this post was submitted on 06 Nov 2023
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Resurfaced comments in which new House Speaker Mike Johnson talked about how he and his son monitor each other's online activity using "accountability software" have raised questions about national security.

Johnson, a Republican who was first elected to Congress in 2016, spoke in 2022 about how he installed software called Covenant Eyes on his devices during a panel called "War on Technology" at Cypress Baptist Church in Benton, Louisiana, Rolling Stone reported.

According to a clip first posted on X, formerly Twitter, by a user called Receipt Maven, Johnson spoke about how the subscription-based service helps people abstain from internet porn and "objectionable" websites.

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[–] tygerprints@kbin.social 24 points 1 year ago (3 children)

It's bad enough living in Utah where you're expected to "live the word of the Covenant" every day or be damned. People showing up at our doors to ask what we're looking at online to make sure we're living the word of Jesus. Jesus! For Christ's sake, what do I care about jesus!!!! Can you imagine anything more horrible than having to be monitored by someone else who thinks you're not up to the "lord's" standards?!!?!

To HELL with that nonsense. It's one reason I'm not just non-religious but actively anti-Mormon. Oh sure these mormon assholes think they're made of sunshine and Jesus' farts, but in reality they're just as sleazy, bent, evil, contemptible, and manipulative as anyone else. Moreso in fact. People are not "saints." They aren't supposed to be. And no well-adjusted mentally healthy person would ever WANT to be. So to hell with this monitoring each other bullshit.

[–] Buelldozer@lemmy.today 8 points 1 year ago (3 children)

People showing up at our doors to ask what we’re looking at online to make sure we’re living the word of Jesus.

What? That's not really happening is it?

[–] meyotch@slrpnk.net 8 points 1 year ago (1 children)

It definitely happens in Utah. The social rules are very different behind the Zion Curtain

[–] tygerprints@kbin.social 1 points 1 year ago

And if you go against the church, they have the records to stack the law against you, ruin your credit rating, and put you in the slammer. You don't dare not be mormon, or EVER say anything but "Oh I'm so happy to live here, everything is perfect here in Happy valley!"

[–] photonic_sorcerer@lemmy.dbzer0.com 6 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Welcome to Murica. Land of the free, as long as you do what we tell you to do.

[–] Buelldozer@lemmy.today 6 points 1 year ago (2 children)

I'm in America and have never witnessed people going door to door asking to check your Internet history!

[–] photonic_sorcerer@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Same here. I'm just taking the piss. But I've never met Christian fundamentalists anywhere in the world like the ones we got here!

[–] tygerprints@kbin.social 1 points 1 year ago

Come to Utah and see how extreme Christian fundamentalism can get. They make the Nazis look like friendly hippies by comparison.

[–] tygerprints@kbin.social 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Have you lived in Utah? Here we aren't even allowed access to porn sites and now they're shutting down access to most social media sites also. "It's harming our youth," the scream. And yet, so far, they've never actually asked any youth how they feel about using those sites or if they feel harmed by them.

But then again, in Utah conservative republicanism is the ONLY political party that exists. There is no "democrat" option, you can't register to vote unless you register as a republican. And the mormon church DOES monitor what you do and what you say. You go against the church here, they will utterly ruin your life as they are in control of all the media and all the banks and news outlets.

[–] Buelldozer@lemmy.today 0 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Have you lived in Utah?

Nope, I'm in Wyoming. We have lots of Mormons but they haven't, as of yet, taken the place over.

Here we aren’t even allowed access to porn sites and now they’re shutting down access to most social media sites also.

That seems like a bit of an over statement. My understanding is that you CAN access porn sites but that an age verification requirement will go into effect next year. Same with Social Media stuff, minors can still get access but they've got to get parental permission. To be clear I don't agree with either of these but it's not like Utah is rebuilding the Great Firewall of China and clipping access completely.

There is no “democrat” option, you can’t register to vote unless you register as a republican.

Now hold on a minute. That CANNOT be true, Utah not only has an official Democratic Party but there's Legislators who belong to it!

You go against the church here, they will utterly ruin your life as they are in control of all the media and all the banks and news outlets.

I've heard that one before and don't doubt that it's true.

[–] tygerprints@kbin.social 1 points 1 year ago

If you live in Wyoming - well, that's cool, but it's such a conservative state also, it's another place with restrictive laws. Yes Utah has an official democratic party, true - but good luck finding it. One member on the Legislature - that's like one drop of purity in an ocean of putrification. Might as well not even be there. It sucks wanting to have more democratic representation here. However I do appreciate your feedback!

[–] tygerprints@kbin.social 1 points 1 year ago

Exactly. You're free, but only so long as you follow our model of what freedom is - don't go around looking for your own answers or reading books. That's the devil's ding-dong diddley a-doins.

[–] tygerprints@kbin.social 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Well it's close to it. They don't actually come look at what we're browsing, but missionaries show up and ask if we're making sure we're doing the "lord's work" on our computers. I usually say yes - the lord wants me to be searching for gay porn, it's what Jesus would want. (I've never said that but I certainly would love to).

[–] Buelldozer@lemmy.today 1 points 1 year ago

but missionaries show up and ask if we’re making sure we’re doing the “lord’s work” on our computers.

I'm so glad I don't live in Utah.

[–] cheese_greater@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

Could an HOA in Utah (or a similar [busy]body) actually enforce shit like this?

Edit: or, like, condos?

[–] tygerprints@kbin.social 0 points 1 year ago (1 children)

You've no idea what's it's like. Remember the movie "Stepford Wives?" Everyone has a placid "everything is fine" look on their face because the church demands it here - conform, or suffer the consequences. I've seen so many lives destroyed by the mormons. They framed a mormon friend of mine over some joke he made, they turned him into the police as a child molester (because his wife does operate a child care center) and they trumped up charges, and took his property away from him. Yet in court he was found absolutely not guilty of any wrong doing - yet by then, his life was utterly ruined. You think Mormons are Saints? Guess again.

[–] cheese_greater@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)
[–] tygerprints@kbin.social 0 points 1 year ago (1 children)

The courts and the HOAs are run by mormons. So is the boy scouts, and girl scouts. And almost all social systems. It's like being in a prison with walls everywhere you turn. You really have to live here to see how frightening it is.

So you may ask why I don't leave - it's because my elderly parent is here and I'm the only child dumb enough to stay in Utah and take care of her. She's not moveable due to medical problems. I will not discuss my future plans here because I'm sure they do watch what I type and say online. But it's pretty impossible to get out of Utah once you're part of it.

[–] cheese_greater@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I wouldnt ever ask that because I have intimately experience similar but nowhere near as bad (altho still highly damaging).

This is what scares me so much about this obsession with "private" schools and homeschooling: shithead parents so badly wanna sexually and ideologically abuse their children with zero input from society or accountabillity:

[–] tygerprints@kbin.social 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

That is SO true. That's my objection to us taxpayers in Utah being forced to fund vouchers for private schooling. These home schools and private schools are just overzealous religious cults wanting to harm kids with their own brand of religious indoctrination. Shithead parents indeed. And they want their kids to grow up with the same shitheaded bigoted outlook.

[–] cheese_greater@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago

It really is quite the infuriating racket.

[–] rchive@lemm.ee 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Just like random neighbors doing random checkups on people, or like they know somehow what you're looking at and are confronting you about it? Those are pretty different.

[–] tygerprints@kbin.social 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

We've had mormon missionaries come to our door and insinuate that they know whether we're doing the lord's work or not and that they can have us jailed just on suspicion of not doing the lord's work alone.

[–] cheese_greater@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

Under wat law or who's army lol?