And the Lord said unto Sony, '01101000 01100...'

With pointy hats and staffs stowed in a coat-check of pure gold, Catholic bishops have decreed the use of mass, digital communications to spread the word of the bible in as many languages as possible. In a statement just issued to the flock, the bishops said:

"The voice of the Divine Word must resonate over the radio, on Internet channels with virtual distribution (and by) CDs, DVDs and iPods, and on television and cinema screens."

The implied message here is very clear: God hates the Blu-ray.

[fickenab @ Oct 28th 2008 5:29AM]

I usually just kinda laugh at some of the dumb jokes, but WOW god hates blu-ray, FANTASTIC.

I'm just glad the format wars are over. I definitely wouldn't have wanted Catholic bishops deciding the winner.

[rock99rock @ Oct 28th 2008 10:33AM]

God doesnt hate Blu-ray. He accepts all formats for what they are.

He is just waiting to see if digital downloads are the better medium before deciding.

[rock99rock @ Oct 28th 2008 10:38AM]

You know, as opposed to analog downloads.

..

[Wormbolt @ Oct 28th 2008 7:55PM]

What would Jesus text?

[Spacemonkey @ Oct 28th 2008 5:31AM]

HAHA God hates the blu-ray! That's the first engadget article which made me laugh

[Allister @ Oct 28th 2008 6:03AM]

He also hates the Rolly.

[nDee @ Oct 28th 2008 6:15AM]

Obviously also 5800XM

[Mp3 @ Oct 28th 2008 6:27AM]

After initially disliking it, he now loves the PS3.

[weg @ Oct 28th 2008 7:23AM]

Come on.. we all know since weeks that the god of the Engadget editors hates blue-ray.

[JerkfacedFed @ Oct 28th 2008 8:50AM]

MP3 you are not funny and definitely not realistic. He hates the PS3 and likes the PC, 360, and Wii. Now its correct

[CraigJ @ Oct 28th 2008 10:39AM]

Engadget: for all your philosophical religious discussions...

[john @ Oct 28th 2008 6:09PM]

and Buddha also hates Bluray

[Zomgrotfl @ Oct 28th 2008 5:34AM]

Religion is just a bag of hurt anyway.

[Dave Chappelle @ Oct 28th 2008 6:25AM]

seriously man, do not be an asshole.
Thats offensive & racist to people of all religions.(which make up the majority if you don't like us move to another planet.)

for your information the tiny bit of information you know about christianity does not make you the intellectual of 'All Religions'

[PederG @ Oct 28th 2008 6:29AM]

How the h*** that racist?

[Zomgrotfl @ Oct 28th 2008 6:50AM]

Thanks for proving my point asshat.

[Andy TGD @ Oct 28th 2008 6:50AM]

Firstly, the aforementioned comment isn't racist. It is however unfair to carpet bomb all religion. Play nice now people. :)

[Taylor @ Oct 28th 2008 6:53AM]

I find it amusing that someone who's named themselves Dave Chappelle is calling other people racist.

Not saying I don't like Dave Chappelle, but y'know... racist humour is racist humour

[Tristan @ Oct 28th 2008 7:00AM]

Why not carpet bomb all religion? What good has it _ever_ done?

Personally i would prefer not to have religious doctrine shoved down my throat by a ipod touting nerd catching their latest fix of their "hearsay" stories.

Religion is a disease that needs no help spreading.

[Daza @ Oct 28th 2008 7:14AM]

People act like all religion does is cause hate and war. Perhaps, but it's humans who are really at fault. If it weren't for religion, there would be something else we'd all be fighting over (like, money). We're the problem, not religion. It's every extremists twisted interpretation of their religion who is at fault.

You can't deny that there are a lot of initiatives backed by religious groups that provide food, clothing and shelter for the homeless and whatnot. This could also be done without involving religion, but the people who do good are following their beliefs, and when they're helping people, I don't see what's wrong with it.

[vadubgeek @ Oct 28th 2008 7:14AM]

@Tristan: Despite all the problems religions have caused. You can't honestly believe they've never been a source of good either. That's just stupid. Religions have provided inspiration and the basis for humans to feed the hungry, provide education to people, give shelter to those being persecuted, provide jobs, work to help the sick, create great works of art. Even make advancements in science. It basically gives hope to people who need it. Does it really matter if it's all made up (I'm not saying it is) but it serves a purpose in people's lives. To me that far outweighs any suffering religion has caused.

[Andy TGD @ Oct 28th 2008 7:22AM]

@Tristan
Firstly, religion has done good in the world. What good has it done? Well, try the laws which hold society together. Early Chirstianity's opposition to Slavery. Charitable organisations which are providing aid to unfortunate souls around the world. Just to name a few things which it has done.

We may disagree with some of the things which have been done in religion's name, but you can't say that all religion is wrong as a result. Unfortunately, like many things in the world, it is the worst side of religion that makes good news. There are many good people out there doing fantastic work to make the world a better place.

Finally, I agree that noone likes being preached to. Why can't we all just co-exist and not shove Atheism/Theism down each other's throats? Its the preachy extremes that make life hard for the rest of us guys in the middle.

[Tristan @ Oct 30th 2008 3:12AM]

And basic humanists could not do all that by themselves?

People make amazing things happen, not religion.

And people are generally good until you have enough of them under your belt to start a crusade.

[BananaBoat @ Oct 28th 2008 7:53AM]

The pictured used is offensive. I just woke up from a great dream of the sexy kind, and logged onto my computer. What did I see but a clergyman staring at me.....eyes blazing with disappointment.... do you know what you did to my libido right then Engadget?


It's Tuesday, not Sunday, I should have some peace.


Or I should stop being a filthy perv.

There's only one banana on this boat, and it's now MUSHY!

[Zomgrotfl @ Oct 28th 2008 8:28AM]

I love the amount of QQ my post is generating.

[McLovin @ Oct 28th 2008 9:51AM]

@Daza
I see what your saying, but even when they do good it's for a TWISTED reason.

Giving food to Poor African villages = Converting them from pagans to Christians

Come to get some food... in our church... and while you eat, read this book.... Come back tomorrow for some more food.. and church... and bring that book.. See how good “our” God is.

Let them folks keep their religion…

You should read, “When things fall apart”

For the record: Religion = Stupid

Thanks Alphachapmtl

[Ryback @ Oct 28th 2008 10:12AM]

@Andy TGD
No it is not unfair to carpet bomb all religion. Anything not withstanding the scrutiny of scientific method should be carpet bombed on a regular basis.

[Ryback @ Oct 28th 2008 10:20AM]

@Andy TGD again
The laws that hold our society together does not have it origin in religion. It has it's origin in the The Age of Enlightenment and the French Revolution. Clergy and nobles where the people opposing equal rights. The lost and have adapted to our rules of society in order to survive!

Sure religion people are able to do good deeds aswell. Some religious people say they do good deeds because of their religion. I say anyone doing good deeds to avoid burning in hell isn't inherently good. I do good deeds because I enjoy helping out my fellow (wo)man. Not because some guy in the sky tells me to.

[happy_penguin @ Oct 28th 2008 11:01AM]

Yes please!! Be careful about throwing around the R word. It's become a serious stigma and it really doesn't need to be misused. Just because something is bigoted doesn't necessarily mean that it is racist. And, being sweepingly anti religion is bigoted.

[JakeB @ Oct 28th 2008 11:24AM]

This is at pretty much everyone, religion is good and bad. It's good when they do charitable things, its good when they help people that ask for it. It's bad when they think they are the only ones who are right and cram their beliefs down someone else's throat when they didn't want it. It's bad when they say they do things in the name of god. Why not just accept that mankind chooses what he or she wants to believe and not what is or isn't right; because that is subjective in itself. Every religion is based off of faith, so shut up and let people live their lives the way they want to and not the way some big shot, who thinks that he or she talks to god, wants us to live.

I see this article as religion is starting to get desperate and need more people in their churches/synagogue so they are going to mass advertise. This is another way of saying that they are running out of money so they are going to start advertising on a mass scale.

Let the hate replies proceed...

[happy_penguin @ Oct 28th 2008 11:49AM]

JakeB

I mostly agree with your first paragraph and I don't necessarily disagree with your second paragraph. Cheers! :)

[McLovin @ Oct 28th 2008 12:15PM]

@JakeB
I mostly agree with your first paragraph, and definitiely agree with your Second One!

[phanbouy @ Oct 28th 2008 12:25PM]

Spirituality and the world's mystical traditions = good.

Organized religious political institutions / dogma / theocracy = incredibly bad.

howzat?

[James Barsby @ Oct 28th 2008 12:39PM]

The problem is a lot of people seem to think religion INVENTED morality, this is complete BS.

Morality is basic human instinct that allows us to coexist in large groups and has nothing to do with an invisible man with a beard, who lives in the clouds.

Religion is a terrible mental illness that warps young peoples perception of reality and holds humanity back from our true potential.

4.5 billion years of evolution has developed an animal with the mental capability to actually escape the confines of its own planet, and ensure it's survival indefinitely. Unfortunately the majority of people are infected with a decease that makes them more interested in murdering people that believe in a slightly different invisible man with a beard, who wears a turban.

Unless we can find a way to stop this horrible disease, the untold trillions of variations life has gone through to create an animal that can actually comprehend its own existence, will have been a complete waste of time.

[phanbouy @ Oct 28th 2008 12:40PM]

let me expand on that:

i think mysticism is great because it's a set of thousands of year old trial and error traditional practices and customs for mind and consciousness expansion and general esoterica. its entire focus is PERSONAL development

dogma and religious institutions and power structures on the other hand, compel obedience and cultural genocide (disguised as missionaryism

[Ken @ Oct 28th 2008 1:17PM]

"It is however unfair to carpet bomb all religion"

Tell that to an atheist

[Omar @ Oct 28th 2008 1:57PM]

I agree with phanbouy. Religion isn't necessarily a bad thing. It's the heavily structured religion that is dangerous, especially the ones that promise reward for conforming (ex. going to heaven instead of hell, being with Allah, etc). Even though many of their followers are generally good, those religions tend to breed more extremists that try to force their beliefs down other's throats in the name of "saving" people or "the will of God" by any means they see fit.

[Engadgetier @ Oct 28th 2008 3:42PM]

wow, I really dont know what to say, but,

1)Religion has really gotten to a bad place, the Bible is what people need to be following, not an old guy with a robe in Vatican City. And, here is something to think about, how was it that Jesus died, and rose again, and hundreds of people, if not thousands of people saw what he did, working his miracles on people. And its not just in the Bible, but it is also in Roman records, and people wrote it down in many other places. So, I bet your thinking, Jesus was a special human, with special powers that the world gave to him, or some weird crap like that. So, in that case, I want one of you who says religion is lies, crap, BS, whatever..... to come to my house, and walk on water, I want to see you die right in front of my eyes and see you rise again after a few days, I wanna see you heal my neighbor of his mental illness. You know what, I want to see you go to a blind person, and make them see again, or even feed 5,000 people with a few pieces of bread.

2) Evolution, first off, where is the missing link between man a monkey again? thought so....
Carbon Dating...... funny, i was reading an article about how carbon dating works and i was amazed at how advanced we are getting, and yet, we can be so stupid at the dame time, ive read that carbon dating is the most inaccurate way to way fossils and artifacts. There was a study in the article, and they took a bone, from an animal that had just died, and they carbon dated it, it said it was 10 million years old! They then took it to another lab, and it said it was 15 million years old! All from and animal that had died maybe a few days before. Third, Atomic Law, it states that atoms or molecules cannot, i repeat, CANNOT be created or destroyed. So using scientific law, how did atoms come from the "big band" THEORY, you mean to tell me that all matter came from a single dense piece of matter not that big.

3) I hear it being called "The Theory of Evolution", but i never hear it being called "The Theory of Creation". And i wonder why......

[milkfat @ Oct 28th 2008 4:30PM]

@Engadgetier

1)First of all: You are crazy. Secondly: I don't believe Jesus did any of those things. Thirdly: What makes you think I think I can do any of those things?

2)I suggest you read up on...
Transitional Fossils: http://www.talkorigins.org/indexcc/list.html#CC200
Carbon Dating: http://www.talkorigins.org/indexcc/list.html#CD0
Definition of "theory": http://www.talkorigins.org/indexcc/list.html#CA200
Cosmology ("big band THEORY" [sic]): section CE400 (Engadget won't let me enter more than 3 urls)

3)Again, review the definition of "theory" ... Ideally, you would never hear the phrase "The Theory of Creation," however it yields some 120,000 results when typed into Google.

Lastly... you are crazy. Please cut down on the AiG.

[loosely_coupled @ Oct 28th 2008 4:40PM]

Without getting into a deep debate about the pros and cons of organized religion, The world would be a much better place if EVERYONE realized that although they are entitled to believe in and practice whatever religion/philosophy/spiritual practice they may like, it is *NOT* their place to attempt to impose their beliefs on everyone else nor is it acceptable to attempt to hijack secular government and impose societal rules and restrictions based upon their particular religious views.

A much greater sense of *humility*, tolerance, and acceptance of the inherent limitations of knowledge and the human condition is badly needed to counteract the arrogance, divisiveness, and zealotry that comes with over-bearing religious fundamentalism. Catholics, Protestants, Muslims, Jews, Buddhists, Hindus, mystics, shamans, atheists, agnostics, theosophists, new agers, naturalists, spiritualists, and everyone else in this shrinking world need to throw out the ridiculous antiquated notion that only their specific adopted philosophy or belief system is "correct" and all others are false and blasphemous. The truth of the matter is that no one person or philosophy has all the answers to the fundamental questions of life and existence -- and it is incredibly arrogant and short-sighted to claim otherwise. They all have different concepts of "God" or deities, souls or spirits, the afterlife, the creation of the universe, the end of the universe, etc.
People need to keep an open mind and realize that there is much to learn in this life from many different sources, that it is a good idea to reserve judgment and despite the fact that is may be difficult, you have to let go of the notion that you will ever have absolute certainty about "God" and the universe. I don't believe that we as humans can ever know all the answers, nor do I think that is the purpose of life on earth. I do think that wisdom and benefit can be gained from spiritual and/or religious practice and experiences, especially when it helps people to put their priorities in perspective, and realize the importance of community, selflessness and service to others. That, i believe, is the real message.

[loosely_coupled @ Oct 28th 2008 4:41PM]

Without getting into a deep debate about the pros and cons of organized religion, The world would be a much better place if EVERYONE realized that although they are entitled to believe in and practice whatever religion/philosophy/spiritual practice they may like, it is *NOT* their place to attempt to impose their beliefs on everyone else nor is it acceptable to attempt to hijack secular government and impose societal rules and restrictions based upon their particular religious views.

A much greater sense of *humility*, tolerance, and acceptance of the inherent limitations of knowledge and the human condition is badly needed to counteract the arrogance, divisiveness, and zealotry that comes with over-bearing religious fundamentalism. Catholics, Protestants, Muslims, Jews, Buddhists, Hindus, mystics, shamans, atheists, agnostics, theosophists, new agers, naturalists, spiritualists, and everyone else in this shrinking world need to throw out the ridiculous antiquated notion that only their specific adopted philosophy or belief system is "correct" and all others are false and blasphemous. The truth of the matter is that no one person or philosophy has all the answers to the fundamental questions of life and existence -- and it is incredibly arrogant and short-sighted to claim otherwise. They all have different concepts of "God" or deities, souls or spirits, the afterlife, the creation of the universe, the end of the universe, etc.
People need to keep an open mind and realize that there is much to learn in this life from many different sources, that it is a good idea to reserve judgment and despite the fact that is may be difficult, you have to let go of the notion that you will ever have absolute certainty about "God" and the universe. I don't believe that we as humans can ever know all the answers, nor do I think that is the purpose of life on earth. I do think that wisdom and benefit can be gained from spiritual and/or religious practice and experiences, especially when it helps people to put their priorities in perspective, and realize the importance of community, selflessness and service to others. We are all in this world together.

[pavlindrom @ Oct 28th 2008 4:53PM]

I agree with the above (if my comment shows up under Endadgetier)
Religion is just religion. It is the cause of many things, but it doesn't benefit anything. I follow a God that is great, beyond all power and loving as one could wish. That is the way to go. To understand the guilt, the sinful nature inherited and to ask God to change it. After that, to work on, persevere into knowing God and changing yourself.
Many people today have heard the wonderful news, did step one and VOILA, they are saved. It takes a lifetime to be saved. Vigilence, watchfulness.
Also in Revelation it asks the question if in the last times there will be any faithful left. I want to be one of those, and that is the real deal. It is a personal thing, not in anyway a group thing. In hell you will be alone in your suffering, and it will be awful... Believe, a neighbor of mine experienced it. I just wish you didn't, and so does God.

[??? @ Oct 28th 2008 5:38AM]

And ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I have wrought with you for my name's sake, not according to your wicked ways, nor according to your corrupt doings, O ye house of Blu-ray, saith the LORD Steve Jobs.


(sorry, I had to go there)

[geezer @ Oct 28th 2008 5:49AM]

funny that you would pick a picture of German Cardinal Lehmann, Bishop of Mainz

[trickards @ Oct 28th 2008 5:54AM]

I heard they already have 1080p digital downloads in heaven.

[Spacemonkey @ Oct 28th 2008 5:57AM]

Probably at 10GB/sec as well

[Troels C @ Oct 28th 2008 6:21AM]

Bah, 10GB/s and no porn. That sucks.

[Jon Acheson @ Oct 28th 2008 9:55AM]

No, downloaders go to hell.

[michas_pi @ Oct 28th 2008 5:55AM]

Let's not forget VHS, Betamax, LaserDisc, 8-track tapes, and smoke signals.

[echo @ Oct 28th 2008 5:57AM]

Anyone else notice the permalink address?
"and-the-lord-said-unto-satan-01101000-01100"