I received this email today (27 June 2003):

~~~

Pastor,

I've tried in vain to find a Christian newsgroup somewhere other than America where the Lord is exalted and His Word honored (even if debated). I started with the uk.r.c group, but most keep arguing why the sins which the Bible clearly names aren't really sins and of course He wasn't serious (pseudo-intellectualizing, I call it). I really like the people, and will continue to befriend them--but it has left me despairing for our world. So I went scouting around, and came to the aus.r.c.--and was even more appalled! Please give me an encouraging word, or suggestion of some inspirational Christian NG outside the US? Any thoughts?

By the way, I've bookmarked your wonderful website. Thanks for all you do for Him!

[Name withheld].

~~~

Dear friend,

To my knowledge there are only three Christian newsgroups accessible through Usenet which address a wide range of topics, and in which you would feel 'at home'

All three lists are moderated.

They are

1. bit.listserv.christia. I lost my connection somehow a year or two back but I've just reconnected. It has a broad appeal, (used to) tend towards conservative evangelicalism (but with bios from a wide range of Christian traditions)

Their most recent 'Managing your subscription' post says: 'To control the mail you receive from christia, and interact with the rest of the subscribers aim your web browser at:

http://lists.asu.edu/archives/christia.html

and click on the link that says "Join or leave the list (or change settings)".

2. soc.religion.christian. High-level discussions with a strong Catholic component from my knowledge of it.

3. uk.religion.christian - also moderated. And, yes, happy-hunting-ground for Christian (and other) mainly English intellectuals.

You have to realize that unmoderated Usenet newsgroups (like aus.religion.christian) attract spammers who like an audience, or people who sincerely try to argue their case but don't realize they are out of their depth. And some highly intelligent posters who've hung in there, and when you get to know their names you'll have an interesting time following their discussions.

Now, re aus.religion.christian. Several of us got this newsgroup going some years ago, and have been trying ever since to find someone with the right skills and time and access to the right equipment to retro-moderate it, or moderate it by another route, and we've not been successful. But if you hang around, you'll get the gist of who discusses what with whom with what kind of intelligence.

Hint: there are currently three highly intelligent atheists who post regularly to this group and who are worth reading. One is a university lecturer - and Christians/theists who don't realize they're out of their depth come and go from this newsgroup after trying to go several rounds too many with this poster (who in my view has a high degree of integrity). Another university lecturer (recently retired) from the same state as the aforementioned is worth reading: his strengths are (also) in the area of science and Christianity. And there are some others who are entertaining/ stimulating - for different reasons. There are, however, two or three other Christians/theists and atheists posting here who aren't worth reading, 'cos they're either mostly belligerent (rather than overly rational), or their cognitive wiring is messed up. I've used my IE 'block sender' on a few of them. And don't ever respond to any discussion cross-posted to many newsgroups. They're people who like an audience of any kind, and in real life would never be able to find one (even when drunk :-). I cross-post *news* to several *relevant* groups, but I believe there's a different protocol at work there than for discussions. (Those posts are for people who pray for persecuted Christians and others, rather than argue about the whys and wherefores of such persecution. Some regulars on Usenet groups don't agree with that rationalization, BTW. But then I remind them what these forums are called - _News_groups).

Of course, apart from Usenet groups there are literally thousands of discussion-lists out there. Go to http://jmm.aaa.net.au/index.htm and click on Mailing Lists (Internet Links section on the frontpage). Also you might like to look at http://jmm.aaa.net.au/articles/10094.htm . Also put Newsgroups into a Google search of 'this site' (John Mark Ministries) - or the Keyword index (http://jmm.aaa.net.au/catalog/keyword/) and you'll find a lot of articles there.

As Winston Churchill said in his second-or-third-most-famous speech: 'Don't ever ever ever give up!'

(Others no doubt will add their comments to my incomplete depiction of the Christian newsgroup scenario. I welcome them).

--

Shalom!

Rowland Croucher

http://jmm.aaa.net.au/index.htm (Now 10,100 + articles!)