defending copyright on the bible
A few weeks ago, I got an email asking about my RSS feeds for the daily bible reading provided by the USCCB. (The USCCB is the US Conference of Catholic Bishops.) I said that I hadn’t heard back from the USCCB since I last tried to contact them in June and they stopped returning my emails (though they seemed to be interested in providing RSS).
My correspondent thanked me for the copy of the ad hoc Perl script I’ve been using to make my own RSS feed, and then pointed me at a podcast of the daily readings. How neat!
As of today, though, the feed has been suspended, possibly temporarily. Apparently the USCCB has asked them to stop so they can review copyright permissions on the Catholic lectionary being read. The USCCB wants to restrict access to the Gospel, apparently.
I’m just so angry about this! Whom is the USCCB helping by acting this way? I think I’ll send them a letter and see if I can’t find out. Perhaps I’ll talk to Father Bobbin, too. If all else fails, maybe I’ll go on the trip to the National Shrine just so’s I can wreck the place up while they’re sleeping, Nixon style.