From: "Mike Johnson" <exabyte!smtplink!mikej@uunet.UU.NET>
Date: Fri, 22 Oct 93 07:42:55 PDT
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: 700 club
Message-ID: <9309227513.AA751302845@smtplink.exabyte.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain



> The right to encryption and the "right" to abortion don't have the same
> basis - encryption kills no one.

Amen!  But encryption IS regulated as a munition.  In military applications,
weak crypto could (and has) cost some people their lives.  Strong crypto 
reduces the power of governments or other entities to oppress people of
differing views.  Strong crypto is a powerful influence to resist oppression
of one group by another, just as Freedom of the Press, Freedom of Speech,
and the Right to Bear Arms do.  I don't see strong crypto as a threat to
Christians.  Strong crypto is a major threat to totalitarian governments,
spies, and criminals.  Strong crypto is a minor inconvenience for certain
law enforcement agencies in some circumstances.  Three out of four isn't
ideal, but life just isn't that simple.

By the way, if you think 700 Club support for strong crypto without key escrow 
is strange -- call my BBS for some amusement.  You will find Bible search 
software, church management tools, and two file areas devoted to cryptography.
Not everyone on this list is an athiest, anarchist, or whatever.

                                        Mike Johnson
                                        mpj@csn.org
                                        BBS 303-938-9654