I established a Church - The Church of Open Source Software and Hardware

I might have finally lost my marbles. But don't run away. Let me walk you through the process. It used to be that we experienced freedoms: We could own our own PCs, computer equipment, laptops, etc. Our ability to repair or use our own equipment was not restricted in any way. Our lives were not spied on by cameras everywhere we go trying to track our behaviors and identify us individually to decide whether or not we are allowed to do something. Everything was generally affordable. The stuff we bought lasted many, many years. The software we used was optimized to run on a potato. And we were promised, at one point, fiber optic Internet would be run to every home.

Then we wake up one day and see direct government intrusion, corporate greed, blatant disregard for the right to data privacy and personal privacy, alleged fraud and price fixing but no one held to account for those alleged crimes, and much more happening everywhere. Then you wonder what happened and, more importantly, what can be done about it? As for what happened? People stopped being vigilant and became complacent.

As for what can be done? Well, I finally decided to do something about it. And I chose the nuclear option: Religion.

Introducing the Church of Open Source Software and Hardware. It has everything you want in a church and religion: A valid legal entity, a Supreme Cleric who acts as a Missionary on behalf of Congregants, Preachers, Elders, and Televangelists, a set of Bylaws, a codified set of religious beliefs, and...Denominations! I am the Supreme Cleric of Denomination #1772732140 of the Church of Open Source Software and Hardware.

If you can't, for some reason, be bothered to read the 9 Core Beliefs of the Church of Open Source Software and Hardware, here they are in list format:

1. Fundamental Human Right to Actually Own Our Own Property
2. Fundamental Human Right to Personal Privacy
3. Fundamental Human Right to Remain Anonymous by Default
4. Fundamental Human Right to Repair and Modify and Create Our Own Devices and Hardware and Software
5. Fundamental Human Right of Access to Affordable Personal Technology
6. Fundamental Human Right to Install and Use and Develop and Test Any Lawful Software From Anywhere of Our Choosing Without Hindrance
7. Fundamental Human Right to Long Average Device Lifetimes
8. Fundamental Human Right to Performant Optimized Unbloated Software and Energy Efficient Hardware
9. Fundamental Human Right to Affordable Fiber Optic Internet Access

But you really should read them in their entirety. I promise that it's worth your time. Each one has clear and simple statement(s), a rationale, a bright line declaration, and exception(s) (because there is at least one reasonable exception to every rule in order to deal with the situation when someone violates reasonable law).

I firmly believe these rights extend to everyone, everywhere and that they represent the best that the human race has to offer. While there is no formal worship of a deity (i.e. no theology), I am pretty sure many people believe in and desire these same things that I do as evidenced above (i.e. ideology). A religion can be, and typically is, theological in nature, but ideologies are just as powerful for many people and hence qualify them as a religion. Theologies and ideologies are "nice" and maybe "feel good," but they don't automatically get recognition by a state or a court of law.

There are four really great things about this Church. First, it is easy to join and leave at will, which avoids creating a weird situation (e.g. a cult that lets people freely join but not freely leave...much like some subscription services). Second, there is no deity to worship/pray/make animal sacrifices to, which makes it compatible with most existing religions (i.e. if you are a deeply religious person, this religion probably won't stomp on your existing deeply held convictions). Third, it is an actual legal entity that is defined by and protected by law, especially the Constitution of the United States. Fourth, it is really easy to become your own Supreme Cleric of your own Denomination which is a cheese title, but it's also kind of fun.

It's that third benefit I want to focus on here. The Constitution of the United States is not just "some old document" but rather a set of carefully chosen guardrails to prevent anyone from committing tyranny, especially those in government and those in a position of sufficient power/authority to inflict pain and misery on others. Of the types of court cases the Supreme Court of the United States both chooses to hear and chooses to not hear and those outcomes, their decisions tell us one thing loud and clear: They are generally not interested in hearing most Constitutional violation claims...except for the 1st Amendment. All parts of the Constitution are equally valid except for the first three words, which should carry the most weight: WE THE PEOPLE. But I digress. For whatever reason, the Supreme Court really loves taking up and hearing 1st Amendement cases more than anything else. Of the types of 1st Amendment cases they hear, they seem to be largely uninterested in the people's right to redress of grievances, somewhat uninterested about the right to peaceably assemble, fairly interested in the freedom of the press, and very interested in hearing novel cases involving freedom of speech. But you want to know what rockets right to the top of the SCOTUS merits docket the fastest? Constitutional violations of the free expression of religion! Very little else gets their attention faster.

Religion also regularly enjoys a sort of "taboo" nature in the United States about it to let people practice their religious beliefs freely. Someone tells a manager at a business that something they believe is part of their religion, the manager backs off like the employee is carrying the plague. Government officials and lawmakers back off far away from anything remotely close to religion because they know they are in serious trouble if they even hint at crossing that line. Laws across both the State and Federal level carve out special exceptions for religion and, particularly, religious organizations. Friends and family and coworkers generally respect those with strong religious beliefs even if they think those people are certifiably nuts.

The Church of Open Source Software and Hardware is a legal entity, a church, and a religion. Am I cray-cray? Maybe. But open source advocates have been zealous promoters of and for open source software for many, many years and, more recently, open source hardware. It has been a religion for a long time. It just lacked a church. Now there is a church. You are welcome to join.