[LINK] In Google we trust: our new faith

[David Boxall]

The print version defines a googol as 1 to the power of 100. Mercifully, 
that's corrected in the online version.

<http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/in-google-we-trust-our-new-faith-20090906-fcqb.html?skin=text-only>
...
>
> Google inspires awe, which is one reason why the Church of Google has 
> appeared on the internet. The site (founded in 2006 by a young 
> Canadian, Matt MacPherson) posits this argument: ''We at the Church of 
> Google believe the search engine Google is the closest humankind has 
> ever come to directly experiencing an actual God (as typically 
> defined). We believe there is much more evidence in favour of Google's 
> divinity than there is for the divinity of other more traditional 
> gods. Thus, Googlists believe Google should rightfully be given the 
> title of 'God.' ''
>
> The Church of Google offers what it calls nine proofs:
>
> 1. Google is the closest thing to an omniscient (all-knowing) entity 
> in existence.
>
> 2. Google is everywhere at once (omnipresent).
>
> 3. Google answers prayers. (''As an example, you can quickly find 
> information on alternative cancer treatments, or new and innovative 
> medical discoveries, and generally anything that resembles a typical 
> prayer.'')
>
> 4. Google is potentially immortal.
>
> 5. Google is infinite. (The internet can theoretically grow forever.)
>
> 6. Google remembers all.
>
> 7. Google can do no evil. (Google's corporate philosophy is ''do no 
> evil''.)
>
> 8. Google is believed. (The term ''Google'' is searched for more than 
> the terms ''God'', ''Jesus'', ''Allah'', ''Buddha'', ''Christianity'' 
> and ''Islam'' combined.)
>
> 9. Evidence of Google's existence is abundant. No faith is required.
>
...
> Because of Google, our species' capacity and need for co-operation is 
> evolving into a new and higher phrase of social organisation. We 
> appear to be becoming more like a giant ant colony, a multitude of 
> individuals with a collective brain, and a single wellspring, a 
> super-entity which evokes power, action and belief. It has a name. We 
> call it Google.

 From <http://www.thechurchofgoogle.org/>
> We at the Church of Google believe the search engine Google is the 
> closest humankind has ever come to directly experiencing an /actual/ 
> God (as typically defined). We believe there is much more evidence in 
> favour of Google's divinity than there is for the divinity of other 
> more traditional gods./
>
> /We reject supernatural gods on the notion they are not scientifically 
> provable. Thus, Googlists believe Google should rightfully be given 
> the title of "God", as She exhibits a great many of the 
> characteristics traditionally associated with such Deities in a 
> scientifically provable manner.
'Nuff said.
 
-- 
David Boxall                    |  Drink no longer water,
                                |  but use a little wine
http://david.boxall.name        |  for thy stomach's sake ...
                                |            King James Bible
                                |              1 Timothy 5:23