US bishops decry the rise in dating agencies which target the married
By Ed West
21 November 2008

American bishops have condemned a boom in dating websites aimed at married people, saying adultery threatens the "common good of all".

Cardinal Sean O'Malley of Boston and three other bishops in Massachusetts - Bishop George Coleman, Bishop Robert McManus and Bishop Timothy McDonnell - attacked the sites and said media outlets should refuse their advertisements.

"The ads encourage the use of an online dating service for married persons contemplating adulterous relationships. This wrongful enterprise threatens not only the oldest and most foundational of human institutions but also the common good of all," they said in a statement.

Online dating agencies aimed at married people have grown in the last few years on the back of the growth of online dating.

The bishops acted after Ashley Madison Agency, the largest dating agency targetting married people, launched a series of adverts on Boston radio.

They praised radio stations in Philadelphia and Houston that refused to air the ads, and asked others to follow suit. "The activity promoted by this advertising effort will not benefit families, and the ads send the wrong message to our young," they said.

"Marriage is the basis for the family, the fundamental human society. A healthy committed marriage helps to insure the well-being of children, create social stability and improve the quality of life for all citizens."