Pope Benedict in .XXX pro-Islam cybersquat drama

A Turkish cybersquatter has registered at least a dozen variants of Pope Benedict's name as .xxx internet domains and is using them to promote Islam. Cybersquatted sites including PopeBenedict.xxx currently proclaim "Everyone will find Islam" alongside pictures of the Quran and Kaaba. Unsurprisingly, the sites also state that …

[Scott Broukell]

A Christian, a Jew, a Hindu and a Muslim all walked into a pub.

Then all the doors and windows were locked - problem solved.

[PatientOne]

@Scott

Why include the Hindu? What have they got to do with Judaism and it's decedents?

Islam is derived from Judaism just as Christianity is. Hindu has nothing to do with them, neither has Buddhism or any other religion.

[Scott Broukell]

Re: @Scott

@PatientOne

The list could indeed have been tediously lengthy. I'm not against peeps having religious beliefs, so long as;

A] They don't abuse / indoctrinate the minds of children (under 16yrs) with those ideas.

B] They keep their religion to themselves, at a personal level at all times.

C] No religious leaders get automatic seats in any government institution of what should be an entirely secular state (UK).

D] They don't plead special treatment or what ever for any beliefs or practices they hold.

E] They actually demonstrate their supposed tolerance of each others beliefs /existence for once.

I could go on but no religion will ever get near any of the above and I just wish they would drop the whole anachronism and move from the neolithic age into the modern world. I don't believe you need this mass / organized stuff in order to have a morally just society that knows right from wrong instinctively. And one that is tolerant of peeps who hold those beliefs (see above), but at the same time teaches children about the entire global gamut of theism and atheism alike.

(just saying)

[Tom 13]

Re: @Scott

In other words, you're just as much of a bigot as any mask wearing member of the KKK who burned a cross in a front yard or murdered a man because of the color of his skin, or his support for people who thought the color of skin shouldn't matter.

[Yet Another Anonymous coward]

Actually it should be, a Christian, a Jew, a Hindu, a Muslim and a Mormon all walked into a bar - sorry I mean coffee shop - sorry I mean non-dairy vegan halhal kosher non-caffeine beverage shop.

I'm sure one day all the religions will sit down together and be friends - at least once they have lunch sorted out.

[TRT]

But...

everyone eats chicken, right?...*

*to quote Homer.

[A. Coatsworth]

Re: Scott Broukell

A (ironically) holier-than-thou atheist pitches his unrequested beliefs to the public in the form of an atrocious "joke" and shortly afterwards asks people to keep their beliefs to themselves... should we lock him in the same bar with the religious persons? would that solve the problem?

Do atheism inhibits the sense of irony in people?

[Steven Roper]

@A. Coatsworth

You know what's more ironic? Someone arguing fallaciously from the position that atheism is a belief in the same way that religion is. I've seen around the internet, the truism that "Atheism is a religion in the same sense that 'off' is a TV channel."

Atheism isn't a religion, and it isn't a belief. It's merely the absence of them. It has no rituals, no doctrines, no holy texts, no creed, and no deities. And a worldwide absence of religious belief would be a substantial improvement to all on this benighted planet, yes?

[Tom 13]

@Steven Roper

No, that would be Agnosticism, makes the claim it doesn't know whether or not there is a God. Atheism is the belief there is NO God.

And no, worldwide absence of religious belief doesn't bring substantial improvement. Most often it has brought death by the millions. cf Nazi Germany, Communist China, Pol Pot, etc. Oddly enough, it has usually been the Christians who were the first to come to the aid of the persecuted in these countries.

[A. Coatsworth]

@Steven Roper

Yes, I know atheism is not a belief system and doesn't have a doctrine or standard practices, and is only the lack of it... Using that word in my previous post maybe wasn't the best decision, in the context.

Sadly that doesn't refrains a certain amount people to push their point of view* into everyone's faces as annoyingly and constantly as some religious congregations.

I have met persons, both in the internet and IRL, that just can't resist the urgency to tell world+dog how better that everyone else they are because they're atheist at any possible opportunity (and if the opportunity doesn't present itself, they'll create gladly).

I know they are a minority but they are a very vocal and annoying minority and they really give atheist a bad name, just as religious nutters do to the vast percentage of the population that is perfectly normal and adjusted, and just happen to believe in this or that god.

And yes, the world would be a better place if people just respected everyone's beliefs (or lack thereof) and just worked in peace, instead of promoting their position as "superior", by reason or force... I'll drink to that

*for lacking of a better word. "Pushing their absence of belief" would be more to the point, but sounds just weird

[ArmanX]

Re: @A. Coatsworth

Zero is a number. Black is a color. Independent is a political party. Single is a relationship status. Stopped is a level of activity. NULL is a value. /dev/null is a device. The null set is a set. 0 degrees is a temperature (as is −273.15*C). 4'33" is classified as music.

These are all things describing the lack of something. Belief in one god, belief in many gods, and belief in no god are all, equally, beliefs. Absence of a quality does not make something unquantifiable.

As for Atheists having no doctrines, creeds, or holy texts: Google for atheist creed, atheist doctrine, atheist texts, etc., and I think you will find many creeds and doctrines. Perhaps not from your "denomination" of Atheist, but nonetheless present.

[P. Lee]

> all the doors and windows were locked - problem solved.

Meanwhile, outside, the zombie apocalypse continued apace!

If Atheists can reproduce life from inorganic matter without using intelligent design, we'd have some peace. Until then, its like cold fusion.

[Anonymous Coward]

Well, that settles it then.

Clearly, promoting islam counts as obscene, or at least NSFW.

[Phil O'Sophical]

catholic.xxx

"catholic" just means "universal". A church might be able to do something if it were "catholicchurch.xxx" or "christian.xxx" but plain old "catholic" should be up for grabs as freely any other word.

[frank ly]

Re: catholic.xxx

I'd go with 'broad or wide ranging'; as in 'catholic tastes'. (Please; no jokes about catholic tastes.)

[Tom 13]

Re: catholic.xxx

While it is true that the word "catholic" technically means "universal" it is hardly ever used in that context any more. When it is used, it is Catholic, as in Catholic Church over which The Pope presides here on Earth.

The meaning of words changes over time, and it is probably time to update the definition to note that "universal" is an archaic definition.

Note: I'm not Catholic myself, I'm more from the Protestant realm although of no official affiliation.

[Anonymous Coward]

Interesting.

Suprised I saw this here, and not in the Daily Prayerergraph, or should I say "dailyprayerergraph.xxx"?

[Anonymous Coward]

A good muslim?

I wouldn't expect them to be associating themselves with .xxx domains at all really?

[Anonymous Coward]

Which is the more disturbing thought?

Papal porn or Branson porn?

[Graham Bartlett]

Re: Which is the more disturbing thought?

At least with vicars you've got the option of upskirt.

[Graham Marsden]

Re: Which is the more disturbing thought?

There once were two ladies from Birmingham,

Shall we speak of the scandal concerning 'em?

They're both in the dock

For raising the frock

Of the Clergyman who was confirming 'em!

[veti]

Re: Which is the more disturbing thought?

"There was a young vicar from Buckingham"

... Fill in your own limerick here.

[Somerset John]

Re: Which is the more disturbing thought?

For hardcore papal porn try googling Bill Donohue. (Other search engines exist)

[Jeebus]

I thought Interpol had a division to catch these kinds of videos and pictures.

[CD001]

I wonder if anyone's registered something like "30inlatinis.xxx" ...

[Paul Johnston]

Why not..

Just ignore it?

[Matt Bryant]

Re: Why not..

Not a bad idea. Send him a "cease and desist" email, asking him nicely to hand over the domain name, and then watch the greedy squatter spend his money on webhosting for a year. Then go back with another "cease and desist" email, get his hopes up again, watch him waste another year's money, rinse and repeat ad infinitum. Zero cost to the Pope, much time and money wasted by the squatter.

[Ken Hagan]

Beware the Streisand effect

The church would be better advised to do nothing. No-one in their right mind could possibly take the sites seriously, and most of the world probably has .xxx blocked by now anyway. The most likely explanation is that the xxx registry is trying to drum up a few news stories about people using their TLD. If the church actually engages with these idiots, they are merely encouraging the problem.

[Lamont Cranston]

Well, there was I,

searching for some quality, hardcore smut, but to no avail. And then it occured to me - what's the one name you associate with quality grumble? Hefner? Flint? Ben Dover? Don't be silly, it's the Pope! Tap-tap-tap on the keyboard, checking out the XXX domain (glad they put that up, or I'd never have known where to find my jazz)... Moments later, I'd been converted to Islam.

What a day.

[Oliver Mayes]

No action required

El Papa just needs to pray for a bit and God(tm) will sort the problem out straight away. That's how it works right?

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: No action required

So /that's/ what happened to GiffGaff?

[Citizen Kaned]

really??

"While the pope is not the first person to be cybersquatted in the new .xxx domain – Sir Richard Branson recently recovered richardbranson.xxx from a squatter – this does seem to be the most comprehensive effort to trash an individual by linking their name to .xxx porn (and to promote a "competitor")."

hard how is it to 'trash an individual' who was in the Nazi youth and has covered up his child molesting priests? this is the least of worries for the 'king of the paedos'

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: really??

Criticise the Pope where it's due, but: He was in the "Hitler Youth", there was no such thing as the "Nazi youth", but the thing is that you couldn't not be in the Hitler Youth were you of age at the time, except by being Jewish.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: really??

Fair enough - but you still haven't addressed his other concerns ie of him being the king of the paedos.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: really??

Like I said: Criticise the Pope where it's due.

Did you not read my comment?

[Jamie Kitson]

.xxx

I was under the impression that you had to prove you were in the porn industry to regiser .xxx. I guess they just want your money.

[cs94njw]

Re: .xxx

Yeah, I thought the same. What's the point in a regulated domain when it's not... er... regulated.

[TRT]

"Everyone will find Islam"

Sounds like many people won't find that site very useful as a search engine.

[Colin Millar]

Taking his life in his hands?

Can't help thinking that putting pictures of the koran on a porn domain might make him a few serious enemies.

[Yet Another Anonymous coward]

The Vatican's quickest option for shutting down the domains

Is presumably a thunderbolt from on high?

If the man upstairs was prepared to flood the whole of New Orleans because of gays then a quick surgical strike of first born frogs, or whatever, shouldn't be out of the question

[Michael H.F. Wilkinson]

Did the guy miss paparazzi.xxx?

Just asking

[Anonymous Coward]

My (e)book is better than your (e)book

[Crisp]

What are these religious types doing?

What are these religious types doing browsing .xxx domain names?

This seems like a flimsy cover up by a priest caught browsing the web one handed.

[Anonymous Coward]

Personal name

"Because the policy covers personal names, the Pope won't need to show trademark rights in his name."

Surely his 'personal name' is "Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger"?