Users of the Adam4Adam dating site and hookup app have had intimate conversations suddenly turn into sermons recently. That’s because an online Bible advertises with the gay meeting platform. In recent weeks, the ads for the Bible appear seemingly in the middle of conversations and without warning. The app’s screen suddenly goes black and is replaced with “The Lord’s Prayer” and other Bible verses set to soothing music.
The presentation looks like something out of Vacation Bible School, which many gay people can remember. But advertising the Bible on a gay hookup app implies one of two things. Either the advertiser thinks they are going to pass out a lot of online Bibles, or the organization believes LGBTQ people need religion.
Preaching to queer people to find God often offends
LGBTQ folks who identify as Christian. These days, most big cities have queer churches. Others call themselves “reconciled in Christ” and welcome gay people.
Saying ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ to Jesus
The advertisements on Adam4Adam don’t stop with Bible verses. After cycling through a few religious messages, Jesus appears and asks you if you want to download a Bible on your phone. You must choose “Yes,” which is flashing, or “no.” Or you could just exit out of the app and reopen it. If you barely or accidentally touch the ad, which is very sensitive, Google Play opens up. Then all you have to do is hit “install” and a Bible will be downloaded on your phone.
iDailyBread: ‘Doing What God Tells Us’
The advertiser is
iDailyBread. The company shows 50 million downloads on Google Play with a rating of 4.9 on a 5.0 scale. Patrons have left a million reviews. “We are doing what God tells us—to spread Gospel around the world using cutting-edge technology,” the organization explains on its website. “We hope our efforts could make everyone in the world lay their hands on a free bible.”
Queer Christians have their own sites. If an LGBTQ person is interested in religion, they can join dating apps and websites that are queer and Christian. Plenty exist. Adam4Adam, with tons of porn advertisements showing penises in all their glory, seems like an odd place for Bible ads. Adam4Adam did not return an email seeking comment.
Christian and queer groups alike have claimed freedom of speech in advancing their thoughts and ideas. Lawsuits have sprung up when someone believes their First Amendment rights have been violated, but First Amendment rights go both ways. The First Amendment also protects a newspaper’s right to turn down advertising, according to the Freedom Forum Institute. The courts ruled in 1974, “A newspaper is more than a passive receptacle or conduit for news, comment, and advertising. The choice of material to go into a newspaper, and the decisions made as to limitations on the size and content of the paper, and treatment of public issues and public officials—whether fair or unfair—constitute the exercise of editorial control and judgment.”
It’s unclear if the law would apply differently to gay dating apps. Some would argue it’s un-Christian to bring a Bible to an orgy, which is what the ads on Adam4Adam feel like. Others, like iDailyBread, say they’re simply doing what God tells them.
By David Heitz
