Is God (pictured) on the side of Net Neutrality? This question arises out of the current debate about the topic, heating up in Washington, DC and around the U.S., as legislation that may determine a key aspect of the future of the Internet as we know it works its way through Congress.

On the surface, the debate seems to be a simple matter of giant telcos vs. giant web companies. Specifically, legislation recently approved by the U.S. House of Represenatatives as supported by the major telcos, but opposed by companies such as Yahoo, Google, and eBay, all of whom could be subject to dramatically higher broadband usage fees if the legislation is ultimately approved.

But there are many currents flowing in these waters. Now the Christian Coalition of America, headed by well-known religious commentator and political candidate Pat Robertson, has jumped into the pool. A letter from the organization, addressed to U.S. House of Representatives Rules Committee Chairman David Dreier (R-Calif.) requests that he support "Net Neutrality legislation (that wlll) prevent the large phone and cable companies from discriminating against web sites." The letter cites pending legislation that addresses both sides of the issue, and states that the Coalition is "committed to working on behalf of our supporters to ensure that the Internet remains the free marketplace of ideas, products and services that It is today."

At issue specifically is a bill known as HR 5252, in which the Christian Coalition claims "there is nothing to stop the cable and phone companies from not allowing consumers to have access to speech that they do not support. One of our concerns is this: What if a cable company with a pro-choice Board of Directors decides that it doesn't like a pro-life organization using its high-speed network to encourage pro-life activities? Under the new rules, broadband service providers could block, impair, or otherwise limit access to a pro-life website, harming their ability to communicate."

HR 5252 is known as The Communications Opportunity, Promotion, and Enhancement (COPE) Act of 2006. It allows telcos to enter national broadband markets to offer multiple services. It also addresses Net Neutrality in that it frees the telcos to regulate access to its broadband pipelines. HR 5252 was approved by the House on June 8 by a vote of 321-101. Previously, it had been approved by the House Judiciary Committee on a 20-13 vote. The proposed legislation now moves to the U.S. Senate.

Appeals against it have also been made in recent weeks by groups on the traditionally liberal side of several issues, and a coalition stating that it represents groups from several political perspectives has emerged as well. Robert W. McChesney, co-founder of Free Press, has issued a statement on behalf of www.savetheinternet.com, addressed to the U.S. Senate, stating in part:

“Passage of major telecom legislation without enforceable Net Neutrality is a low point in the history of US policymaking. The telephone-cable Internet duopoly providers deluged Congress with an army of lobbyists, countless millions spent on misleading PR spin and outright lies, and a single-minded determination to put their bottom line ahead of the democratic principles of an open, neutral Internet. If we lose Net Neutrality, we lose the most promising method for regular people to access and provide diverse and independent news, information and entertainment. The Senate cannot ignore the massive right-left coalition of Americans that have unified behind Net Neutrality: over 750,000 individuals, nearly every consumer group, the Internet's founders, and a rapidly growing coalition of nearly every industry that relies on the Internet."