Posted on 09/01/2015 7:03:11 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
R.C. Sproul Jr., son of Robert Charles Sproul, a noted Reformed theologian and founder of the international Christian organization, Ligonier Ministries, revealed Monday that he visited the controversial spouse-cheating Ashley Madison website in a "moment of weakness" last year and has been suspended by the board of Ligonier Ministries for it.
"In August 2014, in a moment of weakness, pain, and from an unhealthy curiosity, I visited Ashley Madison. My goal was not to gather research for critical commentary, but to fan the flames of my imagination," wrote the 50-year-old Sproul, a Calvinist Christian minister, theologian and widower in a post on his website. Sproul, whose wife died in 2011, is a father of eight and grandfather one.
While his activity on the website did not result in any physical relationships, Sproul said he "felt the grace of fear" and "the grace of shame."
"I was there long enough to leave an old email address. And within minutes I left, never to return. I did not sign up for their service or interact with any clients. I have always remained faithful to my wife even after her passing," he said.
"The grace of God's judgment bore its fruit, and by His grace I repented of my sin. By His grace, I have also received His forgiveness, the outworking of His love," he continued.
Sproul said that as evidence of his contrition he voluntarily revealed his activity on Ashley Madison to Ligonier Ministries and was suspended for a year.
"I recently informed the board of Ligonier Ministries, which has handled the matter internally, having suspended me until July 1, 2016. I also informed my presbytery which is also handling the matter internally. And now the world is informed," he said.
"My sin, sadly, has impacted those who are innocent — my colleagues, friends, and family. I have and will continue to seek their forgiveness. I covet your prayers," he added.
Sproul said the criminal hack of Ashley Madison's database exposing the private information of millions of users of the website has been a blessing in disguise for some like himself.
"Many Christians have bemoaned the destruction wrought by the Ashley Madison hack. The truth of the matter is that just as Ashley Madison did not create unfaithful hearts, so this hack did not create damning exposure. Rather for some it was a means of His grace," he said.
Despite the fallout from the hacking of Ashley Madison, the website's parent company, Avid Life Media, revealed in a statement Monday that its membership continues to grow.
"Despite having our business and customers attacked, we are growing. This past week alone, hundreds of thousands of new users signed up for the Ashley Madison platform — including 87,596 women," said the statement.
"Last week alone, women sent more than 2.8 million messages within our platform. Furthermore, in the first half of this year the ratio of male members who paid to communicate with women on our service versus the number of female members who actively used their account (female members are not required to pay to communicate with men on Ashley Madison) was 1.2 to 1," the statement continued.
"These numbers are the main reason that Ashley Madison is the number one service for people seeking discreet relationships. We have customers in nearly every zip code in the United States, as well as users in more than 50 countries around the world," it noted.
Good grief! Who cares?
Just to be clear, this is not *THE* R.C. Sproul, but his son, right?
Heretofore to be known as P.C.U.S.A. Sproul.
Like Caesar’s wife a minister must be above reproach. However, the man said there were no physical relationships and he has confessed and is repenting. The passage of time will heal.
yes, THE R.C.s son.
So why was he suspended? Wasn't he destined to do this? Are they saying that God made a mistake in His decision to have RC visit that web site?
RE: this is not *THE* R.C. Sproul, but his son, right?
Yes, this is his son. Unfortunately, we also hear him teaching in “THE” R.C. Sproul radio program “Renewing Your Mind”.
Kudos to him for confessing and repenting. Who among us is not without sin?
While I think God may use such vehicles to expose sin and cleanse the body, which is good, I do find it quite interesting that no other high profile, non-Christian or non-Conservative has been outed as an Ashley Madison visitor.
He didn’t actually do anything. This is about the equivalent of Jimmy Carter lusting in his heart. I am not saying it does not matter. I think they were right to suspend him. But neither does it rise to any huge moral failure. He didn’t actually do anything.
His wife died of cancer YEARS ago.
As far as I know, he has never remarried.
What he did was sin, of course, as Jesus detailed in the Sermon on the Mount.
However, at least he wasn’t cheating on his wife.
What is the difference ?
A very close friend of mine, and a confidant, (I am RC and he is a Calvinist) once told me that any moral problems in Christianity always involve the two SS’s -— SEX and SILVER.
...to lust for another is already committing adultery in one’s heart.
Matt. 5:27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’[a] 28 But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 And if your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it from you! For it is better for you that one of your members be destroyed than your whole body be thrown into hell.
His beloved wife died in 2011 and then one of his children passed away shortly afterwards. He has remained single since then. I admire him for admitting that he went to this site but Christians are going to eat each other alive if we continue destroying people over sins that once confessed to God are forgiven. God said they will know us by our love...and I don’t think suspending a Godly man from the pulpit for a year over clicking on a website is showing love.
If what he says is true, he didn’t commit adultery, he didn’t commit fornication, he didn’t even “commit” internet flirtation. (Even if he wanted to, he wasn’t going to do it on Ashley Madison except with a “bot,” it seems.)
Suppose this middle-aged widower had gone to a dance at the VFW Hall, hoping he might meet a woman for some company ... but didn’t and went home alone. Would this be a crisis for his ministry?
Or suppose he’d signed up for Free Republic and exchanged slightly-flirtatious quips with a married lady in a far-off locale? Would that be a crisis?
One is RC Senior, the other is RC Junior. That is the difference.
"Despite having our business and customers attacked, we are growing. This past week alone, hundreds of thousands of new users signed up for the Ashley Madison platform — including 87,596 women," said the statement.
Yeah, right.
Given what I've read, it's vanishingly unlikely anything much ever happened. Adultery of the imagination.
The society which will not stigmatize and shame unethical and immoral behavior in its midst is a dying society. AM is actually PROUD that more people are actively trying to betray the trust of their spouses.
Hell in a handbasket.
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