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But is it much different than the situation we have in the west? Currently corportate interests are seeking to place restrictions on ISPs and intimidate the public, putting pressure on governments for ever more draconian restrictions. The only real difference is that our restrictions are being placed by corporate interests instead of by a government trying to protect the country's culture.

Can't agree more.
And have been already movies against the current situation exposing who really finances the "war" and the excuses created to endorse it being banned from google-video and youtube. Not to say about the official media itself, that is owned by major corporations like General Eletrics (owner of NBC) etc.

The only difference is that who is under de direct impact of the "propaganda" cant see whats happening.

Very easier seems to talk about distant places as if they were different in this matter.

Couldn't agree more. I had to move and lost most of my possessions and everything I had due to a war caused by religion. May religion forever be washed away from the face of the earth.

I am myself ateist, but be carefull to dont become religious about science (like August Comte creating a church for science for instance). Just afirming that "one" thuth is "THE" truth is a process historically linked to religion itself.

Of course, you're welcome to your own opinion. For those of us who do have and follow a particular religion or belief-system, just because it doesn't "fit" with your own mindset doesn't make it any more wrong than any other way of thinking.

As far as Indonesia and other "Islamic States": it just goes to show you that when someone disagrees or has a contrary view espoused by those nations that their first response is to block / ban / prohibit / censor other points of view. Putting Religion and Politics / Government in the same cart is very dangerous.

Pretty pathetic, if you ask me...but I'm just one voice & mind....

At the same time in some parts of Europe one couldn’t support or say anything positive about the holocaust. It’s forbidden, some of the memorabilia are banned and one could go to jail.

This is what's wrong with the world today - no understanding and respects for other people's beliefs.

You are entitled to your own beliefs - religion is a very personal thing - however stating that your beliefs are the truth is just down right rude (In the manner you have suggested). You may believe this yourself (which is perfectly fine) however you simply cannot state it in this manner as it is inconsiderate to other people's beliefs.

It is because of the attitude above that many religious wars start. Yes - I said religious - as believing something this strongly and showing no consideration and respects for other beliefs leads to trouble.

If I said something about my beliefs in a similar manner to how have mentioned yours, you would feel the same.

We all are entitled to our own beliefs - however you cannot make ANYONE else less human just because their beliefs are different to yours.

Well, you can say what's right or wrong for you but that doesn't make it true for anyone else.

Personally, any religion I've learned about seems to not really "get it" so I don't belong to any. As a Christian, I believe Jesus taught us that we were stronger than we think, that was can achieve great things, and that God loves even if we don't see it, understand it, or accept it. That is how I feel you should approach life. Most religions approach life with the idea that you are weak and will suffer forever unless you pray, repent, and suffer enough. Who's idea was that?

Hi... using Historiography as a science, I would like to add that the newtonian paradigma (in wich you are based, that rulled over the 19th Century) is no longer in use in science methodology. Today we live in eisteinian paradigma of science, where the relativity is not only a theory, but a equacioned question.
In this way, I'm not supporting at all any relegion, but adding that the idea of a a "well known truth" is so relative as anything else, and anti-scientific since science itself is ruled by relative agreements, not much different from the Vatican's "Dei Verbum" chosen from conciliar agreement.

And then, i reinforce that the single idea of a truth that cannot be possibly denied, is not only a religious idea, but specifically from the religions based on Judaism cults after the destruction of the second temple of Jerusalem on 70 a.C. - the called "universalist religions", wich are the Rabinic Judaism (the present one), Christianisms (yes, Christianism is only sourced after the Second Temple fall, after the year 70) and Islamic religions. The idea of "one truth, one god, one governor" is created long after that in a complex state since the idea of an "Imperium Christianum" untill the first steps of science coming from the christian universitys. And in peculiar parallel ways on Islamic and Judaic history.

We have so, questions really larger than that dualism between universal science vs universal religions. And it was only a myth-fight before the middle of the 20th Century. And the idea of an universal truth even on science - is against today's science rules.


(PS: Sorry about my terrible English, its not my language.
PS2: I beleave in the scientific method. I'm just showing how some anti-religious ideas can be so religious in its heregitage.
PS3: I'm atheist.)

I think it's mostly inferred that the influence of religion plays a large part. I find it a bit odd they're blocking Rapidshare and the like, though. I can't see them being that concerned about piracy. Perhaps people are using it moreso for downloading porn (which is illegal in Indonesia, for others who don't know) and the like. Not as though you can download much over there because the Internet infrastructure is terrible and it's expensive for what you get, I guess.

Which part of Indonesia are you in? I regularly go to Central Java (Yogyakarta) every few years to visit relatives.

You don't even realize how "religious" you sound, do you? You sound no different than an Islamic extremist who wants to rid the world of all infidels, or a fundamentalist Christian who is out to convert every sinner. You are so blinded by your hatred of religion that you can't even see that your absolute devotion to science IS a religion. No religion is perfect, as they are all based on man's interpretation of things that have been revealed to him. Science is no different.

That statement might mean something if it weren't for the fact that (at least where I live) children who attend Christian schools tend to have FAR higher scores on ACT and SAT tests than those who attend public schools. Kind of kills that theory of yours, doesn't it?