‘Godblock’ shields kids from religious content
p2pnet view P2P:- Speaking of near-religious experiences, “GodBlock is a web filter that blocks religious content”, promises, well, GodBlock.
Why, for God’s sake, would anyone want to filter religious content? (Shakes head in puzzlement.)
GodBlock is “targeted at parents and schools who wish to protect their kids from the often violent, sexual, and psychologically harmful material in many holy texts, and from being indoctrinated into any religion before they are of the age to make such decisions”, it declares, going on >>>
When installed properly, GodBlock will test each page that your child visits before it is loaded, looking for passages from holy texts, names of religious figures, and other signs of religious propaganda. If none are found, then your child is allowed to browse freely.
It continues >>>
In the last century, the United States has seen a resurgence of fundamentalist religion. Fundamentalist Evangelicals, Mormons, Baptists, Muslims, and Jews have held back progress in science, human rights, civil rights, and protecting our environment. How can we reverse this trend and join the rest of the world in the gradual secularization of society and government?
Most deeply religious people are born into their religion, but even children raised in a secular household are vulnerable to content on the web. That’s why we’ve produced GodBlock. GodBlock is a web filter that blocks religious content. It is targeted at parents and schools who wish to protect their kids from the often violent, sexual, and psychologically harmful material in many holy texts, and from being indoctrinated into any religion before they are of the age to make such decisions.
Excellent! But the US isn’t the only country thus plagued.
Not only but also, we suggest Godblock should be configured to include texts from holy institutions such as Hollywood’s MPAA and Vivendi Universal, EMI, Warner Music and Sony Music’s RIAA.
Stay tuned
(Cheers, RW)
… and identi.ca
near-religious experiences – Double rainbow OH MY GOD!, July 9, 2010
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July 9th, 2010 at 10:53 am
Dear *name of holy deity removed*, WHY???!!!
Is religion really such a horrible thing for your kid to be exposed to? If you want to raise your kids atheists, fine, but why are they treating religion as some sort of mind-warping boogeyman that’s out to destroy everyone? If you’re concerned about how people might react to the bible, the solution should be to educate them on the subject, not censoring it. For example, one could explain that the reason the old testament is so dead set against abortion and homosexuality is the fact that it was written during a time when:
1) The world’s population was extremely low
2) Mankind was plagued with diseases which have since been cured
3) The average life expectancy was about 30, many women died during childbirth, and infant mortality was extremely high
4) There was no such thing as adoption agencies or artificial insemination (therefore, anyone who wanted kids of their own HAD to have heterosexual intercourse)
So procreation was essential for mankind’s survival at the time.
Seriously, just tell your kids that the bible is nothing more than a bunch stories written thousands of years ago to help you in your daily life; it shouldn’t be taken literally.
I am not a religious person, but I think it’s wrong for anyone to force their beliefs (or lack thereof) on others. In recent years, atheism has practically become an organized religion in itself; preaching its ideals to the masses and ridiculing those who disagree with them. They have become the very thing they hate.
July 9th, 2010 at 12:51 pm
“wish to protect their kids from the often violent, [b]sexual[/b], and psychologically harmful material in many holy texts”
Oh yeah, you could totally hear King David and Bathsheba getting in on and all of Israel could hear it so loudly, the moaning described in the text as ancient X-Rated duty.
Lot and his 2 daughters brought Moonshine from Sodom and they partied it up so loudly that Sodom was blown away (They said God struck it down) by the noise and they both woke up pregnant. (I’m pretty sure the Catholic Church edited most of that part.)
And now, Jesus with his 12 disciples and the harlot…
July 9th, 2010 at 3:34 pm
“Is religion really such a horrible thing for your kid to be exposed to?”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opium_of_the_people
July 9th, 2010 at 8:00 pm
RW #1, religion is a terrible thing to expose children to unless it is placed in proper context by a responsible adult. Why not just drop them off at the paedophile priest’s house personally.
And atheism is not an organized religion, it is the lack thereof. Most atheists realize what a sham religion is, and that people’s insane and false beliefs should be openly mocked for what they are. If there’s a cult that goes around saying 3+5=9, or that the world is flat, should we just take the attitude that “you have to respect people’s beliefs”? Nonsense, they are free to spout their wacky beliefs, and I am free to openly object to them, or openly ridicule them.
Religion is intellectual cowardice at it’s worst, and is a scourge on society. It blocks human progress. People just don’t keep it to themselves, they vote for backward policies, they support wars of conquest against those who don’t have the same beliefs, they are manipulated by corrupt politicians playing upon their false beliefs, they oppose life-saving genetic research, they oppose contraception, they push their agendas on the public school system, and they inflict their superstitious nonsense on defenceless children. Nobody in their right mind should ‘respect’ such belief systems. The only thing I will respect is someone’s right to free speech, as they should respect mine when I mock them openly.
I will always oppose nonsensical archaic belief systems that make life miserable for millions. It doesn’t mean I will support curtailing anyone’s individual rights to free speech, but don’t expect me to hold my tongue and don’t expect me to respect them.
BTW, Protip: Never ever ever hire or do business with someone with one of those jesus-fish thingys on their car or business card. I’ve done it four times, and been screwed over every time. I find these people to be the least ethical and least reliable in most cases.
July 9th, 2010 at 9:00 pm
‘why are they treating religion as some sort of mind-warping boogeyman that’s out to destroy everyone? ‘
Precisely because its a mind warping boogeyman thats out to destroy everyone.
Teaching children that Magic, Myth, and outright lies are true and that if they have doubts they will be burned in fire for all eternity is something that all intelligent people should try to stop.
Furthermore the people that try to teach this to children should be sentenced to prison terms.
July 10th, 2010 at 8:41 pm
You people are idiots. If you want to be atheist, that’s fine. Do whatever works for you, but don’t judge others for following a religion just because you don’t believe in God. What works for you isn’t going to work for everyone else, and if you can’t tolerate other people’s beliefs, than you’re no better than Fred Phelps.
Again, I’m not a religious person, but I think anybody who judges them is nothing but a hypocrite.
July 11th, 2010 at 2:17 am
I am an atheist and feel that teaching children religion is paramount to child abuse. It scars children for their lives.
Once a child gets to an age where they can reason and think for themselves, old enough to be left alone in the outside world, then you can start to teach them religion.
I grew up in a house that worshipped under the United religion. It only taught fear and hatred towards those that didn’t attend the same church. Religions in the world still teach intolerance and hatred towards their fellow man in various ways. Not just the fundamentalists but also the church at the corner of your street.
I don’t have any issue with churches operating because there are many that cannot function without the support mechanism that the church offers them. These are the type of people that the church was setup for. The ones that need the control and cannot think for themselves.
It is time to make all religious institutes meet the same criteria as all non-profit organizations. Pay the same taxes and fees that every organization does. As well as pay the price for breaking the laws of the land.
I would never use this blocker or any filter on the net. Parents have become lazy in their teaching their children. They don’t teach their children to deal with the real world. Parents want to censor the world from their little Johnny’s and Janie’s instead of teaching them how to deal with the world.
A child going to grade 10 is no longer a little kid but a young adult on the verge of stepping out to the wide, wild world. If you have not taught them by then, you are in deep shit.
I agree that we have to sit down with our kids and talk to them about any topic at any age to have them ready for when they leave home.
And yes, atheism has become more vocal and up front in recent years. As an atheist, it is hard to go any place without having religion stuffed in our faces. I guess many can believe that we seem like a religion because we want to “convert” people to see the truth. At least we don’t want you to give up the things you like to believe too not believe.
July 11th, 2010 at 6:03 am
I agree with RW above at 8:41PM (2 up) ^^^, you guys are all idiots.
You shouldn’t judge religious people. You also shouldn’t judge people that think the world is flat, or people that think 3+5=9. You should not judge people that go around starting holy wars and telling non-believers that they will burn in hell. You have to respect people’s beliefs, no matter how outlandish and incorrect they are. You must respect religious people, you must respect people that believe in ghosts, you must respect people that believe in the easter bunny, you must respect people that believe in the tooth fairy, you must respect people that believe in Santa, you must respect people that think when you die a guy with a pitch-fork is going to torture you in some underground lair, you must respect people that believe the pope talks to a god, and you must respect people that believe any stupid shyte anyone has ever thought up.
When these people want to get elected to public office, run your school boards, educate/indoctrinate your children, fill your prescriptions, do surgery on your heart, set gov’t policy, or send your sons off to war, you SHOULD NOT JUDGE THEM just because they follow a bunch of myths and think some bearded old man in the sky talks to them. Judging someone because they are religious makes you bad bad bad.
If you judge these people, it makes you nothing but a hypocrite. And somehow it makes you just like Fred Phelps. Don’t ask me how, I’m angry and I just say it does.
LOL
July 11th, 2010 at 12:11 pm
^ Fuck you.
July 11th, 2010 at 12:46 pm
“As an atheist, it is hard to go any place without having religion stuffed in our faces.”
Throughout my entire life, I have had a total of 2 people try to convert me (not including Jehovah’s witnesses who quietly hand out flyers on the street). However, I feel like atheist and liberal propaganda is everywhere. Both sides of the argument are guilty of forcing their beliefs on others, so don’t act all innocent. Two wrongs don’t make a right.
And for the record, not all religious people are the extreme fundamentalists you make them out to be. Many people only follow a religion because it teaches them to be loving and respectful of one another, and is an essential part of living a good life for them. The problem you people seem to have is that you only focus on all the negative aspects of religion, and completely ignore all the good that it’s done. What about all the church-run homeless shelters, adoption agencies and charities we have here? What about all the relief efforts performed by religious organizations to fight world hunger, natural disasters, war and disease all over the world? People volunteer their time, effort and money to help those in need because the Bible tells them to. It does not tell them to violently attack innocent people, start wars, or sexually abuse children. Those are the type of people who misinterpret the Bible. And they are in the minority, despite what you’d like to think. There are plenty of Christians out there who are pro-choice, pro-civil rights, pro-gay marriage, anti-war, anti-death penalty, and support sexual education and evolution being taught in public schools. You have just chosen to pretend they don’t exist. Most priests are not pedophiles, just as most muslims are not terrorists.
July 11th, 2010 at 2:52 pm
I’m simply going to say, I will be praying for a lot of the people who posted here before I did. You have NOT been exposed to the REAL love of God, you have only experienced bad things from “religious” organizations that should have known better. Flame me all you wish, I judge no one, there is a judge appointed and I am not Him. May God bless you all, NO 1 U NO!!
July 11th, 2010 at 3:00 pm
Thanks, no1uno. I’m not a religious person, but I’m considering it just to spite the atheist movement. I have pretty balanced political views, but so many liberal extremists piss me right the fuck off, and always use “I don’t believe in God so those rules don’t apply to me,” to justify their horribly misguided views and sheer contempt for their fellow man.
July 11th, 2010 at 8:07 pm
LOL at all the religious zealots and crackpots that are coming out of the woodwork three days late. There’s no real logic to their borderline illiterate comments, just innuendo and fallacy. The funniest is when they give the ‘no true Scotsman’ argument to claim all those who do bad things in the name of religion aren’t really religious. Is it any wonder these people are easily trapped into false belief systems? They’re like the people that get trapped at the bottom of Ponzi/pyramid-schemes in the business world, not too bright.
Religion is the worst thing to happen to humanity ever. It doesn’t make people ‘good’ or do the right thing. Human empathy does that, but of course religion will always take credit for that.
Good people will always do good things. Evil people will always do evil things. But religion will cause good people to do evil things.
What religion does is keep people mired in myth and superstition, and hold back progression and knowledge. It is an archaic power-structure meant to keep people dumb and pliant to the needs of our dear leaders. It is a system of false beliefs, it is a mockery of truth and justice. It is something I will always openly oppose, as is my right in a free society.
July 12th, 2010 at 9:41 am
I have to say that i agree religion is responsible for many of the worlds problems biggest problems, I really think we would be much better off without it.
July 12th, 2010 at 10:18 am
@RW^^^^ Ah, but see, you are looking at people who “practice religion” ie; “LOL at all the religious zealots and crackpots” I practice my faith, there is a difference! Meanwhile God will continue to love you in spite of the “beliefs” you practice, and I will pray for you in that same light!
To often the atheist movement are quick to denounce a person of faith based on some twisted idea that we are “borderline illiterate” Just so you understand where I’m coming from, I build and repair computer systems, and I’m currently in college to get a degree in networking. Is that illiterate enough for your belief system?
Have a good day, NO1UNO
July 12th, 2010 at 9:59 pm
^^^ Atheists don’t have a belief system. You’re the one who believes in ghosts and spirits. I know this logic of this is way over your head, clearly, so let me give you an example:
You see, someone who believes in the tooth fairy has a belief system. Someone who DOES NOT believe in the tooth fairy DOES NOT have a belief system, they have a LACK of one. Is your denial of the tooth fairy a belief system? Is your denial of the existence of the sun god Ra a belief system? Is your denial of the existence of Santa Claus a belief system? Is your denial that 3+5=9 a belief system? Is my insistence that 3+5=8 a belief system?
Your attempt at turning the lack of a belief system into a belief system of it’s own is ridiculous. It is yet another one of the disingenuous debating techniques that is common among those who defend religious fairy tales and myths. Learn the difference between the subjective and the objective.
Just face it, your wacky religion is just a bunch of ancient superstition and nonsense, no different than any of the other childish belief systems I cited above. To expect others to respect that is as asinine as expecting people to respect those who think 3+5=9. To most rational adults, belief in religious nonsense is evidence of lack of intellect, just as belief that 3+5=9 is evidence of lack of intellect.
I’m sure you’ll shift gears and come up with some more nonsensical arguments to justify your phoney-baloney beliefs in ghosts and spirits, based purely in emotion instead of directly addressing the points I’ve made in a logical manner. They always do. It’s difficult to argue logic with someone who holds blatantly illogical emotion-based views. After all, if you were rational and could think logically, that would preclude you from having these beliefs in the first place.
BTW I know you’re trying to impress people in a desperate attempt to legitimize your childish belief system (you clearly can’t justify it based upon it’s own merits), but it doesn’t take much brain power to build a computer or learn how to set up networks. For an example of this, look up Mike Sandy and marvel in his impressive hacking skills on Encyclopedia Dramatica.
July 14th, 2010 at 10:55 pm
” Just face it, your wacky religion is just a bunch of ancient superstition and nonsense, no different than any of the other childish belief systems I cited above. To expect others to respect that is as asinine as expecting people to respect those who think 3+5=9. To most rational adults, belief in religious nonsense is evidence of lack of intellect, just as belief that 3+5=9 is evidence of lack of intellect. ”
One of my daughters believes in god. One of them is closer to my own agnosticism.
Neither one of them is lacking in intellect.
The one that believes in god, is in fact , quite impressive when debating in favor of the rights of other religions to co-exist. I dare anyone to debate her on the subject. People ( most, anyway ) gain comfort and peace of mind from their beliefs. Comfort for the largest fear, the one everyone shares, what happens after we die ? Just because some in power use religion to manipulate and control doesn’t make it stupid, invalid, or proof of intellectual inadequacy. As far as addressing your ‘points’ in a logical manner, that can’t be done since you haven’t made any logical points, just emotionally charged rhetoric. Ironically, the SAME type of emotional attacks used by the very religions you slap around so childishly. Your showing yourself to be no different than the ones you call ‘phoney’. Your refusal to open your mind to potential outside of what can be seen or proven shows you to be as intellectually stunted as any ‘religious’ person. Make some real logical points without resorting to name calling and maybe someone will take you seriously. As it is now you seem no different than those who kill abortion doctors in the name of saving lives. It’s good that those people are NOT representative of the whole. This is comforting. That means you don’t represent the whole of atheism, since most of the atheists I know can have a conversation with religious people without having to resort to the ad-hominem tactics that you use.
Your no different.