I am torn about something. But first I must explain my stance on an issue that most people never give a first, much less a second, thought. The issue is Christian branding. For instance I heard a commercial the other day for a law firm who “uses Christian values in all lawsuits”. So today, in preperation for writing this piece, I called them up and asked them a few questions. As I was doing research I do not consider this to have been dishonest. The nice lady who answered the phone did indeed confirm that they proudly support Christian values and worked accordingly. So I described a situation wherein I was sideswiped by a fellow church member who happened to not have insurance and asked if they would be willing to help me sue this fellow. With no further clarification she began to ask if I had any pain and told me that any pain related to the accident would result in a larger settlement. I explained this person was an older fellow who had absentmindedly let his insurance lapse and was on the board of elders and wondered if it would be proper to sue him for damages since he had not paid as he said he would. She explained to me that it would be perfectly alright since we would only sue for what actually happened and not try to make it into a huge payday. I politely ended the call.

For those who do not know a lot of scripture I will post the relevant verses before I go any further:

1 Corinthians 6 (NASB)
1 Does any one of you, when he has a case against his neighbor, dare to go to law before the unrighteous and not before the saints?
2 Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? If the world is judged by you, are you not competent to constitute the smallest law courts?
3 Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more matters of this life?
4 So if you have law courts dealing with matters of this life, do you appoint them as judges who are of no account in the church?
5 I say this to your shame Is it so, that there is not among you one wise man who will be able to decide between his brethren,
6 but brother goes to law with brother, and that before unbelievers?
7 Actually, then, it is already a defeat for you, that you have lawsuits with one another. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be defrauded?
8 On the contrary, you yourselves wrong and defraud. You do this even to your brethren.

So the general gist so far is that this Christian law firm does not, in fact, follow Christian principles. And this is the problem with Christian branding. There are more basic issues but this is by and large one of the worst. It is for this very reason that I do not have a bumper sticker on my car that proclaims I am a Christian. I do not want the world to judge Christianity based on my, at times, offensive driving.

We also see the Jesus fish in store windows and so on. Some of these are placed by sincere folks who only want the world to know that they are believers and have no wish to capitalize on the name of Christ for profit but some are placed in order to attract believers who have fallen prey to an ideal not found in scripture. Steve Taylor called this ideal “Guilty by association”.

So you need a new car?
Let your fingers take a walk
Through the business guide
For the “born again” flock
You’ll be keeping all your money
In the kingdom now
And you’ll only drink milk
From a Christian cow
Don’t you go casting your bread
To keep the heathen well-fed
Line Christian pockets instead
Avoid temptation
Guilty by association

Turn the radio on
To a down-home drawl
Hear a brylcream prophet
With a message for y’all
“I have found a new utensil
In the devil’s toolbox
And the heads are gonna roll
If Jesus rocks
It’s of a worldly design!
God’s music should be divine!
Try buying records like mine
Avoid temptation”
Guilty by association

So you say it’s of the devil
And we’ve got no choice
`Cause you heard a revelation
From the “Still Small Voice?”
If the Bible doesn’t back it
Then it seems quite clear
Perhaps it was the devil
Who whispered in your ear

It’s a Telethon Tuesday
for “The Gospel Club”
“Send your money in now
Or they’re gonna pull the plug!”
Just remember this fact
When they plead and beg
When the chicken squawks loudest
Gonna lay a big egg
You could be smelling a crook
You should be checking The Book
But you’d rather listen thank look
The implication
Guilty by association

I tend to agree with Mr. Taylor on this issue. We should be good stewards of what God has given us. That does not always mean spending money with other Christians. If you can get the same quality product for less from someone who does not advertise and try to capitalize on Christianity then there is no reason you should not. Obviously there are deeper issues that we have to consider but lets assume for the sake of this piece that all things are equal outside one retailer advertising his Christianity and one not. The choice is clear. You should simply spend your money in the place that will give the best value.

I have gone through all of that get to this. There is a distro, yes a Linux distro, out there trying to capture the Christian niche so to speak. Their site is hosted on What Would Jesus Download dot com. Here are some snippets from their site:

Ubuntu Christian Edition is a free, open source operating system geared towards Christians. It is based on the popular Ubuntu Linux. Ubuntu is a complete Linux-based operating system, freely available with both community and professional support.

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Along with the standard Ubuntu applications, Ubuntu Christian Edition includes the best available Christian software. The latest release contains GnomeSword, a top of the line Bible study program for Linux based on the Sword Project. There are several modules installed with GnomeSword including Bibles, Commentaries, and Dictionaries.

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Ubuntu Christian Edition also includes fully integrated web content parental controls powered by Dansguardian. A graphical tool to adjust the parental control settings has also been developed specifically for Ubuntu Christian Edition. These features are truly what sets Ubuntu Christian Edition apart.

It doesn’t seem nefarious. They don’t seem to trying to make a killing on it. They do sell CDs but, like most other distros, you can download it for free and burn you own. They have a little schwag store on cafe press as well but the prices likely don’t even cover their hosting cost. They also link ICHTHUX which is a distro based on Kubuntu and is aimed at Christians.

Now you may be wondering why I am torn on this issue at all. Matthew 10:8 is quoted on the ICHTHUX site and is very appros pos here “Freely you have received, freely give”. The whole open source ideal seems very suited for Christians and I have been working on a doctrinal paper showing why Christians shouldn’t support MicroSoft (still months out most likey due to research). But it is the branding that bothers me. Why a Christian distro? Why not a group of Christians willing to help anyone install the distro of their choice and using it as a witnessing tool?

I really don’t have any issue with the branding except what could happen as described in the above paragraphs. I do think that we could find better ways to use OSS than the Christian distros that are out there. But hey at least these folks are trying. I haven’t found anything at all on their site that shows their desire is anything less than what they state. I won’t be using it because I don’t like Ubuntu but that’s why OSS rocks, you see, I have a choice in the matter. The long and short of the issue is that I am wary of anything branded as Christian for multiple reasons and I have ideas on better ways to ultilize OSS but I cannot fault these folks at all. They seem pure in their desire and honest in their intent. I applaud them for what they are doing even if I have reservations. I hope and pray God works through them.

(Yeah I know, you all expected a rant about the Dansguardian stuff but it wasn’t the issue I was adressing).