Can Religion and Gay Dating Ever Coexist?

Religion is typically a controversial topic for most, but it’s an especially controversial issue for gay people, because of what religion often says about sexual orientation. This is a significant topic for me because, as the owner of a successful gay dating website (OneGoodLove.com), and as the friend of many gay men in relationships, I’ve seen firsthand how people’s religious beliefs affect their lives — and trust me, it’s not a pretty picture.

When your religious beliefs say that you are sinning simply because of whom you love, it can be a crushing blow to your self-esteem and happiness. I am a huge evangelist when it comes to being happy. I post happy photos of myself constantly on Instagram and Facebook to show friends that I’m having a good time. I know the mere mention of this may make you (or them) want to slap me, but my intentions are good. I am not trying to brag about my life; rather, I am trying to inspire others to join me in having a happy life too.

So it is hard for me to watch close friends and others struggle with the issue of religion and gay dating. I can hardly imagine how it feels to be told your whole life that being gay is wrong, a sin and a barrier blocking your way to heaven, only to realize that you are indeed gay and the object of so much misplaced hatred in the world. I was raised without religion, although I don’t consider myself an atheist today. I’m embarrassed to even admit my first religious lesson. I was at a friend’s family’s dinner, and they were praying. I asked my friend, “What the hell was that?” That’s how uneducated about religion I was.

Growing up with friends of all kinds of religions, I considered their belief systems something that has influenced them in a positive way. I respect all religions even if I haven’t taken the time to understand them.

My advice to my friends and others struggling with gay dating and religion would be to understand that the Bible was written in a vastly different time period and is not always meant to be interpreted literally. My advice would be to simply be a good person and trust that you will be loved by God on that basis alone.

It seems unfortunate to me that so many LGBT people have abandoned their beliefs because their church (or temple, or mosque, etc.) stood so firmly against who they are. It’s especially sad considering that religion’s main purpose is to provide guidance and happiness. On the other hand, there are progressive churches doing a great job serving the LGBT community — performing wedding services, or even just giving general support. I hope one day the controversy over gay dating and religion will be a thing of the past, but until then, we need to help each other get through the struggle.

Part of that is simply getting the conversation going. So you tell me, readers: How does one deal with religion conflicting with sexual orientation? Must a person’s religious beliefs be modified or abandoned if he or she wants to be a happy gay person? I especially want to hear from you if you’ve dealt with this yourself. Your answer could lead to salvation for all your gay and lesbian brothers and sisters out there. You might even save someone’s life.

Written by our co-founder, Nicholas Marlin. 

Follow Nicholas Marlin on Twitter: www.twitter.com/nicmarlin

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OSL & OneGoodLove Partner on Diversity Rewards Program    ORANGEBURG, N.Y., March 19, 2013 /PRNewswire/ — OSL Holdings (www.oslholdings.com), Inc. (OTCQB: OSLH) (“OSL” or the “Company”), a developer of technology platforms that enable real-time sales and trend information exchange between brands and retailers, today announced a new partnership with OneGoodLove (www.onegoodlove.com), an online dating site created specifically to serve the relationship-minded gay and lesbian community, for its diversity rewards program. Through its new partnership, OSL Holdings will work with this major dating site to bring value to the 200,000 members through distribution of up to $10,000,000 in rewards currency that members can use in their community at retailers, restaurants and other establishments that will accept rewards. Together they also will create unique, customized promotional programs supporting OneGoodLove and their member base, while driving redemption of rewards. The promotional programs will work to generate both subscribers and revenue for OneGoodLove, while at the same time adding members, redemption and revenue for OSL. “OSL is excited to add OneGoodLove to its partner roster and have the ability to provide value to its over 200,000 focused consumers who will be driven to utilize rewards through target promotions,” mentioned Bob Rothenberg, President of OSL Holdings. Once partnered with OSL Holdings’ rewards program, brands can gain immediate access to consumers looking to redeem rewards as well as the ability to promote their products or services to millions of rewards members. Additionally, retailers enrolled have the option to change their promotion to rewards members in real time to focus on any relevant incentives. The OSL Holdings rewards program also offers additional revenue streams for those businesses that issue rewards to their customers who then redeem those rewards at other retailers or businesses. The rewards program generates revenue to OSL through a transaction fee on all rewards usage at retail locations. Additionally OSL partners can issue rewards with ease while driving a revenue stream from their member bases through focused promotion on how members can use their rewards. “We see this as a great benefit to members as well as a way to promote OneGoodLove. Our goal was to create unique programs that provide an incentive for new members to join our online dating community while also working with OSL & partners to provide a value and program for existing members,” said Nicholas Marlin, Director of Love at OneGoodLove. OSL Holdings continues its momentum in building important media and event partners to help launch their rewards program. OSL’s rewards program launches this summer nationwide. For more information about, or to sign up as a partner member of OSL’s rewards program, please visit http://www.oslholdings.com/trewards.html.  

OSL & OneGoodLove Partner on Diversity Rewards Program

   ORANGEBURG, N.Y., March 19, 2013 /PRNewswire/ — OSL Holdings (www.oslholdings.com), Inc. (OTCQB: OSLH) (“OSL” or the “Company”), a developer of technology platforms that enable real-time sales and trend information exchange between brands and retailers, today announced a new partnership with OneGoodLove (www.onegoodlove.com), an online dating site created specifically to serve the relationship-minded gay and lesbian community, for its diversity rewards program.

Through its new partnership, OSL Holdings will work with this major dating site to bring value to the 200,000 members through distribution of up to $10,000,000 in rewards currency that members can use in their community at retailers, restaurants and other establishments that will

accept rewards.   Together they also will create unique, customized promotional programs supporting OneGoodLove and their member base, while driving redemption of rewards. The promotional programs will work to generate both subscribers and revenue for OneGoodLove, while at the same time adding members, redemption and revenue for OSL.

“OSL is excited to add OneGoodLove to its partner roster and have the ability to provide value to its over 200,000 focused consumers who will be driven to utilize rewards through target promotions,” mentioned Bob Rothenberg, President of OSL Holdings.

Once partnered with OSL Holdings’ rewards program, brands can gain immediate access to consumers looking to redeem rewards as well as the ability to promote their products or services to millions of rewards

members.   Additionally, retailers enrolled have the option to change their promotion to rewards members in real time to focus on any relevant incentives.

The OSL Holdings rewards program also offers additional revenue streams for those businesses that issue rewards to their customers who then redeem those rewards at other retailers or businesses. The rewards program generates revenue to OSL through a transaction fee on all rewards usage at retail locations. Additionally OSL partners can issue rewards with ease while driving a revenue stream from their member bases through focused promotion on how members can use their rewards.

“We see this as a great benefit to members as well as a way to promote OneGoodLove. Our goal was to create unique programs that provide an incentive for new members to join our online dating community while also working with OSL & partners to provide a value and program for existing members,” said Nicholas Marlin, Director of Love at OneGoodLove.

OSL Holdings continues its momentum in building important media and event partners to help launch their rewards program. OSL’s rewards program launches this summer nationwide.

For more information about, or to sign up as a partner member of OSL’s rewards program, please visit http://www.oslholdings.com/trewards.html.  

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