Let's talk about dating in a Christian context, (smooth voice) Shaaaaall we?

What are your opinions? You think courtship or dating? Is there a mindset that Christians should have before getting into a relationship with someone? Do's and Don'ts? Even talk about the topic of relationships between a Christian and a non Christian. What do you think the Bible teaches about these issues and what direction should they go?

This thread is going to be pretty broad, but discussions MUST be related to how should Christians handle the topic of dating and relationships biblically and rightly.

There is definitely a mindset Christians should have before courting / dating.  Remember, the world's view is not God's view.  The world tells you that you can date around as much as you want.  Regardless, you should discover the character of a person before making a commitment to him / her.  As a Christian it is very important to find out if that person has been born again in the Spirit of Christ and if they share the same "heavenly" (literally ) desires.  The Bible tells us that, as Christians, we should not marry an unbeliever (2 Corinthians 6:14-15).  As our pastor always say - It's easier for a person that's standing on the floor, to pull a person down from a table than for a person standing on a table, to pull a person up from the floor.  Marrying an unbeliever would weaken our relationship with Christ and compromise our moral values and standards.  Our ultimate goal for dating / courting is to find our life partner, right?  When you are committed to a relationship, whether courting or dating, it's important to put the Lord first above everything else.  Pray about it if you're not sure before committing to a relationship or if you are looking for a date / life partner, again, pray about it.  The Lord will send the right person your way, I can testify of that.  I thank the Lord for my wife.  Looking back, I don't think that there's someone better that would've had the patience for all my nonsense  The Master of relationships knows who will compliment your personality.

play4fun : I personally believe in courting, I think that it is more, well. . . can I say clean?

You're less likely to become impure, I really (this is just me) don't think that you should even kiss someone before your married.
Unfortunately, I can't think of a lot of Bible verses that confirm my beliefs. I know that you don't want to become "unequally yoked" with
an unbeliever.


I guess it's kind of like (in a way) talking about whether the Bible condemns alcohol or not.
It doesn't say it directly, but it does put drinking in a bad light.

So I would choose not to kiss anyone before I'm married- I believe that it's the better way.

As far as after you're married- don't put your partner on the back burner- show them your love 
every day, and don't let the sun set while you're still angry with him/her. 

The Hebrew letters that make up the word man and woman will can be taken to spell another word- God.

To spell "God" take the two middle letters from each of the other two words.

God must be at the center of every marriage.

One thing that the man must remember is that although me is in charge, he should still listen to
his wife's suggestions rather than ignoring her.
He could benefit from this more than he might think, it also shows his wife that
he does listen (ladies imagine that) thus strengthening the relationship.

Michael pearl and his wife have made some good books on marriage.

I think dating is something that people in general should take very serious.  In a world full of fast relationships and quick connections, dating has almost become a game for most teenagers I work with, and I fear the meaning of a relationship has even diminished in the adult world.  Marriage itself seems to have almost become a dating field, where one marriage breaks up and moves on into another without little regard for the people involved.

Therefore, I think it's very important for Christians to understand what God requires when it comes to this aspect of life. We can't fall into the wayside because we see how the rest of the world acts.  I think that when we consider a significant other, we need to approach the decision with the end in mind.  Is this person a Godly person?  Will they put Christ first in everything that you do?  Are their beliefs similar to yours, and will they refuse to compromise when it comes to God?  Does this person have all the qualities that a spouse should have according to the bible?

I discussed this in much detail in my devotional thread here.