Christian Group Denies Ad Trying to Change Gays Via Grindr
A Christian group that's running a large-scale ad campaign on Grindr to save LGBTs from their sinful lifestyle now denies its intentions.
According to a recent article on Pink News, the Christian movement GodLife has placed ads on Grindr in Australia, Spain, Iceland, Canada, the U.S. and the U.K. While it doesn't reference gays specifically, it does claim that, "God will remove His hand from your service to Him if you allow lust to lead you to actual sexual immorality."
SameSame.com asked the group about the ad campaign, and they reportedly feigned ignorance.
"Wow, we really are all over the world," replied a representative from the group. "We do not judge anyone. We simply want you to know the love of God and what His son did to save you from your sin."
"I am not trying to change you from who you are at all. God made you just the way you are," they continue. "He loves you that way so who am I to go against God's love. Happy Easter to you too. He has Risen! If you have any questions or need prayer about something in your life please let me know. God bless you and keep you safe from all harm."
Pink News reports that Grindr has confirmed it will remove the advertisements from the app. But this isn't the first time this tactic has been employed.
SameSame.com reports that ex-gay therapy efforts have infiltrated gay apps in Australia, expanding to the Asia-Pacific region, and is confronting these groups, saying, "We hope the team at Godlife.com are sincere in simply seeking to offer inclusive and supportive Christian outreach that welcomes gay people, and if they are, it's not the first time this has happened using Grindr's horny network."
They also reference a Methodist Church youth leader in Tennessee who spoke last year about talking to young MSM on Grindr about God.
Michael Szalapski said the reason he's on the app is to let people know that "you can be gay and a Christian, and happy."
"I'm quite clear on Grindr that I'm a Christian," he added. "A lot of people think that God hates them, and He doesn't. And any little way I can let people know that He loves them is a good one."