Anonymous Hackers Attack Christian Websites, Declare 'Religion Sucks LOL'

[rug]

By Jacob Kleinman
March 2, 2012 2:51 PM EST

Calling it a "sickness to this world," members of the formless 'hacktivist' group of computer programmers known as Anonymous declared war on religion on Friday, March 2, hacking the websites of three Christian organizations all based in and around Charlotte, North Carolina. The homepages for Bethel Outreach International Church, Charlotte International Church, and Crossfire Ministries were all replaced with the 30-minute long YouTube video, "Richard Dawkins: An Atheist's Call to Arms," and an informal declaration of war, with the title, "religion sucks lol [laugh out loud]."

The attack was announced by Twitter account @AnonymousIRC to its 276,783 followers. IRC (Internet Relay Chat) is one of the several online social platforms that Anonymous uses to congregate and make plans, along with Facebook and Twitter. The first tweet, sent out at around 10 am EST read, "http://www.betheloic.org HACKED Reason:religious idiocy and foh dah lulz #Anonymous #AntiSec #OWS #ROOTED #DAWKINS." WRITER'S TRANSLATION: "The website www.betheloic.org has been hacked. The reason being the idociy of religion and because attacking them makes us laugh." Two tweets followed moments later with the same message, except for the name of the website that Anonymous had hacked, most likely with a proxy DDoS spam attack.

The video that Anonymous posted on each hacked site is a 31-minute speech by famous atheist Richard Dawkins, in which he told his fellow atheists not to hide their beliefs, and to fight against "the incursion of religion into politics and education."

This Friday's attacks are a continuation of Anonymous hacktivist's plan to launch online attacks against their perceived enemies once a week. Last Friday, Anonymous hackers took down several FBI affiliated website, including the Dayton, Ohio branch of InfraGard.

http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/308264/20120302/anonymous-hackers-religion-website-proxy-twitter.htm

Classy.

[cbayer]

1. Wow! Is this really a part of their mission?

FWIW, the third one is a "sports ministry", which is a new one to me.

[Goblinmonger]

21. That's what anonymous likes to do.

Mess with people. And they do it very well. Hopefully the churches just turn the other cheek and walk away rather than poking the alligator. Gene Simmons can tell you that isn't a good idea.

[Arugula Latte]

2. That's a drop in the bucket compared to the non-stop barrage of religious propaganda

we're subjected to on a daily basis. Every time I drive down certain streets I see stupid signs on churches telling me I need to believe in the great sky man and his "son" who (was apparently obtained by deity-on-mortal rape) or I will perish. Some Bible thumpers came to our door yesterday (a young boy was in the group -- good strategy on their part, otherwise they would have heard an earful). I've never had an atheist knock on my door.

So, this is a little pushback. It's good for people to be exposed to other ways of thinking, right?

[Kurmudgeon]

6. Oh wow, you drive past a church,it has a sign. Who are you going to attack for it?

Someone knocked on your door, so it's time for some "pushback"?
Drop in the bucket indeed.

[Arugula Latte]

8. So you should be okay with this web site hack.

If pushing beliefs on others is no big deal, then this should be no big deal to you.

[Kurmudgeon]

9. Is your every response a projection?

I said nothing about a website hack, so don't assume or say that I would be ok with it something I haven't even seen.

[Arugula Latte]

10. BYE BYE ASSHOLE! Posting privileges revoked!!!!

YES!!! BTW, you are an anti-woman religious freak!!!

Don't let the door hit your religiously insane ass on your way out!!!

[2ndAmForComputers]

11. EVERYBODY DANCE NOW!

[deacon_sephiroth]

12. I have no idea what just happened here

but it made me laugh

[Arugula Latte]

14. He got banned because of another thread, in which he made an anti-abortion statement.

But I just came here to gloat.

[cbayer]

15. Actually, it was his anti-choice rhetoric that got him canned.

He basically called people who choose abortion baby killers just one too many times.

[Arugula Latte]

16. Right.

That one thread was the last straw.

[laconicsax]

17. I'm a little unnerved by the implication that there's an allowable quota for that kind of crap. n/t

[cbayer]

19. This was an issue on DU2 as well.

While there are certain positions that are clear TOS violations (being against gay marriage, for one), the issue of being pro or anti choice has been much less clear.

In general, the admins have taken the position that members can hold anti-abortion positions and that is not bannable.

However, in this case, he just finally tipped the jar over with the kind of language he was using.

Admin was aware of him and it is they who actually did the final ban.

[laconicsax]

20. It doesn't bother me that anti-choicers are allowed.

It bothers me that one of them was able to brand people as murderers for exercising control over their bodies.

[cbayer]

22. Agree and that is the kind of language that eventually got him banned.

It was really not in the purview of MIRT to take him out, so the administrators pulled the trigger when they had had enough.

[deacon_sephiroth]

23. ah splendid

I don't feel bad for laughing anymore.

[dmallind]

3. Finally! After thousands of red herrings you found a real attack on religion!

They should not be doing this. No excuses, no equivocation (boy it would be nice if attacks on nonbelievers got that reaction, but hey). Hacking into and defacing websites is always wrong, unless they are committing crimes themselves which is not the case here. I had no idea of this group's opinion on belief, and both had and have no interest or support in them expressing it this way.

[cleanhippie]

4. +1

[mr blur]

5. +2 (nt)

[laconicsax]

18. +3

[napoleon_in_rags]

7. Man, anonymous is doing a lot of different things.

With seemingly divergent causes. If Anonymous were a guy I knew, I'd warn him to check his credit report.

[deacon_sephiroth]

13. Well they've got a point

Religion DOES suck...