AOL's blasphemies

Some Christians are up in arms about AOL's latest marketing for its AIM service.

America Online is now acting like God – using what some consider to be His very name in a marketing pitch for e-mail, voice chat, video chat, instant messaging, text messaging and other forms of communication.

AIM's new slogan is "I AM."

I didn't know God had a lock on that phrase. He's certainly not what I would have first thought of when seeing slogans such as:

I AM
INSTANT MESSAGING

I AM
VOICE CHAT

Etc, etc.

"You must immediately change the name of your program," [Ian Millar] told Jonathan Miller, the chief executive officer of America Online, and John Buckley, corporate communications officer for the company, in a pointed letter. "I can assure you that you will lose business over this marketing tactic from people who worship the Almighty. But worse, you have offended Him by your actions; whether they are deliberate or ignorant. To treat as common the name of God is wicked. God is patient, but mankind is today making an error of epic proportions by the deliberate actions of mocking the Almighty; particularly in the technologically advanced society. His patience with the mockery of mankind will come to an end."

In the meantime, while God's patience continues, evangelicals can try to wreak financial havok on AOL's pocketbook. Good luck. (It worked wonders with Disney!)