A commentary I wrote for the Adventist Review back in 2007 when the Ashley Madison Agency had only a million or so in membership.
The Ashley Madison Agency “is committed to protecting and enhancing principles of personal freedom and social justice” and makes donations to causes such as civil rights and women’s health.” Basic membership is free and allows you to browse and observe; active membership costs $80 a month.
Behind the doors of this seemingly noble enterprise is a service industry fueled by its slogan “When Monogamy becomes Monotony.” It caters to married men and women who don’t want a divorce yet want an affair. One happy customer says “I . . . met a truly wonderful man. . . We have been together for over a year . . . We learned so much and will carry it on to our marriages.”
From Genesis to Shakespeare to television’s Desperate Housewives, infidelity spikes interest and conversations. Something about the forbidden and morally wrong is fodder for primetime news and hometown gossip. The media has given Ashley Madison airtime, albeit unfavorable press. Yet the more negative attention, the faster the agency grows: From just a few thousand members five years ago, it now has over a million!
The founder says, “I’m a marketer, filling a need in the market place” His clients are all affairs waiting to happen; he is merely providing a safe platform where they can be “honest and open” (about their infidelity)
Satan’s new approach is not to dissolve the marriage but to de-sanctify it and make it meaningless. He aggressively zeros in on the lonely and the discontented and uses books, talk shows, and therapists that promote self-indulgence in today’s I-need-to-take-of-myself society. As a result, what used to be taboo is now harmless indulgence. And it’s so easy for us to be drenched in self-pity and cry out “Poor me” rather than be draped in the righteousness of Christ and “not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.” (Romans 13:14, NIV)
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Feature image by Sandy Millar on Unsplash
Says Fyl 
Considering the amount of media coverage they’re getting after all their details were hacked this is a timely article. I see some of the clients have committed suicide rather than face their spouses or the public and blackmailers are having a field day. It sure feels good to know you’re not one of those who’ll have their life wrecked as the media indulges their feeding frenzy. I do feel sorry for those misguided into thinking they were engaging in secret. There’s no such thing as a secret in today’s world.