well as a <a href="http://www.wearesavedgroup.org/">1996-esque website</a> complete with animated GIFs and multi-colored all-caps text. The protest was covered by the <a href="http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2009/06/e3-protesters-target-dantes-inferno-game.html">LA Times</a>, the <a href="http://blogs.mercurynews.com/aei/2009/06/03/e3-tidbits-from-today/">San Jose Mercury News</a> and many gaming blogs. That sort of controversy might make the game more appealing to some... except, EA admitted that <a href="http://www.gamepolitics.com/2009/06/05/dante039s-inferno-protest-e3-was-staged-ea">the protest was entirely staged</a> by the viral marketing firm that they hired (though, <a href="http://www.gameculture.com/node/1359">it didn't fool everyone</a>).
<br /><br />
As the popular gaming blog <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2009/06/05/ea-confirms-dantes-inferno-protest-was-staged/">Joystiq</a> puts it, there's got to be a better way to promote the game. A faux controversy might seem like a clever idea, until people realize it's just a publicity stunt. Plus, it doesn't seem very smart to <a href="http://www.ps3informer.com/playstation-3/news/should-ea-apologize-to-christians-010449.php">alienate Christians</a> when you could be selling them the game instead (as Thomas Peters from <a href="http://www.americanpapist.com/2009/06/huh-video-game-company-pays-people-to.html">AmericanPapist.com</a> writes, "getting to play Dante as he slashes his way through hell? It sure beats Tetris."). Electronic Arts recently landed in some hot water for another clever viral marketing idea, which involved <a href="http://www.gamepolitics.com/2009/04/11/ea-wants-its-brass-knuckles-back">shipping brass knuckles with the <em>Godfather II</em> press kit</a>, despite mere possession being a first-degree misdemeanor in some states to which they were shipped. They get points for creativity, but they might want to think twice before acting on some of these ideas...<br /><br /><a href="http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20090612/0853575211.shtml">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20090612/0853575211.shtml#comments">Comments</a> | <a href="http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20090612/0853575211.shtml?op=sharethis">Email This Story</a><br />
 ]]></description>
<slash:department>it-seemed-like-a-good-idea-at-the-time</slash:department>
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<pubDate>Fri, 6 Mar 2009 14:40:00 PST</pubDate>
<title>Vatican Says Hold On With Those .religion TLDs</title>
<dc:creator>Carlo Longino</dc:creator>
<link>http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20090305/1604034013.shtml</link>
<guid>http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20090305/1604034013.shtml</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ ICANN is having one of its regular meetings in Mexico City, the kind where proposals for all the latest and greatest top-level domains get kicked around. But some TLDs you may not be seeing soon are .catholic, or .hindu, or .churchofthefsm, after The Vatican <a href="http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/03/05/pope_domain_name/">said it didn't think it was a good idea</a>. Essentially, they don't like the idea of some registrar or other group being given control of the TLD of a particular religious tradition, with ICANN forced to determine who gets to be the gatekeeper for each particular set of beliefs. It remains to be seen how this will fit in with ICANN's plans to <a href="http://techdirt.com/articles/20080626/1301511528.shtml">open up</a> the TLD system, which would let people register nearly any TLD they wanted (assuming they fork over the requisite amount of cash, of course). Throwing the system open would certainly seem to be setting the stage for a huge number of disputes, as companies fight over who should get to own something like .apple. By allowing .religion TLDs, ICANN could be setting things up for holy cyberwars -- but if it's going to open things up, should it be playing censor, or determining who the rightful "owner" of each religion's TLD should be?<br /><br /><a href="http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20090305/1604034013.shtml">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20090305/1604034013.shtml#comments">Comments</a> | <a href="http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20090305/1604034013.shtml?op=sharethis">Email This Story</a><br />
 ]]></description>
<slash:department>ICANN-has-lots-of-domain-fun</slash:department>
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