Manchester Cathedral's virtual desecration of the Freedom of speech.

I am furious!

The Gay blaming Church of England has just manipulated an honest situation for devious ends in such a way that to critize them, only makes yourself look foolish.

But I'll step up to that challenge. I look foolish all the time.

They're trying to get video game manufactures to sign up to new “sacred digital guidelines” to prevent future “virtual desecration.”

Whilst those terms roll around your head and their dubious and insidious nature exposes themselves heres a summary.

PS3 launch game is set in the 1940s UK where aliens have attacked the planet, and we are fighting back. Manchester Cathedral is turned into a hospital. Aliens attack, and you defend it. CoE becomes enraged. Sony apologizes unreservedly. Smelling opportunity thats not enough for the COE.


Shot at 2007-07-08

This is the list they want publishers to sign up to.

Digital Guidelines code of conduct

1. Respect our sacred spaces as places of prayer, worship, peace, learning and heritage.

2. Do not assume that sacred space interiors are copyright free.

3. Get permission from the faith leaders who are responsible for the building interiors you want to clone.

4. Support the work of those engaged in resisting the culture of gun crime and those involved in promoting the work of conflict resolution.

Let ignoring 4 as thats the carrot they're using to support their proposition. Now the first three look fine at first glance, but lets analyze them.

For number 2 they use the strongest wording they can. They want you to presume that they are under copyright. To presume that you need to obey number 3. Listen CoE - Manchester Cathedral is a great example. Its construction started in 1215. Copyright is not meant to last 800 fucking years. But more importantly your "sacred" building was funded by fucking feudalism. You tithed and bleed generations of poor peasents who lived in hovels to produce that beautiful building. Our ancestors living on the edge of absolute poverty were brainwashed to build that building with promises of enternal bliss, whilst the "Holy Men" who lived there lived in wealth and luxury.

Manchester Cathedral is a beautiful building - but every time you look at it you should see the absolute exploitation that produced it. It should shame you.

As such you can claim no ownership of such a building.

It's the fucking definition of public domain.

What is actually going on here is an attempt to prevent dialogue. They understand the computer games (like Rock and Roll, and cinema, and TV before it) is a new media that can, and will be used to criticize and puncture the pomposity of their faith.

This is an attempt to close that dialogue down.

They want "respect" to mean "don't point out its stupid" - and they're hiding behind pretend violence to do it.