Hermenuetics

Comments

That's interesting. Should Christians start boycotting eHarmony the same way they boycotted Disney?

Posted By: Anna P | April 2, 2009 3:27 PM

I'm confused about the legal rational here but not surprised by the result.

U.S. companies are already being forced to make concessions to this agenda. It is a very powerful and well-funded special interest group.

Posted By: John Pulliam | April 2, 2009 3:32 PM

My wife and I met on E-harmony, and they did a great job of matching us up. It's too bad our warped society forced them into this kind of action. I believe it will hurt them in the long run.

Posted By: Jesse | April 3, 2009 4:55 PM

I am so glad to see this site launched. If anyone knows Christian gays, it is extremely hard for them to meet people when they do not go to bars as it may be for straight people as well. You don't, after all, approach a person and ask if he/she is gay/lesbian. Not everyone is the stereotype. A straight person who doesn't go to bars might invite someone out at church or work whereas this is not generally possible for a gay/lesbian person. As a result, the life LGBT people live can be very lonely--one of the reasons they have such a high suicide rate.

Posted By: Paula Ruth | April 3, 2009 7:30 PM

Warren's comments tell me he's out for the money, he's not a Christian or he would have shut the site down because a Christian says no to the devil. At 74 he's close to meeting his maker, I would think he would worry more about that than money. It is not a Christian's problem to worry about where homosexuals meet their kind, it is the devil's problem. If homosexuals can't get control of their sexual desires (even Ann Landers said sex is all in the head)than they aren't truly following Jesus, and as Jesus said, you must leave non-followers to their own devises, if someone doesn't wish to accept God's call than it is not the Christians' problem, God will take care of "His" problem. The only commands Christians need to really follow is to spread the word and love God and his Son with all your heart. Nowhere did the command to Christians include to follow the homosexuals and do as they bid. I don't worship the government or homosexuals needs. Sorry.

Posted By: Anna | April 3, 2009 8:25 PM

It would have been so much better for eharmony to go out of business completely rather than cave.

Posted By: alison | April 6, 2009 10:11 AM

Paula Ruth...please read your Bible and not twist it as you do. There is no such thing as a "gay christian" unless you're talking about a happy one. Homosexuality falls under three categories of condemnation in the Bible: adultery, fornication, and homosexuality. 1 Cor 6:9-10 is very specific about homosexuals not inheriting the Kingdom of God. Leviticus 18 can't be ignored. There are other implicit and explicit passages, but the point has been made. The only other argument is if you don't believe the Bible is the Word of God. That's for another post.

It has already been proven that there is no such thing as a "gay gene". Homosexuals are not born that way, they are recruited. You are right in saying the main reason there are more suicides in that community is because they are lonely. They don't have a personal and peaceful relationship with Jesus Christ. That is not possible without repentance and faith. "Unless one repents, they will not see the Father".

My post is not intended to be mean or hateful. It is intended to speak the truth in love and urge Christians not to fall in the wake of, what seems to be, an all out attack on our faith. I'm not saying we don't have the right to suffer and even be intimidated by the government. Our forefathers were and they helped give us the gift of freedom. Perhaps this gift has turned into a curse as we have abused it and neglected it. Perhaps such an attack on our values and faith will drive us closer to Christ and it could bring authentic, Holy Spirit-led, revival.

Neil Clark Warren has sold out in the face of trouble. If he really is a born-again child of God then he will not be able to continue in his sin of compromise. The Spirit of God will convict him and lead him to repentance. Some people get softer the older they get and they compromise. They don't fell like fighting battles or they start to feel guilty about their own failures over the years. Some get bitter and negative. We should all seek to stay balanced by staying in God's Word and walking in the leadership of the Holy Spirit. This will not lead to compromise or truth without love.

We all have an obligation to share the gospel with every human on earth. Whether they are homosexual or not, they need Jesus. I don't worry about changing anyone's life-style before they come to know Christ. They must first be saved if they are going to change. They must be WILLING to repent, however, if they are going to enter the Kingdom of God.

Posted By: Danny C | April 7, 2009 10:00 AM

Yet more evidence that the "live and let live" mantra of past decades mattered to unbelievers and secularists only insofar as they lacked the political power to force their views down other people's throats. Now we are seeing that change.

Posted By: Kevin | April 7, 2009 4:36 PM

When Jesus fed the multitudes, I'm certain there were every sort of person in that crowd. Gays, lesbians, pedophiles, you name it. This was a demonstration of John 3:16, God's unconditional love for his creation regardless of their condition. That however is NOT an acceptance of their lifestyle. Jesus said on many occasions, REPENT or PERISH." That message holds true today. There is no such thing as a "Gay or Lesbian Christian," just ans there are no murderous Christians. Lifestyle is a choice, not a uncontrollable desire. The GLBT agenda is out to make their lifestyles acceptable and as normal as heterosexual
relationshipe. The gay lifestyle is a counterfeit of God's plan for mankind, as is gay marriage, and God will judge those who engage in it, and those who give sanction to it. In time, we WILL see this happen in America because God is NOT mocked. Dr. Clark was "scared" into this decision and ought to be ashamed. He should of stood his ground as the Bible tells us to do, "Resist steadfast in the faith." His decision erodes Christianity and HE will be judged for promoting the gay lifestyle which he knows is an abomination unto God.

Posted By: P Jackson | April 8, 2009 11:24 PM

This is terribly disappointing news. Where is the courage we are to have to stand as a Christian? This is definitely compromise in its purest form! Please, Dr. Warren, take a stand. No amount of money is worth this kind of decision.

Posted By: Another Anna | April 8, 2009 11:35 PM

Good for you Dr. Warren!

My partner and I met through a dating service at the local Gay & Lesbian center back in 2000 and have been happily together ever since.

In 2006 we had our commitment ceremony in the Congregational (United Church of Christ) church in my hometown near Chicago with all of our friends and family there...a groups that included gays, straights, Baptists, Lutherans, Cathloics, Jews, atheists, and everything in between...from my 4 yr. old nephew to my 92 year old grandmother. We truly felt God's love shining on us that day!

We now have an adopted son sharing our life who spent 7 years in the foster system, and now has a stable and loving home and host of loving grandparents, aunts, uncles & cousins across the country!

We hope that many, many more Christian GLBT people (and yes, WE DO EXIST) will find each other through this new service. We will certaily be recommending it to our single friends.

Posted By: Luke | April 9, 2009 9:12 AM

This is just sickening, it goes against what God wants for us. How can someone who is a homosexual say that they are a Christian? They can't be Christians, if they are TRULY a Christian, they would be following the word of God and resisting their fleshly desires to fornicate with someone of the same sex that they are. It's just another way the Devil has devoured our society, people are so accepting of this type of behavior and it's going to be the downfall of our society.

Posted By: Joyle | April 9, 2009 12:29 PM

Hey Joyle, et al, lighten up!
I can say I'm a Christian because I AM...and if my so called "lifestyle" is the hugh threat to our society you say it is, it's way more fragile than I thought.

Posted By: Luke | April 9, 2009 1:16 PM

I think that it is unbelievable that a site that proclaimed to be a Christian site is allowing this. It is awful. It is very clear that they are avoiding to obey Christian principles for the sake of the business.
I think that real Christians must be out of all this and even of the site if we are in.

Posted By: Elizabeth Escobar | April 9, 2009 1:18 PM

I am so disappointed in Dr. Warren. I totally agree with those who say that he should have shut down eHarmony or at least stepped off the board, before allowing himself to be pushed into catering to the homosexual agenda. The sad thing is, he started out with the best of intentions- to help Christians meet and build relationships. I bet that if anyone had told him twenty years ago that he would do this now, he would have protested until he turned blue in the face.

Now concerning what someone above mentioned that homosexuals can't call themselves christians, but I think that is absolutely untrue. Being guilty of homosexuality in God's eyes has to do more with what you do more, than how you feel. Lots of heterosexuals are "experimenting" and they're in as much danger as any self-declared practicing "homosexual". If a person has homosexual feelings, it's nothing more than another sin that has to be dealt with by the Holy Spirit. If the person is acting on it, it's another sin that will be punished by the Holy Spirit. I say all this to say, that I think there are alot of sincere homosexual Christians who are not practicing. God is as well pleased with these individuals as he is with the unmarried heterosexual who isn't practicing.

What Dr. Warren has done, is provided and avenue by which homosexual relationships will be further encouraged. Let's pray for him all. Let's not let all the good work he did in the beginning get destroyed by foolish decisions in the latter part of his life. One of our soldiers has gone down in battle. Don't point and stare... PRAY!

Posted By: SBlake | April 9, 2009 2:12 PM

I was on eHarmony a few years ago, I met no one on the site. Although a good site for being in depth on matching couples. I began to question Dr. Warren's motives when he began to mass market eHarmony.

Posted By: Robert | April 9, 2009 8:40 PM

I was on eHarmony a few years ago. At the time Dr. Warren decided to mass market eHarmony. Dating sites are a money making business, and the more exposure to the mass market translates in to more dollars. That's when eHarmony losed its focus as a Christian dating site. It's a sad day for Christian singles. When I spoke to their customer service people and told them I would not renew my memebership.

Posted By: Robert | April 9, 2009 9:14 PM

Sure use eharmony if you want, I'm Christian and I can say that I wouldnt use this site or ANY sites like this, God is the true matchmaker,I would boycott it becuase I know that I dont need this website or any other one for that matter. Who needs Eharmony when You've got GOD? Do you really have Him in your life? Then let Eharmony go to whoever else they want and just leave This behind. Let God Match you up, Not "Man". Just Pray that God will handle things and let this fall into his hands to control not ours.

I'll leave my love up to God-
He's all I need,
Not eHarmony.

Posted By: Regina | April 9, 2009 10:44 PM

Lord have mercy on this guy. Helping others to sin. Shame on you Dr. Warren. Pray and repent.

Posted By: Rob | April 10, 2009 3:38 AM

I'm not surprised. Not only does it prove that eHarmony is just out for making money and not really Christian (and I had an inkling when on eHarmony they asked about whether I would date a guy who was okay with sex befor marriage) but it shows that society is too compromising. Imagine a church for Christian homosexuals??!! How ludicrous.
They are taking the notion of hate the sin but love the sinner to a whole new level. Truth is truth. If you are a practicing homosexual (not one who has tendencies and is managing them - but one who practices openly and says that nothing is wrong with it) then you are living in sin and no amount of church attendance can save you. It's like a person with normal sexual tendencies going to church with their common-law husband whom they live with. You are only fooling yourself. But you are not fooling God.

Posted By: Deidra Richards | April 10, 2009 10:06 AM

it's really very sad and incredibly ridiculous! to assist people who are living a wayward life to go further and dig deeper into their sin.

Posted By: latanya | April 10, 2009 3:11 PM

I can't believe that Dr. Warren would cave in to this kind of lifestyle in today's world and launch a gay/lesbian eharmony web site that goes against what is written in the Bible. This lifestyle is totally wrong and they are living in sin. I was going to join eharmony myself but now I refuse to have anything to do with this website being that they have gone to this level. I will put my trust in God. He always knows what is best in a mate for us, Stooping to this level for eharmony is not a good one. They will lose in the long run, Big time. Bad decision Dr. Warren.

Posted By: Sue | April 11, 2009 3:08 AM

I think it's a crying shame that eHarmony has stooped to such levels. Where is your backbone? Your moral fiber? Your Christian beliefs? I met my fiance on eHarmony and am now ashamed to admit that fact to anyone. This is the ultimate compromise. The Bible is black and white on sin - there is no compromise. Dr. Warren, please take the right stand, as no amount of money is worth this incredibly wrong decision.

Posted By: Cellia | April 11, 2009 7:28 PM

Luke and Alison,
For people who are trying to "speak the truth in love" you are surely succeeding being hurtful and blending the truth to fit your own agenda - something you're accusing others on this page of doing. Hypocritical, much? Call me crazy, but that's not love.

The one thing you both argue is that someone can't "be gay" and be a Christian. So...does that mean someone can't sin and be a Christian? That we're perfect and able to avoid sin the minute we get saved because we're "that strong"? Does this mean someone can't be a liar and be a Christian? Can't be a gossip and be a Christian? Can't struggle with a pornography and be a Christian? Can't wrestle with any number of sins and be a Christian?

I don't think so. Sounds like an age old fallacy to me.

We all have sins we are inclined to. Sin is sin in God's eyes: there is no "better" or "worse" sin scale. All it takes is one slip up -regardless of its nature - and we're done. That's why it says "ALL have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." We all trip. We all stumble. We all struggle. No one sin is more profane than the other because all sin is profane.

Instead of condemning people and acting like Pharisees, we should be saying "I love you where you're at, just as Christ loves you, and I'm trusting that his truth will transform your life: not me. I have no transformative powers on my own. He is your savior; I'm just a messenger."

Love, after all, not judgment (aka looking down on others and force-feeding them a version of the gospel that fits our own agenda), is the greatest commandment.

I think, perhaps, we could all do better by focusing on what Jesus has called us to: not how others are failing.

Posted By: Le Belle Dame Sans Merci | April 12, 2009 8:22 AM

Apologies,
previous entry was intended for Joyle and Allison. Sorry Luke.

Posted By: Le Belle Dame Sans Merci | April 12, 2009 8:35 AM

Sorry Allison...Danny C. Danny C and Joyle.
Looks like the coffee really hasn't kicked in yet, lol!

Posted By: Le Belle Dame Sans Merci | April 12, 2009 9:07 AM

Sin is sin. Heterosexual sin is the same as Homosexual sin.
You & I can try to spin it, deny it, rationalize it, pervert Scripture to validate it but look at what God's word says: "The wages of sin is death." Why argue with God? Who will have the last say? Not you, nor I. God's Son took the debt of our sin on the cross -NOT to give us free license to go on sinning but so that we -through the victory of Christ over sin and death- could live a life free of sin. Go ahead, call on any earthly creation as a substitute for what only God can truly provide. God's grace is sufficient on His terms (not your terms, nor my terms). I pray for the broken lives lost in heterosexual & homosexual sin. Healer of the soul waits for us to turn from sin and -agreeing with God that our choice to sin requires cleansing from unrighteousness- receive forgiveness, restoration and re-commitment to a relationship that is eternal. Romans 5:8, 1 John 1:9. Soldiers of the cross. Pray for our brothers and sisters. Thank you.

Posted By: Clancy | April 13, 2009 10:42 AM

We as God's people should never accept same sex marriages, they are an abomination to the Lord God who made man in His image....Now as for the person I am not against them at all. They are loved by Jesus just as much as any of us are...But the sin of homosexuality is not....Please those who are in this state do not think God will overlook such behavior....He will not...He came to set the captive free of sins....all of us...

Posted By: Dale | April 14, 2009 7:10 AM

There is no such thing as a gay Christian. Active homosexuality is a sin in Christianity, anyone who tries to infer otherwise is not a faithful Christian. Gays can not force Christianity to abandon it's beliefs, for them to try is an example of a hate crime, it's a violation of the constitution.

Posted By: Jenny | April 15, 2009 10:26 PM

Wow. It is amazing that there is even a debate over something so clear in the scriptures. Homosexuality in the eyes of God according to the scriptures is sinful behavior, period. You can just as clearly say adultery and fornication are regarded scripturally as sin.
Does Christianity Today mean cultural christianity? Would Christianity Today be afraid to say fornication and adultery are regarded as sin in the scripture? I am not condemning homosexuality more than adultery or fornication, but the bible does call it an abomination, and who are we to say different? That doesn't mean a practicing homosexual can not be forgiven just as an adulterer, or adulteress. But what did Jesus say to the forgiven adulteress, keep on sister? No, I believe it was "Go, and sin no more." Jesus loves us which is why He commands us to forsake sin and to choose life. God Bless...

Posted By: SGC | April 21, 2009 11:11 PM

I am delighted to see Mr. Warren allow gay Christians to his website. As a gay Christian myself, I have discovered the misinterpretations of the 6 so called "gay clobber" verses in the Bible that most Christians use to try and condemn gay people. These passages, when taken out of context due to being taken too literally, seem at first to clearly say that being gay is wrong.

It appears most if not all of these verses are written to correct the problem of homosexual acts used in idol worship to another god or in an attempted violent gang rape like in the Sodom and Gomorrah story. Judges 19 and 20 shows an almost duplicate story to the Sodom and Gomorrah story. It started out as an attempted same sex gang rape but ended up as a heterosexual gang rape. I hardly think this qualifies the men in this story as being gay. It's very important to interpret the Sodom and Gomorrah story in light of Jeremiah 23:14, Exekiel 16: 49-50, Matt 10: 11-15, Luke 10:10-12. This lists the specific sins of Sodom and Gomorrah, homosexuality is not even mentioned in these verses, I think it would have been if the gay issue was really as bad as some would try to make it. Pride, inhospitality, not taking care of the poor or needy, and excess were the sins of Sodom and Gomorrah. Where the work abomination is used, it is usually denoting a worship vilolation to another god, not about having a gay orientation.

It's the idolatry and violence God is judging, not sexual orientation. It seems that these 6 passages really don't deal with loving, committed gay relationships as we know them today, and to say they do while trying to condemn gay people with these verses is very cruel and an injustice to both Christian gays and non christian gays.

Gay sexual orientation is never a choice. With all the homophobia, opression, and occasional murders that comes against gay people, no one in their right mind would choose to be gay. Being gay is simply a discovery a person makes about themselves usually early in life and not a choice. I hope my Christian brothers and sisters would keep these things firmly in mind so no stones get cast to gay Christians who Christ died for equally as well as straight Christians.

While gay orientation is never a choice, homophobia, intolerance, and oppressing gays, especially when done by straight Christians to gay Christians is definitely an unjust choice that should never be made. Christ died for both, so we need to receive that.

Posted By: Cal | May 3, 2009 2:07 AM

They will do everything for the money which is normal , and to the poster above, can someone be a catholic gay person, i know about christian , but i was wondering about catholic ty.

Posted By: new dating | May 8, 2009 9:02 PM

to new dating: yes. A friend of mine is gay and Catholic, which was hard for me to come to grips with at first. He got married in Massachusetts a few years ago, and it was the most sincere, emotional wedding I've been to.

Posted By: MartinB | May 17, 2009 4:31 AM

If straight folks had to give up the ecstasy of romantic love (Yes, it's as strong as hetero love!), I wonder how they would feel. Before anyone feels the compulsion to self-righteously judges homosexual men and women, they should remember the way they feel about gays is the way Peter felt about the Gentiles and Saul felt about Christians. My prayer is that the spirit of God's truth will descend on us all. I suspect all of us would be truly shocked if it did.

Posted By: joe | May 24, 2009 1:31 AM

A lot of straight people have had to give up the ecstasy of romantic love. The Christian faith is not based on our feelings but rather on our total surrender and constant process of submission to Christ.

Sin resides in the flesh and it entices us into acts that are against the will of God which grant us a fleeting sense of ecstasy or pleasure but this is nothing like the joy that comes from knowing and serving God. The peace and simplicity that comes from surrender. You cannot experience this on your own terms. You cannot pull out the bible verses and argue about content to a support a lifestyle that is unnatural. You cannot willingly keep submitting to sin and submit to God.

A true Christian chooses to submit to God daily and give up many things that would give them ecstasy for God's higher purpose for their lives.

The bible does not talk about masturbation, pornography, drug abuse and yet we recognise all these to be against the will of God for our lives.

The bible specifically talks about homosexuality. It is not in our place to argue with God or to use logic or false teaching or deceptive philosphies to tailor God's teachings to our desires. It works the other way. It is up to us to align our vision with God's vision and our desires with God's ultimate desire for our lives.

Posted By: May | June 3, 2009 3:18 AM

Wow, Joyle, you must know a lot of homosexual people to speak as authoritatively as you do that being gay is a choice.

It's weird, though, because every gay friend and family member of mine says exactly the opposite. Try as I might, I can't sit here and imagine some poor high school kid thinking to themself "you know what sounds like fun? Homosexuality! Bigots will yell and scream at me, I am going to have the crap kicked out of me at school, and my parents might disown me based upon some archaic logic. Wow, what a great idea!" I don't think so. Being gay is a huge trial for anyone who is BORN THAT WAY, and it is only through acceptance, tolerance and love that we will move forward.

Sorry Joyle, you're just dead wrong.

Posted By: toastmaster | August 12, 2009 2:35 PM

I don't understand why this dude needed to sue eharmony. Couldn't he have used match.com?

Posted By: boobo | September 18, 2009 3:34 PM

i have been encouraged many times to try eharmony and i'm so glad i did not, especially now that it has made a great compromise to accommodate the minority of the society which it should not. i pity those who are behind eharmony and mr.warren, per se, for making the biggest mistake for their company.
but they have the option to correct the wrong that was made.the Lord always gives us many chances.

Posted By: vancouver | September 23, 2009 12:56 AM

The people who comment on this site are ridiculous. I think whatever people do in THEIR own relationships are between THOSE two people, no body else. Who has the right to say who a person can or cannot love? Homosexuality is against Christian beliefs but so is hatred. The comments I read above are full of hatred. All of you are also sinning. To "another anna" congratulations on your commitment ceremony and may God bless your family..and YES he will. If you can provide a loving home for a child when many people in heterosexual relationships can't even do that,God sees that and it doesn't matter your sexual preference. eHarmony is just providing for ALL people.These people are probably lonley people who have nothing better to do.

Posted By: annoyed | October 7, 2009 2:41 PM