Considering there already is an LQ thread about political views when relating to Linux, why not start a thread about LQ religion? What religion on this poll is most like Linux? Please explain your votes in detail.

My vote: Christianity, because Jesus gives and asks us to give instead of take.

Well, if this isn't going to be a flame-war, nothing will. Besides, you forgot Church of the SubGenius. It IS the most fitting religion. "Something for nothing!" Apart from that sentence, I will stay on topic

I don't think Linux is like any religion. Linux/GPL is everything Religion is not. Religion is all about indoctrination, punishment, fear and obedience, while Linux/GPL is about freedom. So they are kind of opposite. I don't really know much about some of the options, so until I have read about them, I can't vote. But I see Buddhism as an alternative. Isn't Buddhism more like a philosophy? Where you live in pact with nature and are spiritual and free?

Uh, and Christianity/Judaism isn't ancient? Deprecated as well. Islam is the youngest of the three, but still ancient too.

Also you might think paganism is deprecated because it is ancient, but hrmm I have a funny feeling there are still pagans today. (And I am sure you are probably thinking of Buddhists/etc, but don't forget Druids, there are still some left).

As for Linux and religion? I dunno, but since I use Slackware Linux, I guess that goes into the Church of The Subgenius, Praise Bob.

A very apt analysis if I may say so. +1

Also isn't Taoism/Confucianism more of a way of life as well?


I also can't connect FOSS/GPL/GNU with the Christian/Judeo religion either. They couldn't be more diametrically apart. Fear, reprisal, the promise of salvation ONLY through a narrow and rather misguided view of the world? That also goes with Islam too. Sorry, I can't connect any Abrahamic religion with the philosophies of FOSS/GPL/GNU. It just doesn't compute.

In most cases, think of Jesus' sacrifice for the world. Ultimately, what it comes down to is that Christianity is more about giving to the world than taking from it. Look at what Jesus did: He was so generous he gave his life, and teaches us to be the same way with our riches. He told a rich king to give up his riches in order to even be able to even have a seat in the kingdom of Heaven. Face it: Christianity is more Communistic than you might think, just like the GPL when it comes to giving back to the community (or in Christianity's case, the world).

And Atheism / Agnosticism are glaring by their absence...

Okay, they are not religions in their own right, but they are stances on religion.

Now go to the Vatican, and stare at all the gold. Or, listen to some evangelist preaching that wealthiness is next to godliness.

It may have been true of the early church, and of individuals and small groups of Christians throughout history. But, ever since Constantine aligned the Roman Empire with Christianity, the mainstream Church has largely served the interests of wealth and power.

....and are YOU (as a good christian, of course ) giving your 10 percent?

Lets not also forget the enslavement of the fellow man (African), and the justification of racial superiority, the torture of non-believers (Spanish/French/Portuguese inquisitions), the crusades... etc, etc, etc.

I think the proper analysis is not connecting to Linux to ANY religion, but perhaps maybe to either ancient Greek, or Chinese philosophies instead.

Yes, and in my opinion that's false piety/hypocrisy. And it's the Goths, Franks, and Vandals who conquered Rome that started its practice.

However, easier said than done. Even though most of the clergy is corrupt, it's Jesus himself that in my opinion needs to be looked up to, as I know He would think that the corrupt church management is no different than that of the ancient Scribes and Pharisees that He hated so much.

Hypocrisy in Jesus' opinion is worse than not believing! It according to Him is like taking His name in vain. Unless you walk the walk, don't talk the talk, according to who I believe is my Lord and Savior.

Indeed, comparing an Open Source OS to any religious faith seems ridiculous... the source code is open and available, so there is real evidence, or proof, of its "existence".

Proprietary systems, like, say Windows, are more similar to religious faith... you just have to believe in it... a lot like religious delusions.

In five...

How can you compare software to religion?

Religion is like software, the average person just can't understand it. See there? It was easy?

On a side note, how does the guy that want's to close threads that link to MSN start this General-killer?

Because this topic has nothing to do with M$, M$FK, or M$N.