[CS-FSLUG] FOSS Evangelism

[Timothy Butler]

>
> How do we share our faith within open source communities and can we
> profile the typical open source community member?

	I think a good place to start is the bumper sticker method, actually.  
Put a nice, non-confrontational quote in your signature. Or your  
signature is obvious enough as well. Sometimes people will actually  
initiate a discussion, I've found, because of my signatures over the  
years. The key is that we gained a good rapport in general discussion,  
so if they were at all spiritually curious, they would feel  
comfortable discussing their questions with me (they knew I wouldn't  
beat them over the head).

	

>
> I think the second part of that question must really come first. I'm
> not sure we can profile the typical FOSS guy very closely, but there
> does seem to be a number of similarities. Many are very closed to
> Christian thought, even offended or hostile towards it. However, in my
> experience, the majority a very wrong view tainted by lies about
> Christians that are propagated in technical schools and the media.

	I think since many are into Computer Science, they mirror the  
mentality of many who come out of realms infected with scientism. They  
are also generally aggressively anti-authoritarian (many are into FOSS  
because they dislike the power of Microsoft and not because they  
initially loved how Linux worked), and that does little to help them  
appreciate the Church, which they see as pushing a generally  
authoritarian agenda.

	-Tim


---
Timothy R. Butler | "It may be that  when the angels go about their
Editor, OfB.biz   | task  praising God,  they play only Bach.  I am
tbutler at ofb.biz   | sure,  however,  that when they are together en
timothybutler.us  | famille they play Mozart."
                                                       -- Karl Barth