Are you familiar with the online dating service called Ashley Madison? Since its inception it has been very controversial because of the audience it caters to. It has long been known for catering to married people who want to have an affair. In fact, it’s slogan has been, “Life is short. Have an affair.”
Well, it seems they are ditching their focus on infidelity and adultery and moving in a different direction. Well, not really. What has happened is that in the course of researching their clientele, they found that 57% of their new members in recent years are actually single. With that in mind, they are now shedding their adulterous past and launching a new category – discreet dating.
Of course, rebranding is nothing new for businesses. When situations change that have the potential for negatively effecting a business, it is only reasonable that they pivot to accommodate what their customers want. And that is exactly what Ashley Madison is doing. You can read about this at https://www.foxbusiness.com/media/controversial-dating-service-ashley-madison-sheds-adulterous-past-major-rebrand-discreet-dating.
What is obvious, though, is that this change has nothing to do with a change of heart. They still have every intention of connecting people who want to have sexually immoral relationships. They are not ditching their appeal to married people who want to have an affair, they are, rather, expanding their outreach to include people who are not married but want to have immoral sexual relationships.
And this gets us right down to the root of this entire issue: Is it right to have a business that is predicated on promoting sexual immorality?
Well, we first have to address the question of whether or not sex outside of marriage is actually immoral. There are massive segments of the population that believe it is not – including, of course, the owners of Ashley Madison.
So what is it, exactly, that makes any particular viewpoint concerning sexuality either moral or immoral? In fact, it is the same thing that makes any value judgment moral or immoral – its authority source. This drills us down to the very foundation of morality regarding any subject.
For Christians, our authority source is the will of God as revealed in the Bible. We believe God is an objectively real person who created mankind and revealed His will and His ways in the Bible. The Bible is quite clear concerning the belief that the only legitimate expression of sexual activity is between one man and one woman who are married based on biblical teachings.
Those of the Ashley Madison persuasion, of course, don’t accept the Bible as their authority source. They have a different one – their own personal preferences. They don’t believe in God (at least the God of the Bible).
Ashley Madison’s original founder was Noel Biderman. While claiming to be Jewish, he is not one religiously. His Jewish identity is characterized more by tradition and heritage – he is a cultural Jew and essentially holds a naturalistic worldview. Interestingly, he is married and has two children, and claims he does not cheat on his wife (though there are reported leaks that he has not always been faithful to her). His moral justification for the site includes:
- Biological Realism – Humans are not “biologically engineered” for monogamy.
- Infidelity Saves Marriages – It helps fulfill unmet needs from a spouse.
- Business Neutrality – Ashley Madison is a neutral tool in a capitalist market.
- Harm Reduction Philosophy – It is morally preferable for an affair to happen on a discreet, dedicated platform.
- Rejection of “Digital Lipstick” – It removes the “stigma” and “shame” associated with infidelity.
- Equality and Empowerment – It makes it easier for women to catch up to men by providing a female-focused alternative to male-dominated industries.
The company is currently owned by the ruby Corporation and headed by Paul Keable. He claims he is religiously neutral. His moral justifications for the company include:
- Inevitability of Infidelity – People are going to cheat with or without the Ashley Madison platform.
- Harm Reduction – People choosing to cheat via internet is a safer alternative to workplace relationships.
- Preserving Marriages – Cheating may help fulfill unmet needs from a spouse.
- Honesty and Authenticity – Customers can be honest about their marital status.
- The Site Provides Privacy
I think we can see a common pattern here. Supporters of Ashley Madison view themselves as their own ultimate authority source. They have no belief in God, and don’t see a use for Him.
So the ultimate question is, “Does God actually exist and has He revealed Himself and His ways to us?”
And the answer is, “Yes!” But that doesn’t make any difference to those who don’t know Him. The only thing that will change anyone’s mind is to actually come to know Him in a personal relationship.
No “messaging” strategy will ever change society – whether it has to do with sexual morality or any other moral issue. The only thing that will ever change society is for the masses to come to know God in a personal relationship. For those who are interested in seeing that happen, you now know what you have to do.