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A Christian software license?

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lightsaber777

Tue Sep 18 2007, 11:39PM

Registered Member #37
Joined: Mon Aug 15 2005, 02:03PM
posts: 20

I have thought about this for a while and I struggle with the concept. On one hand, I believe that open source is great and that sharing the knowledge and work is good. On the other, I don't want my work to aid those of other faiths who would spread deception and beliefs that would cause confusion and mislead people.

What's your opinion on the need for a Christian software license that protects the developer from inadvertently aiding the spread of false religions?

I for one think it is needed and some help from the Christain Law Association would probably be warranted.

Adam

Sat Sep 22 2007, 11:48PM

Joined: Sat Jul 22 2006, 02:04AM
posts: 54

Mat 5:44-45 ESV But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, (45) so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.

So... if God continues to bring rain on both the just and unjust, do you think that has any application for software?

TimYoung

Tue Sep 25 2007, 04:33PM

Joined: Thu Jan 13 2005, 04:51PM
posts: 7

One of the funny issues with this is something we discussed in ICCM (ICCM.org) when they were discussing building a Christian SSL signing certificate so we could give free certificates to ministries. The issue was that, for security in many countries, you do not want to have Christian-only software on your computer. It makes life very simple if only Christians can use software X, and you have software X on your computer, then you must be a Christian, and so (boot out of the country / revocation of visa / death in cases...)

Anyway. If it was a terrorist regime that was being helped, then I would certainly try to keep that from happening. But if it is a group of a different faith who is trying to feed the starving, house the orphans, etc. Then I think they should be able to use it. If our goals are ONLY to propagate our faith, that will show. But if our goals are to express God's love, then we will still stand out amongst the others doing the same work.

And I do hear a lot of such stories. After a terrible devastation, and after many different groups arrive to help out, I almost always hear that there are LOTS of guys that say, "They will give us the same stuff, but we prefer yours. We know you care about us, not just about giving us things." Working shoulder to shoulder with others doing the same type of relief work actually offers the people at the other end a good opportunity to contrast Christian love vs the love of the world.

So, I also have come to grips with the fact that other organizations may use the stuff we put together. The worry is when you get developers from other faiths involved and you wonder if they might sabotage the project...

lightsaber777

Tue Sep 25 2007, 04:47PM

Registered Member #37
Joined: Mon Aug 15 2005, 02:03PM
posts: 20

I don't think that praying for those who persecute us and providing them with free software is the same thing. For instance, we talk about ministry management software.... something that helps a ministry keep track of visitors, make sure someone gets back to them, manage donations, etc. Typically, when building software, an organization or developer's name goes somewhere in the comments. If I develop something that is picked up by a Jehovah's Witness group and gets incorporated into software they use to do the same thing for their faith, then I believe I have inadvertently aided them in spreading confusion.

I don't mind if I'm writing an ORM framework or some lower-level piece of software with a less specific purpose. However, if I develop something specifically to work for the cause of Christ and it is essentially used against that cause... that bugs me... hence my question.

Adam

Wed Sep 26 2007, 04:43PM

Joined: Sat Jul 22 2006, 02:04AM
posts: 54

Hmm. Tim Raises a good point. A specific license is easily searchable if included with a piece of software.

Practically speaking, it is difficult to enforce. We would simply be relying on a code of honor that may be completely irrelevant to the people using it.

If we really wanted to protect it, we'd have to start by making it closed source and limiting the distribution methods. Both of those would discourage developer involvement.

Greg B

Thu Sep 27 2007, 09:41PM

Joined: Mon Jan 10 2005, 12:21AM
posts: 25

A couple of thoughts on this:

1. This has been tried before, not by Christians (in OSS anyhow that I know of) but by others. Check out the Hactivismo license: http://www.hacktivismo.com/about/hessla.php . My impression was that it didn't go over very well, even with folks that agreed with the principles it embodied.

2. There was hesitation on my part before I released Centrallix as an open source project in '01, because of this concern among others.

3. I believe that if you make a good thing, the concern that someone might use it for evil should not prevent you from releasing the product to "everyone". That said, if there are ways you can construct the good thing such that it is inherently harder to use it for an evil purpose, then those considerations are definitely on the table :)

4. Being involved in the OSS community is a ministry opportunity in and of itself :)

zerothis

Sat Dec 06 2008, 01:17PM

Registered Member #148
Joined: Fri Dec 05 2008, 01:24AM
posts: 1

How about this. Suppose a Christian coder invents a web site enhancement. It becomes very, very popular with illegal computer hackers, the mafia, drug cartels, porn sites, terrorists, satanists, and pedophiles. A Christian coder's worst nightmare? Nope, this is great! S/He's infiltrated the enemy's camp and now has a direct line of communication with the enemy's soldiers! Spread the gospel.

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