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.
You do not want an explanation you want a fight and in his wisdom he answered you properly.
It looked like the usual deliberate obtuseness, and right now for medical reasons I'm having to husband my energy carefully.
The man’s confessed. He’s forgiven. Not much else to be said.
I think you missed the point. For certain RCs, all Protestants are the same, so if one grievously sinned then they all did.
What a contrast though with ministries (Cath or Prot) which dealt with actual child molesters by relocation if that.
“no other high profile, non-Christian or non-Conservative has been outed”
They have their get-out-of-jail-free card:
they admit to being depraved.
Actually, true, Gospel-believing Christians do too (Romans
3:10 inter alia), but the media never show that. Doesn’t fit their narrative of: Christians are holier-than-thou
hypocrites.
Ok I’ll answer you if you tell me your perspective first. Obviously you have a presuppositions about “Calvinists” so tell me what they are.
Are you Catholic?
To a dead soul, apparently there is no difference. Sad for you.
You can only wish. Did Rome go down the hole when it dealt with actual molesters by moving them and then resisting investigations?
There was not much left to begin with.
No.
I said I would not argue. My perspective is irrelevant.
Actually, true, Gospel-believing Christians do too (Romans 3:10 inter alia), but the media never show that. Doesn’t fit their narrative of: Christians are holier-than-thou hypocrites.
Jealousy rears its ugly head again with misrepresentations.
Unless one sees their need for a Savior, that person will NEVER turn to Christ.
They will forever think that they can somehow, by their own efforts, merit salvation.
That’s for sure.
Doesn't matter
Except for me, and maybe thee. On second thought,
we'll send them after you for something else
woops, sort of forgot what this was all about there for a moment, let's get this back on track
it's supposed to be good for you
Everyone who is super-duper spiritual (and if they're not, then to the dungeons with them till they learn) has to enjoy nothing more than enjoying their own suffering.
They are not destroying him. Once public, it is appropriate to do something. It won’t kill him.
Elsie 7:7 TOV
I wouldn't have known sin, except through the law. For I wouldn't have known visiting Ashley Madison, unless the law had said, "You shall not visit Ashley Madison."
He's lusted in his HEART!!!
I'm sure glad that I have never done that!!!
INDEED!
They can ALWAYS find a publican somewhere to take his place!
You ain't trickin' me to bite on THIS line!!!
And Hosea was told to take WHO for a wife???
It is only temporary. It is an an example. He has submitted to it just fine.
I’m making a salad of beetroot and greens with dill and Sicilian lemon juice. The key is to reduce the water from cooking the beets in order to end up with the most intense purple color, and to add the lemon juice when it’s served.
Regarding Rev. Sproul, Jr., and others who have signed on to Ashley Madison but not communicated in any way with others ... I’m wondering exactly what sin they committed. Mr. Sproul is not married, so he did not betray a spouse, even in thought. It’s not individual lust, as he might experience toward a live woman in the gym.
Sort of a non-specific interest in entertaining the possibility of sex with someone-not-your-spouse? Maybe “Coveting your neighbor’s wife,” not your specific neighbor’s known wife ... but the idea of a woman who’s married to someone else? Except that no reasonable person would believe everyone on the site is married, especially when he was not, himself.
Perhaps it’s just prurient curiosity, the same sin I commit every time I page through “People” magazine in the line at Walmart.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.