God, the Devil and Dave

I spied a man on the tram today. He was casually leaning against the railing at the tram-stop, and looked exactly like "god" from "God the Devil and Bob" (so he looked like James Garner then, yes, but let me run with it...). This reminded me of a leaflet some pious shambler was doling out at the metro station earlier this week: "Salvation or Religion". The oxymoron prompted a read:

I have travelled all over the world. The thing which has amazed me the most is the many different religions. Every country has its own kind. Many countries have many kinds

So far so good, but then: All of these religions cannot be right... No religion can save. Even the Christian religion cannot save you. Jesus Christ is the only saviour...

Who says all religions can't be right (or, more arrogantly, that all relgions are false!)? What hubris (and how typical) to declare your faith, alone, valid.

In matters of belief I generally favour pluralism, which would imply that all beliefs are equally valid. However, if a religion preaches something that is inherintly morally offensive (murder for instance) does that nullify the belief system? Whose to say the denouncing moral system is sound - especially since it may be based on another religious system which brings us back to the start.

Issues like this frustrate me - I search for, I need, a solution, when it's just a judgement. Anyway it made me think, and if you'd like to comment feel free (help me out here Annie & Sean, pretend we're in Europe).

The irony that the paper promotes a religion will be lost on subscribers.

From God to the Devil, or Divils (only Irish people with give Satan a pet name) who promote software patents. I signed a petition yesterday urging the head of the company to encourage the EU to abandon the idea (it felt like the height of cockiness to question the top-most levels of management after 3 weeks work!). Alex tells me he's involved in a flame war with a pro-patent die hard. Tellingly this pro-person
1) works in management
2) comes from a Chemical Engineering background
3) displays complete ignorance about the process of software writing
4) sees fit to challenge Alex (a damn competent programmer, and author of multiple open source projects) on the issue

I'll stop now, because I know I'm either preaching to the converted or the uninterested (unless a randomer happens along)

Finally, to tie what now seems like a bad idea all together: Dave had Sushi for the second time ever, in a very unusual Japanese restaurant named Kabuki. The main themes of the interior design were Japanese countryside, and Finnish Ice Hockey... Put it down to cross-culturalism.

The next most exciting thing to have happened him recently was his purchasing of a new pair of shoes in order to avoid being banned from the building on health and safety grounds. He was mightilty impressed by Timberland, who do half sizes and various width fittings. He also recommends the Battlefield 1918 mod, plenty of excercise, and a balance diet.

I'm taking a break from documenting algorithms, and I'm loath to return to the slog, so instead I'll conveniently provide reference material:

God the Devil and Bob
Richard Stallman on Software Patents
Kabuki
Timberland
Battlefield 1918

Take care