"CHRISTIAN MINGLE" TO ALLOW HOMOSEXUAL MATCHING FOLLOWING DISCRIMINATION SUIT

"CHRISTIAN MINGLE" 

TO ALLOW HOMOSEXUAL MATCHING FOLLOWING DISCRIMINATION SUIT 

BY HEATHER CLARK

SEE: http://christiannews.net/2016/07/04/christian-mingle-to-allow-homosexual-matching-following-discrimination-suit/; republished below in full unedited for informational, educational, and research purposes:

LOS ANGELES — A dating site known as Christian Mingle has agreed to open its website for matching homosexuals following a class-action discrimination suit filed in federal court.

Being a Christian-identifying site, Christian Mingle currently only offers the options of a “man seeking a woman” or a “woman seeking a man.” But two homosexual men who went to the site found that it did not provide an option for those seeking a romantic relationship with the same sex.

They sued Spark Networks, Inc., the parent company of Christian Mingle, alleging a violation of California’s Unruh Civil Rights Act, which requires businesses to provide services regardless of one’s “sexual orientation.”

“All persons within the jurisdiction of this state are free and equal, and no matter what their sex, race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sexual orientation, citizenship, primary language, or immigration status are entitled to the full and equal accommodations, advantages, facilities, privileges, or services in all business establishments of every kind whatsoever,” the law reads in part.

The case has been in the courts since 2013, but recently Spark Networks agreed to settle the matter and allow homosexual dating on its site.

According to the settlement, within two years, “Spark will ensure that the ‘man seeking woman’ and ‘woman seeking man’ options … only ask whether the user is a ‘man’ or ‘woman.'”

“Spark represents and warrant that it is updating the Mingle sites, and to the extent Spark continues to operate any of the Mingle sites in the future, such sites will be updated to create an experience which will allow individuals seeking same-sex partners to use Spark’s matching technologies to find and be matched with others seeking same-sex partners,” it reads.

In addition, Spark Networks agreed to pay the plaintiffs in the case $9,000 each, as well as $450,000 in legal fees to their attorneys. It did not admit any wrongdoing in the matter.

“I am gratified that we were able to work with Spark to help ensure that people can fully participate in all the diverse market places that make our country so special, regardless of their sexual orientation,” Vineet Dubey, an attorney for one of the men, said in a statement.

Spark said that it is “pleased to resolve this litigation.”

However, not all are elated with the development.

“ChristianMingle is based on Christian beliefs, and a good number of denominations consider homosexual acts to be sinful. It seems rather petty to force a company to change their beliefs rather than simply find (or … start) an alternative dating site,” writes Christine Rouselle for Town Hall.

In addition to Christian Mingle, the agreement also pertains to most of Spark’s other dating sites, including Catholic Mingle, LDS Singles, Silver Singles and Black Singles.

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Warren earned a Master of Divinity degree from Princeton Theological Seminary

SEE: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EHarmony

REMEMBER "PASSIONATE CHRISTIAN" NEIL CLARK WARREN'S EHARMONY "RELATIONSHIP" WEBSITE AND HIS COMPROMISE?

FROM: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/15/neil-clark-warren-eharmon_n_2694711.html; 

EXCERPTS:

It seems his company’s decision to launch a separate service for gay and lesbian singles called Compatible Partners in response to a lawsuit filed against eHarmony in 2008 for not offering LGBT matchmaking brought along its own set of challenges.

“When the attorney general of the state of New Jersey decided that we had to put up a same-sex site and we did it out of counsel that if we didn’t do it we were not going to have any business in New Jersey — we literally had to hire guards to protect our lives because the people were so hurt and angry with us, were Christian people, who feel that it’s a violation to scripture,” Warren, who deemed himself a “passionate follower of Jesus” in the interview, added.

“I have said that eHarmony really ought to put up $10 million and ask other companies to put up money and do a really first class job of figuring out homosexuality,” he also noted. “At the very best, it’s been a painful way for a lot of people to have to live.”

In 2010, the company settled a separate California lawsuit claiming it discriminated against LGBT people by linking Compatible Partners with eHarmony and allowing users to use both sites without paying a separate fee for each, the Associated Press reported.
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When Christians Compromise: eHarmony.com's Neil Clark Warren

Uploaded on Jun 5, 2007

eHarmony.com is being sued by a lesbian in CA for "discrimination". Dr. Neil Clark 

Warren, founder of the online heterosexual dating service, has publicly promised 

numerous Christian radio station owners and Christian broadcasting companies, 

as an advertiser, he would "never offer homosexual match-making on eHarmony.com".

According to the clips from this 2005 interview with eHarmony founder, one can see 

why Dr. James Dobson of Focus on the Family warned his listeners years ago of the 

dating company's possible "future plans" - willfully or unwillfully.

We need to pray for Dr. Neil Clark Warren. When a Christian compromises 

{as we all do}, all hell can and will break loose.

To hear the entire interview, go to www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=

4803877