Dozens of specifically online Christian dating services are set to come under threat after an online dating service for Christians was sued for not providing matches for same-sex couples.The website, eHarmony, has been compelled by a settlement to offer a new service to same-sex couples.
The settlement means that websites such as CatholicMatch.com face being forced out of business. The ruling by New Jersey's Civil Rights Division, comes after the New Jersey Attorney General intervened on behalf of the homosexual plaintiff, Eric McKinley, who filed a complaint against the online matchmaker in 2005. eHarmony is based in California but because its website can be accessed anywhere, it meant it could be sued under New Jersey law.
The website was heavily promoted by Christian evangelical leaders when it was founded. Now, it has agreed in a civil rights settlement to give up its heterosexuals-only policy and offer same-sex matches.
Under terms of the settlement, the company will create a new Web site for homosexual singles.
The company can also post a disclaimer saying its compatibility-based matching system was developed from research of married heterosexual couples.
As a result, other Christian dating websites which currently offer no service to homosexuals could conceivably be obliged to offer such an option. Should they refuse, it is possible they could be forced to close.
eHarmony was started by well-known local psychologist Neil Warren. Under the ruling it must not only implement the new policy by March 31 but also give the first 10,000 same-sex registrants a free six-month subscription.
“That was one of the things I asked for,” said Mr McKinley, 46, who complained to New Jersey’s Division on Civil Rights after being turned down for a subscription in 2005.
The company said that Warren was not giving interviews on the settlement. But attorney Theodore Olson, who issued a statement on the company’s behalf, made clear that it did not agree to offer gay matches willingly.
“Even though we believed that the complaint resulted from an unfair characterization of our business,” Olson said, “we ultimately decided it was best to settle this case with the attorney general since litigation outcomes can be unpredictable.”
The settlement, which did not find that eHarmony broke any laws, calls for the company to either offer the gays and lesbians matches on its current venue or create a new site for them. eHarmony has opted to create a site called Compatiblepartners.net.
The case comes in the wake of a ruling last year in New Jersey which withdrew tax breaks from a Methodist group, Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association, because it refused to allow its property to be used for a same sex civil union ceremony.
In addition, eHarmony will pay the New Jersey Civil Rights Division $50,000 (€40,000) to cover administrative costs. It will pay Mr McKinley $5,000 (€4,000) and give him a free one-year membership to its new service.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Disclaimer
No responsibility or liability shall attach itself to either myself or to the blogspot ‘Clerical Whispers’ for any or all of the articles placed here.
The placing of an article hereupon does not necessarily imply that I agree or accept the contents of the article as being necessarily factual in theology, dogma or otherwise.
Sotto Voce
(Source: CIN)