Does Cypherpunk need a Church?

[Bethany]

On 13/01/15 05:15 PM, Alfie John wrote:
> On Wed, Jan 14, 2015, at 08:08 AM, grarpamp wrote:
>> Many people have a need to identify with, participate in, and derive
>> support from, a formal structure or at least a well defined meme...
>> before they can independantly or collectively deal with issues. Even
>> if what they follow ends up being Invisible Discordia.
> Isn't this antithesis to idea of cypherpunks in general? Once there is a
> formal structure, it can be controlled.

A religion is not necessarily a structure. Look at the Eastern religions
for example. Or at Quakerism.

>
>> Who are its priests? What are its idols?
> Priests can be discredited and marginalised leading to abandonment by
> the followers. That's why Anonymous has it right - with nobody at the
> top to take down, you can't collapse the group. Their power comes from
> shared idealism, not a dogmatic religion.
>
> Alfie

It would have no need for priests ... better to call them "philosophers"
anyway.

As an example, a Socratic question: what is the difference according to
you between a "shared idealism" and a "dogma"? Can you explain with
examples?