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Comment by idibidiart | Hacker News Reader

"Christian" ... Since when has it become fashionable to define oneself by religion? I mean especially in professional circles like software development. I don't expect to see "Jew" or "Moozlim" (sic) or "Amoral Atheist" used to define people. Lots of respect for his work but I it does turn me off because of what it might imply As far as personal biases.

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Religious flamewars, which you predictably set off with this, are their own circle of off-topic hell on Hacker News. Please don't.

Christians of all denominations actively proselytise - it's a core part of being a Christian, spreading the 'good news'. This distinguishes the Christian ethos from most other mainstream religions which have a weak or non-existent missionary instinct.

So no, it's not unusual at all for a Christian to highlight the fact. From the point of view of a Christian in an increasingly secular world it probably feels more necessary than ever.

P.S. I am a Christian by birth but not vocation.

To be clear, only some strains of Christianity are active proselytizing. There are strains that do none at all.

Most strains of Christianity will have some form of proselytizing, though it might be muted. Plus there also tends to be ebbs and flows in the history and culture of such things. It's interesting to note that proselytizing arguably has a very significant (positive) effect on formation of liberal democracies [1].

[1]: http://isites.harvard.edu/fs/docs/icb.topic965299.files/Wood...

Christian by birth? You can't be a religion by birth. Your parents were Christian when you were born but that does not make you a Christian by birth.

It's the bio in his personal blog. He can put whatever he wants in it. And I don't think he includes it because it is "fashionable", but rather a reality that a true faith defines who you are and how you operate.

It's a personal blog, and that's a bio. A short list of interests, things that might turn up in the blog.

Is it different from calling oneself an abstract impressionist? Or a functional programmer? Christian teachings can absolutely be applied in software. I mean, look no further than the Temple operating system. Christianity is not a "skin" on that project, it's intrinsic to its design.

>I mean, look no further than the Temple operating system.

Ughh. One would hope you would pick a better example than workings of a confirmed schizophrenic with an anger management issue who "talks to God".

If I were to pick an example it would be something like Larry Wall's Perl treatises.

Since the beginnings of religion?

And I'm curious, where does it "define" him? he posted a Hillsong song.

No respect for your comment I'm afraid, as it shows your own personal biases very clearly.

Then you see it's Hillsong, and it all begins to make sense.

If you don't know what Hillsong is... well.. Wikipedia. :)

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