URL: http://christdot.org/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=8539
For the last 20 years I have been hacking satellite systems, xboxs, playtstations, gameboys, and ipods. I have downloaded hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of movies, applications, console games, pc games, operating systems, educational software, and last but certainly not least - pornography! I didn't do any of this to make a profit. It was only for personal use. I was excited by the challenge at first. To reverse engineer hardware and obtain free software from the deepest darkest bowels of the internet is fun. I guess you kind of lose sight of what you are really doing.
I also read the Bible twice everyday (well-weekdays on the train). A little hypocritical you say? Me too. Well, I'm trying to change all that. ...
URL: http://christdot.org/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=8539
Are WAREZ sinful?
Or should I say 'is downloading and using WAREZ sinful?'
I have had an epiphony.
I am a 'computer guy'.
For the last 20 years I have been hacking satellite systems, xboxs, playtstations, gameboys, and ipods. I have downloaded hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of movies, applications, console games, pc games, operating systems, educational software, and last but certainly not least - pornography! I didn't do any of this to make a profit. It was only for personal use. I was excited by the challenge at first. To reverse engineer hardware and obtain free software from the deepest darkest bowels of the internet is fun. I guess you kind of lose sight of what you are really doing.
I also read the Bible twice everyday (well-weekdays on the train). A little hypocritical you say? Me too. Well, I'm trying to change all that.
Ironically I was watching an illegally downloaded movie named Thérèse: The Story of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux. The Patron Saint of my daughter's school Church. I loved the movie and felt drawn closer to God by it. It made me feel that even little things can bring me closer to him. Then I started thinking of ways I could accomplish that. Then I went shopping online for warez (illegal stuff on the internet). WHOA! I realized at that instant that what I was doing was breaking one of the big guy's big 10 - namely stealing! It didn't matter if I thought that Microsoft had enough money and I was just doing what was fair. It didn't matter if I thought movie stars made too much money and I didn't want to contribute to their salaries. Those were not excuses to do what I was doing - stealing.
It was definitely not bringing me closer to God. In fact I believed at that instant that it was doing the opposite. It was not something that I would be proud of standing at the pearly gates for sure. I had to stop. But I had been doing this for 20+ years. I was a pillar of the WAREZ scene. People respected me for my abilities and knowledge. It was part of my identity. I would have to start paying money for things I was used to getting for free. It was my obsession, my addiction. It would be tough to stop.
I tried to rationalize the thought of not quitting and came up with many clever rationalities. Those rationales all melted away under the cold hard truth that it still boils down to stealing. An analogy for me would be that I would not walk out of a grocery store without paying for a steak if no-one was there to stop me. I might not agree with the high price, but it would still be stealing.
I prayed to Ste. Therese for perseverance and guidance. So today my journey began.
1. I cancelled my access to the source of my files.
2. Downgraded my internet connection from extreme to lite.
3. Notified my main contacts that I would no longer be hacking hardware or downloading illegal warez. Some called me names. One understood my calling and accepted it, wishing me luck.
I'm sure I'll need that luck, but more importantly I'll need prayer. Like I said, itâs a main part of my life. My wife is happy and supports me. Plus I don't want my 2 young daughters growing up with ill-gained respect for a pirate-Dad.
Do you have any thoughts on this issue?
I'm sure many people who go to Church are users of illegal warez as well. The main cultural mindset seems to be that itâs OK tho.
So do you consider it a sin? Or do you see some grey area here?
The Ronatola of Rock 'n' Rolla.
No comments:
Post a Comment