AOL

[GODzThunder]

I used to be a chat host on a Christian forum on AOL. I always admired the great gathering of Christians and the powerful forums hosted by such groups as christianity today magazine inc and the public member created chat forums where christians gather to pray for lost people to enter so that they may witness (I have led some forty people online to accept Christ as their savior). That was back in the early 90's.

I have not been on AOL since 1998 but keep it because my wife researches (she is a school teacher and finds great resources) and I have many people who know my email name (gotta change all those business cards if I change).

BUT as of late, in the political messageboards; in the christian/religion boards; in the secular hobby boards; especially in the news boards, I have seen more and more of a rise in anti-christian sentiment. I am deeply alarmed that this entire network has become a tool for the unchristian community, nay the ANTIchristian community to gether together and constantly bash and deride Christians.

The last post I read was a series of amens and praises to a poster who said that God is punishing the bible belt south with all these storms for being such strict hate and antisocial freaks. All of the chat rooms now seem to be created for the purpose of mocking christianity, Jesus is a lie is the most populated member created room right now as I look.

Has it always been this way and I have never noticed it or has AOL become a place for the antichristians to unite?

 

[Trotter]

No, Thunder, it has not always been that way.

I first got on AOL about five years ago. It was pretty tame.

Fast forward about four years. I was shocked when I rejoined AOL. Even the Christian rooms had rude and vulgar people shouting and ranting at Christians (these were quickly "Ignored").

Now. I go into a Christian or Bible room, and I find screennames like "GayChristianMan" and "GodLovesQueers". Atheists and agnostics love to sit in these rooms to argue. And even some so-called "Christians" scream and curse anyone who does not agree with them.

Now, these are not things that go on continuously, but they do happen rather frequently.

Yes, AOL has become a place for anti-Christians. AOL even has an entire catagory for gay chat rooms.

In Christ,
Trotter

 

[menageriekeeper]

What do ya'll expect?

AOL is just like any other company in America today. Whatever brings in a buck works for them.

Not only do they no longer uphold the family values they used to espouse(remember when vulgar language wasn't allowed?) but they have shown distinct unAmerican tendancies by moving a significant amount amount of their telemarketing and techincal support overseas to India.

On top of that, just try to get them to quit billing your credit card. I have a good many friends who were charged for months after they told AOL to discontinue service. In one case service had been discontinued for a couple of months when a new charge appeared on the credit card. AOL claimed that someone with friends password had okayed the charge...after two months they shouldn't have had a password. AOL refused to refund the charge...of course the Indian on the line probably didn't comprehend the problem due to deficiencies in English.

If you have DSL, satalite, or cable internet you have absolutely no need for AOL. If you have dial-up there are better, cheaper choices out there, look around.

 

[GODzThunder]

the Christian forum I used to work for was banned by AOL because of their desire to unify all spiritual forums into one area. They now have buddhists giving comments on the SBC annual meeting and have pagans reporting their thoughts on the billy graham crusade ministries. The chat rooms used to be for everyone but the theme of the room (ie Christian) must be respected and not argued or ridiculed. Now all relgions are freely able to ridicule christianity BUT most christians are silenced if they say anyone is a cult or is wrong, it is called hate speech. on AOL Christianity is almost a hate term.

 

[Keith M]

Originally posted by menageriekeeper:
If you have DSL, satalite, or cable internet you have absolutely no need for AOL. If you have dial-up there are better, cheaper choices out there, look around.

Juno/NetZero is my personal preference for dial-up. When I had AOL for a minute back several years ago, it was like AOL wanted to take over my computer. That did not make me a happy camper at all. Juno doesn't try to take over everything. And at $9.95 for regular dial-up and $14.95 for "speed band," the price is much nicer than the outrageous fees AOL wants...

 

[stevec]

Originally posted by GODzThunder:
The last post I read was a series of amens and praises to a poster who said that God is punishing the bible belt south with all these storms for being such strict hate and antisocial freaks.

Funny you should mention that. Let me start by saying I live in Port Charlotte, FL. 'Nuff said? The first Sunday we were able to put enough of a roof over our heads to hold a service our pastor pointed out this exact same thing. The Bible tells us several times that Satan is the "prince of this world" or "the prince of the power of the air" so it seems to me Satan is the one sending these storms, not God. I would them ask you to notice he is attacking the "Bible belt south" instead of states like Californicate.

Hmm....

 

[LorrieGrace]

Is there any Christian service one can use instead of AOL? I know that they have a satalite station called ANGEL. My friends have it and they don't have regular tv like I do.

 

[Trotter]

LorrieGrace,

Check out j103partners.com. They have numbers in Florida, and they offer filtered internet as well.

Check out Integrity Online. This is a Christian filtered ISP that has been around a while.

There are probably others, but I thought of these off the top of my head.

In Christ,
Trotter

 

[LorrieGrace]

Thanks for the info, Trotter.

 

[Trotter]

De nada.

 

[corinne]

Originally posted by Trotter:
No, Thunder, it has not always been that way.

I first got on AOL about five years ago. It was pretty tame.

Fast forward about four years. I was shocked when I rejoined AOL. Even the Christian rooms had rude and vulgar people shouting and ranting at Christians (these were quickly "Ignored").

Now. I go into a Christian or Bible room, and I find screennames like "GayChristianMan" and "GodLovesQueers". Atheists and agnostics love to sit in these rooms to argue. And even some so-called "Christians" scream and curse anyone who does not agree with them.

Now, these are not things that go on continuously, but they do happen rather frequently.

Yes, AOL has become a place for anti-Christians. AOL even has an entire catagory for gay chat rooms.

In Christ,
Trotter

Excuse me but there are Christians who are also gay and God loves every person, which includes persons who also happen to be queer.

You must be aware of the fact that evil is supposed to one day reign over the world (Satan's Kingdom is on the Earth), which means he will also reign over communications and media. Do not be surprised to find out oneday that Christians are being isolated, targeted, identified and then persecuted. It is supposed to happen and it will happen.

I personally think Christians should start building a parallel economy, in order to be able to communicate and survive in the future evil-ruled world.

Corinne

[ November 09, 2004, 05:09 PM: Message edited by: DHK ]

 

[corinne]

Originally posted by menageriekeeper:
What do ya'll expect?

AOL is just like any other company in America today. Whatever brings in a buck works for them.

Not only do they no longer uphold the family values they used to espouse(remember when vulgar language wasn't allowed?) but they have shown distinct unAmerican tendancies by moving a significant amount amount of their telemarketing and techincal support overseas to India.

On top of that, just try to get them to quit billing your credit card. I have a good many friends who were charged for months after they told AOL to discontinue service. In one case service had been discontinued for a couple of months when a new charge appeared on the credit card. AOL claimed that someone with friends password had okayed the charge...after two months they shouldn't have had a password. AOL refused to refund the charge...of course the Indian on the line probably didn't comprehend the problem due to deficiencies in English.

If you have DSL, satalite, or cable internet you have absolutely no need for AOL. If you have dial-up there are better, cheaper choices out there, look around.

I bought broadband access from AOL some time ago and I have never been able to go online !!!! Their modem was faulty and so was their driver software. I do not want to have anything to do with this company, ever again.

Corinne

 

[Dr. Bob]

Originally posted by corinne:
Excuse me but there are Christians who are also gay and God loves every person, which includes persons who also happen to be queer.

Change a word and what you say is true corinne.

"Excuse me but there are Christians who WERE gay . . "

That is what the Bible teaches. But this is not a thread pro/con sodomy. Stick with AOL discussion, please.

 

[James_Newman]

Yeah, just like there are Christians who were proud.

 

[untangled]

The thing about message boards, chatrooms and email discussion groups is all the hate I see in them. For example, yahoo is a mess. I have watched some of the most hateful, filthy conversations in those rooms by people who were supposedly Christians. Sometimes I think that some people believe there is no accountability online. They say harsh, hurtful things degrating one-another. Its scary. I don't have aol, haven't ever had it and never will have it but I believe that it is nearly the same as alot of message boards and chatrooms. Truly sad.