Moral Question: If I were to start a dating app for a business venture

[Mark_CB]

Say I went out and created a new kind of dating app.

The app would match people in a new way based upon compatibility. It would work equally well for straight, as gay couples.

Is it immoral to match gay & lesbian couples in the app? I mean I'm not trying to get anyone to sin against god. But then again, if I leave them out, I know the press will eviscerate us as "bigoted", and we could lose $ and market-share.

Thoughts?

 

[( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)]

Did you post this thread over in the ethics and morality section of CF too?

 

[Mark_CB]

Nope. Maybe I should? I don't know. I would rather just ask over here. This is the only forum I go to here on CF.

 

[SeventhFisherofMen]

Say I went out and created a new kind of dating app.

The app would match people in a new way based upon compatibility. It would work equally well for straight, as gay couples.

Is it immoral to match gay & lesbian couples in the app? I mean I'm not trying to get anyone to sin against god. But then again, if I leave them out, I know the press will eviscerate us as "bigoted", and we could lose $ and market-share.

Thoughts?

Honestly if I were you I'd lawyer up or at least confront a lawyer about this matter. I looked up if a similar dating site, as I'm sure you know, Christian Mingle dealt with this and they got sued based on “all business establishments of every kind whatsoever” needing to offer full accommodations regardless of a person’s sexual orientation.

Honestly I think it's pretty messed up because I don't think that someone else's desire to get what they want out of an app should trample on another's religious freedoms. If a site is truly Christian then it goes against what is said in The Bible to have matches for Gay and Lesbian couples.

Disclaimer: Please don't attack me for the above statement, as a Christian I am not here to debate whether or not the Bible speaks against same-sex relationships, I'm here to speak about the original poster's question.

 

[( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)]

I would answer your question and say yes, it is immoral. I'm in a similar situation (though not as clear cut as yours) where I'm looking to develop a herb line. And one of the things I want to sell in the shop is a natural herb that is a hallucinogen. Keep in mind, however, that this plant extract is also totally legal to possess and sell in the United States. So I pose that to you and others here for their feedback as well. (Not to derail your thread though)

 

[Sketcher]

Say I went out and created a new kind of dating app.

The app would match people in a new way based upon compatibility. It would work equally well for straight, as gay couples.

Is it immoral to match gay & lesbian couples in the app? I mean I'm not trying to get anyone to sin against god. But then again, if I leave them out, I know the press will eviscerate us as "bigoted", and we could lose $ and market-share.

Thoughts?

I wouldn't match same-sex couples, but I wouldn't match divorced people either.

 

[SeventhFisherofMen]

I would answer your question and say yes, it is immoral. I'm in a similar situation (though not as clear cut as yours) where I'm looking to develop a herb line. And one of the things I want to sell in the shop is a natural herb that is a hallucinogen. Keep in mind, however, that this plant extract is also totally legal to possess and sell in the United States. So I pose that to you and others here for their feedback as well. (Not to derail your thread though)

Hey Bortsss, thanks for the question. Honestly I'd probably ask some more questions before giving advice like what would your intention for selling the herb be other than hallucinogenic purposes. Because if solely that I would say see if you can have your herb line void of that specific herb. It is your business and you have the right to choose to not sell that specific herb. If people really want only that herb they can go somewhere else. I believe God sees everything and he would really honor your choosing to follow Him in your business.

 

[Mark_CB]

Honestly if I were you I'd lawyer up or at least confront a lawyer about this matter. I looked up if a similar dating site, as I'm sure you know, Christian Mingle dealt with this and they got sued based on “all business establishments of every kind whatsoever” needing to offer full accommodations regardless of a person’s sexual orientation.

Honestly I think it's pretty messed up because I don't think that someone else's desire to get what they want out of an app should trample on another's religious freedoms. If a site is truly Christian then it goes against what is said in The Bible to have matches for Gay and Lesbian couples.

Disclaimer: Please don't attack me for the above statement, as a Christian I am not here to debate whether or not the Bible speaks against same-sex relationships, I'm here to speak about the original poster's question.

I was not aware of that ruling. I guess I'm stuck though. App will have to match gay daters, or will be a lawsuit waiting to happen.

And what about non male/female identifying daters? I have no clue what to do about them. I'm a "male" or "female" looking for a "male" or "female". Hopefully that will be enough for people

 

[SeventhFisherofMen]

I wouldn't match same-sex couples, but I wouldn't match divorced people either.

I'd have to agree with you Sketcher, though there are only two instances for which I would pray and ask others for advice on matching up divorced couples, remember this is just my opinion and by no means am I saying this is God's say in the matter.

Anyways the two instances I would possibly consider would be:
1. The instance that Jesus allows for divorce which is sexual immorality (Mat 5:32)
and
2. Physical abuse within the marriage

If those were the reasons for divorce I would consider possibly matching them up with others, but that's only as the last option and if all other options to save the original marriage have been exhausted.

Keep in mind the second one is not specifically mentioned by Jesus but I think that is something to really pray about. Once again I'm no pastor but I think if there is physical abuse in a marriage that is not stopping despite bringing it to the attention of others then I do believe that if you sincerely prayed about it and did all you could to save the marriage and it didn't work, then I (my opinion) would think Jesus would understand your reason for divorce.

That being said I really do believe that divorce is a serious matter and should be treated as such.

 

[( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)]

Hey Bortsss, thanks for the question. Honestly I'd probably ask some more questions before giving advice like what would your intention for selling the herb be other than hallucinogenic purposes. Because if solely that I would say see if you can have your herb line void of that specific herb. It is your business and you have the right to choose to not sell that specific herb. If people really want only that herb they can go somewhere else. I believe God sees everything and he would really honor your choosing to follow Him in your business.

Thanks for your input. I'm well aware of the dangers of certain drugs when they are abused. But on the other hand, I do not drink the kool-aid that says all are evil and useless. I asked for feedback to a specific inquiry and you answered it. So there's no need to go in a huge spiel here. But FYI, the United State's FDA currently has hallucinogens on the block for approval to treat certain conditions. So either they are working nefariously, or they really do believe that these things can go to treat people. I don't know. But if it's the latter, then we should seriously look into it more ourselves without writing it off.

 

[( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)]

And by the way...(One reason reason why Big Pharm would want to get in on hallucinogenic drugs and say they go to treat people (even if they dont) is because once they do they can patent those properties and put a stranglehold on the market. This goes in to criminalizing those who don't own the sources and a whole host of other things as well. I hate to say it, but it's about money.

 

[( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)]

For those of you who are saying ChristianMingle got sued. Can you provide any links to this and the outcome of said lawsuits. That's the most ridiculous thing I've heard all day.
It's nothing but an online dating site. What grounds would any court have to do anything? That's CM's business. Does anyone else think there's something wrong with Facebook being able to breach all their users' privacy every day and get away with it while a Christian business gets sued for not allowing gays to use their site?

 

[SeventhFisherofMen]

For those of you who are saying ChristianMingle got sued. Can you provide any links to this and the outcome of said lawsuits. That's the most ridiculous thing I've heard all day.
It's nothing but an online dating site. What grounds would any court have to do anything? That's CM's business. Does anyone else think there's something wrong with Facebook being able to breach all their users' privacy every day and get away with it while a Christian business gets sued for not allowing gays to use their site?

Sure no problem, here's the source:
ChristianMingle Lawsuit Forces Site to Add Options for Gay Daters

 

[( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)]

Sure no problem, here's the source:
ChristianMingle Lawsuit Forces Site to Add Options for Gay Daters

While Spark Networks is not a Christian company, it relies on Christian advisors to “provide guidance and feedback.”

That's all I needed to hear right there. If it was me, I would have said forget it and closed the site. Edit: Eh, I would've probably tried every legal maneuver I could to fight it first though. Lol

 

[Mark_CB]

That's all I needed to hear right there. If it was me, I would have said forget it and closed the site.

It's tough to know how one would react in these situations. Honestly, that would be multiple millions in lost revenues. I think of myself as the guy that won't sellout for nothing, but you get a million dollar offer, a ten million dollar offer, a hundred million dollar offer... You never really know how corrosive money's effect will be on the mind.

We have courts that pretty much tell people that this is a liberal country, that you can't run a business which isn't the most inclusive establishment ever made. Or else you'll get sued. So it's starve, or comply. I'm not saying it's a good thing, but what on earth are we supposed to do (as christian business owners).

 

[SeventhFisherofMen]

It's tough to know how one would react in these situations. Honestly, that would be multiple millions in lost revenues. I think of myself as the guy that won't sellout for nothing, but you get a million dollar offer, a ten million dollar offer, a hundred million dollar offer... You never really know how corrosive money's effect will be on the mind.

We have courts that pretty much tell people that this is a liberal country, that you can't run a business which isn't the most inclusive establishment ever made. Or else you'll get sued. So it's starve, or comply. I'm not saying it's a good thing, but what on earth are we supposed to do (as christian business owners).

Find loopholes in the law, become more educated as Christians in the law, maybe even hire Christian lawyers or seek to become good Christian lawyers ourselves. Otherwise I don't know, maybe find a business where catering to those that aren't Christians won't go against our own morals and beliefs. God Bless my friend and may God help you figure out the right thing to do.

 

[Sketcher]

I'd have to agree with you Sketcher, though there are only two instances for which I would pray and ask others for advice on matching up divorced couples, remember this is just my opinion and by no means am I saying this is God's say in the matter.

Anyways the two instances I would possibly consider would be:
1. The instance that Jesus allows for divorce which is sexual immorality (Mat 5:32)
and
2. Physical abuse within the marriage

If those were the reasons for divorce I would consider possibly matching them up with others, but that's only as the last option and if all other options to save the original marriage have been exhausted.

Keep in mind the second one is not specifically mentioned by Jesus but I think that is something to really pray about. Once again I'm no pastor but I think if there is physical abuse in a marriage that is not stopping despite bringing it to the attention of others then I do believe that if you sincerely prayed about it and did all you could to save the marriage and it didn't work, then I (my opinion) would think Jesus would understand your reason for divorce.

That being said I really do believe that divorce is a serious matter and should be treated as such.

I'm not going to be more liberal than Jesus was on this matter. I believe he would have allowed for separation in the case of physical abuse, but remarriage after that while your original spouse is still living is a tougher sell. But more to the point at hand, when you're providing matchmaking at a macro level, how are you going to verify the circumstances of the applicants' divorces? You're going to have enough of a challenge weeding out the frauds who are still married in the conventional sense that claim to be single.

Honestly, I'm glad that what I'm doing for a living does not depend in any way upon someone's marital or relationship status. There is too much ungodliness in our culture for this area of life for me to want to be involved in the wedding or matchmaking industries at all, personally.

 

[( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)]

It's tough to know how one would react in these situations. Honestly, that would be multiple millions in lost revenues. I think of myself as the guy that won't sellout for nothing, but you get a million dollar offer, a ten million dollar offer, a hundred million dollar offer... You never really know how corrosive money's effect will be on the mind.

We have courts that pretty much tell people that this is a liberal country, that you can't run a business which isn't the most inclusive establishment ever made. Or else you'll get sued. So it's starve, or comply. I'm not saying it's a good thing, but what on earth are we supposed to do (as christian business owners).

I went on a mission trip to Mexico once. And I'll never forget an experience I had there. While we were outside doing activities, one of the missionary's neighbors became drunkenly belligerent and started threatening the missionary's life. Now the missionary didn't take this as harmless. (I guess he knew who he was dealing with. (It's not uncommon to see people in the Yucatan go down the streets on a horse, carrying rifles or swords draped across their backs.) Anyway, after the altercation, I asked the missionary how he was able to have as much courage as he did and not fear death, and he told me that before he ever arrived in Mexico (and he had been there for over 50 years) that he counted himself as dead long before he ever stepped foot in the country.

That was so powerful on a couple levels for me, and I'll never forget it. As it pertains to business, wealth, and ethics..I would say that if a person hasn't become settled in the fact that he/she will know how to handle large sums of money without falling into temptation, then they probably shouldn't be seeking that kind of cash. Because more than likely they will stumble or get into major trouble. As for the other things, it doesn't bother me to know that some ventures will end up having to shut down due to the world system's regulations on believers' ethics. The way I look at it is this: God is the Creator of all things. The Bible goes on to say that He gives knowledge for witty inventions (KJV). It does not hurt God's resources one bit if a Hobby Lobby or a family's bakery store closes its doors. He owns the cattle on a thousand hills. The earth is His and everything in it. He'll just give the same people (who love Him) the inspiration to start something else that will be profitable.

 

[SeventhFisherofMen]

I'm not going to be more liberal than Jesus was on this matter. I believe he would have allowed for separation in the case of physical abuse, but remarriage after that while your original spouse is still living is a tougher sell. But more to the point at hand, when you're providing matchmaking at a macro level, how are you going to verify the circumstances of the applicants' divorces? You're going to have enough of a challenge weeding out the frauds who are still married in the conventional sense that claim to be single.

Honestly, I'm glad that what I'm doing for a living does not depend in any way upon someone's marital or relationship status. There is too much ungodliness in our culture for this area of life for me to want to be involved in the wedding or matchmaking industries at all, personally.

It's pretty refreshing to hear from a fellow believer that is as serious about divorce as I believe most Christians these days should be. Thanks for your input man it's like I said, refreshing.

 

[SeventhFisherofMen]

I went on a mission trip to Mexico once. And I'll never forget an experience I had there. While we were outside doing activities, one of the missionary's neighbors became drunkenly belligerent and started threatening the missionary's life. Now the missionary didn't take this as harmless. (I guess he knew who he was dealing with. (It's not uncommon to see people in the Yucatan go down the streets on a horse, carrying rifles or swords draped across their backs.) Anyway, after the altercation, I asked the missionary how he was able to have as much courage as he did and not fear death, and he told me that before he ever arrived in Mexico (and he had been there for over 50 years) that he counted himself as dead long before he ever stepped foot in the country.

That was so powerful on a couple levels for me, and I'll never forget it. As it pertains to business, wealth, and ethics..I would say that if a person hasn't become settled in the fact that he/she will know how to handle large sums of money without falling into temptation, then they probably shouldn't be seeking that kind of cash. Because more than likely they will stumble or get into major trouble. As for the other things, it doesn't bother me to know that some ventures will end up having to shut down due to the world system's regulations on believers' ethics. The way I look at it is this: God is the Creator of all things. The Bible goes on to say that He gives knowledge for witty inventions (KJV). It does not hurt God's resources one bit if a Hobby Lobby or a family's bakery store closes its doors. He owns the cattle on a thousand hills. The earth is His and everything in it. He'll just give the same people (who love Him) the inspiration to start something else that will be profitable.

Amen brother, preach it! And on a side note, that quote you mentioned from the missionary was pretty powerful, I kind of think that's how we all as Christians should face Jesus when we pray, as if today could be our last. Though I know I don't always do this it is refreshing from time to time when I do, it helps me to know that I've been honest with Jesus about everything that's on my mind and that The One who holds the keys to Death and Hades also holds my concerns about this life and if I were to go He would be the one dealing with me, no one else.