Should a Christian Date A Non-Christian?

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Chris B

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Not really. Faith REQUIRES one to hear God's voice and receive it as truth, which is a very SUBJECTIVE experience. Critical thinking downplays subjectivity.

Correct in the second part, at least. But in the first part, probably because of faith, you have completely missed the problem of faith, and why it is at least as often vice as it is virtue.
But I don't think you can see it, precisely because of your use of faith.
 
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Dave-W

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Correct in the second part, at least. But in the first part, probably because of faith, you have completely missed the problem of faith, and why it is at least as often vice as it is virtue.
But I don't think you can see it, precisely because of your use of faith.
Hebrews 11:6 And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.
 
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Chris B

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Hebrews 11:6 And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.

Correct. That is what the bible says. Do you see the problem yet?

And yes, it is there to be seen very nicely in what you term as block logic.
Just for a moment, step into the shoes of some other individual using block logic from a position of committed faith.
A Muslim, say, following his source text, by faith in it, as it exhorts him to do.

And before you immediately react with "but my faith is the correct one!" do note that he would be saying it too, as his block logic, subjective belief and personal commitment of faith is a twin of your structure of thought.
 
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Optimax

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I am kind of confused on this. I've been told that dating a non-Christian is unbiblical with the conflicting belief systems, but I have also heard that as long as the person isn't anti-Christianity then it's okay, and you can do missionary dating, as in convince them to convert while dating. Which is really true?

Please provide biblical support for any answers.

The scripture speaks clearly.

2 Cor 6:14-18

14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?

15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?

16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,

18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. KJV
 
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patricius79

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I am kind of confused on this. I've been told that dating a non-Christian is unbiblical with the conflicting belief systems, but I have also heard that as long as the person isn't anti-Christianity then it's okay, and you can do missionary dating, as in convince them to convert while dating. Which is really true?

Please provide biblical support for any answers.

Generally not a good idea. Maybe there are certain cases where casual dating of a non-believer might be okay, especially in groups. I'm not sure. And of course there always may be special cases. But I would be careful. Faith is central to life and if two people do not share it in common it is a problem. As a Catholic, I would be concerned if one of my children was dating a non-Catholic Christian, even, just because it could create a lot of problems. If I were Protestant Evangelical, I would be concerned about my children dating Catholics. I think we should always respect others, but I think we should be careful about being too soft and not firm enough about who we are and what we believe.
 
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Butterfly99

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Well I think you should marry someone who has compatible religious beliefs but dating is kinda different. I guess it depends on your age & stuff. Cause I mean if you're dating someone as a teen big whoop, cause you're probably not gonna ever marry him. All last yr I dated an atheist but that didn't matter at all cause we were 15. Sweetest boy in the whole wide world. Only broke up cause his family moved. Don't regret a minute of it.
 
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keith99

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The scripture speaks clearly.

2 Cor 6:14-18

14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?

15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?

16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,

18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. KJV

And this brilliant argument made by Paul was directed at those who said one had to become a Jew before they could become a Christian. Brilliant as it turned their own arguments against them. And now there are those who want to step into the same legalistic shoes and use Paul's arguments while not understanding them.
 
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Dave-W

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And yes, it is there to be seen very nicely in what you term as block logic.
Just for a moment, step into the shoes of some other individual using block logic from a position of committed faith.
A Muslim, say, following his source text, by faith in it, as it exhorts him to do.

And before you immediately react with "but my faith is the correct one!" do note that he would be saying it too, as his block logic, subjective belief and personal commitment of faith is a twin of your structure of thought.
I do absolutely get that. And I am sure that Arabs who are muslims also have some form of block logic. The fact they believe the Koran has seven distinct levels or layers of meanings that are all simultaneously true, (even if they are conflicting) tells me that is true.

And why is mine right and his wrong? That can only come from divine revelation. (and over the last decade there have been hundreds of muslims that have had divine revelations and are now christians)
 
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During my life I have dated a number of women, including two who were Jewish, one who was a Muslim and one who was a witch. All three occassionally accompanied me to my church, my Muslim friend in particular enjoyed our service, particularly singing the hymns. In turn I occassionally attended their religious services. This was particularly interesting with my witch ladyfriend because her rituals were conducted skyclad. I don't think it matters as long as you mutually respect each other's faith. This might be different if chiuldren were involved, but none of us planned on having children.
 
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Xalith

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During my life I have dated a number of women, including two who were Jewish, one who was a Muslim and one who was a witch. All three occassionally accompanied me to my church, my Muslim friend in particular enjoyed our service, particularly singing the hymns. In turn I occassionally attended their religious services. This was particularly interesting with my witch ladyfriend because her rituals were conducted skyclad. I don't think it matters as long as you mutually respect each other's faith. This might be different if chiuldren were involved, but none of us planned on having children.

There's a difference between respecting someone and partaking of the worshipping of idols and/or witchcraft (both of which the Christian Bible condemns heavily). I pray that you weren't actively participating in it, but at the same time you were present and watching it, especially with your "ladyfriend" who was "skyclad" (I assume this means naked?).

I do remember Jesus saying something about merely looking upon a woman and desiring to be with her who is not your wife is adultery (I assume fornication if neither of you are married, but He didn't actually say that, but it'd make sense if He meant it).

I'm not accusing you, or condemning you, but the Bible (and many prominent people in the faith) say to be careful about this stuff for a reason. Idolatry and witchcraft are nothing one should be playing with. Sure, have respect for people (which the Bible commands us to do), but respect does not mean you waltz into mosques or covens and sing praises to Allah or God-knows-who the people happen to be worshipping.

Even if you are going through the motions in your mind, but not really believing in the religion, even if you sing a hymn that praises Allah but don't believe in Allah, you are still showing support for Allah in the midst of a bunch of unbelievers and are representing yourself poorly as an ambassador of Christ. Christians are called to be an ambassador of Christ, that means we are to conduct ourselves accordingly, we ought to lead an example that others (believers and unbelievers alike) should follow. Should we be teaching witches, hindus, etc that it is OK to be witches and idolaters?
 
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The Cadet

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I do absolutely get that. And I am sure that Arabs who are muslims also have some form of block logic. The fact they believe the Koran has seven distinct levels or layers of meanings that are all simultaneously true, (even if they are conflicting) tells me that is true.

And why is mine right and his wrong? That can only come from divine revelation. (and over the last decade there have been hundreds of muslims that have had divine revelations and are now christians)
So, fundamentally, you can reach literally any conclusion you want with block logic? Okay, so why should we use it? After all, if a Muslim uses it, he will come to the conclusion that the Qur'an is logically valid. And if a Jew uses it, he will come to the conclusion that the Torah is logically valid. And if I use it, I can come to the conclusion that all of them are nonsensical. So why use it at all? Why not instead simply wait for divine revelation, and not waste time with a system of "logic" that allows for fundamental contradictions and is not logical?
 
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Chris B

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I do absolutely get that. And I am sure that Arabs who are muslims also have some form of block logic. The fact they believe the Koran has seven distinct levels or layers of meanings that are all simultaneously true, (even if they are conflicting) tells me that is true.

Good.. we do have understanding, here.

But then you revert to personal perspective...
And why is mine right and his wrong? That can only come from divine revelation. (and over the last decade there have been hundreds of muslims that have had divine revelations and are now christians)

"...that can only come from divine revelation..."
Rather, what is taken to be and interpreted to be divine revelation from an individual's perspective and personal experience.
Which leaves no reason in the slightest why a personal encounter with (experience) might not come to a Muslim, or a Hindu, and be taken by them as divine confirmation of their beliefs.
I know many Hindus whose faith is based on experiential moments met during meditation. Quite naturally the (inexpressible) is taken in terms of Hindu understanding. and as confirming a Hindu world view.

Yes, I understand how your perspective combines with your experience.
I do not understand how, without special pleading, you can privilege your experience and your understanding of it over that of anyone else.

Whatever validity you can assert for "it was divine revelation to me" seems to something that a Muslim (especially Sufi?) or a Hindu can say coming out of their experiences.
(I do not decry these moments in the slightest: I've had some doozies in a range of settings. It's the interpretation of such where I see the difficulty arising..)

Yes, with sample sizes in hundreds of millions, you will find a scattering of people leaving, and adopting, just about *any* belief. it's no great pointer, as you can find ex-Muslims who are Christians and ones who are atheists. Ex-Christians whos are Muslims and ones who are atheist, or anything else. No-one can keep exact numbers.
 
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There's a difference between respecting someone and partaking of the worshipping of idols and/or witchcraft (both of which the Christian Bible condemns heavily). I pray that you weren't actively participating in it, but at the same time you were present and watching it, especially with your "ladyfriend" who was "skyclad" (I assume this means naked?).

Yes, skyclad means nude.

I do remember Jesus saying something about merely looking upon a woman and desiring to be with her who is not your wife is adultery (I assume fornication if neither of you are married, but He didn't actually say that, but it'd make sense if He meant it).

The naked human body is a thing of beauty. There is nothing wrong with nudity.

I'm not accusing you, or condemning you, but the Bible (and many prominent people in the faith) say to be careful about this stuff for a reason. Idolatry and witchcraft are nothing one should be playing with. Sure, have respect for people (which the Bible commands us to do), but respect does not mean you waltz into mosques or covens and sing praises to Allah or God-knows-who the people happen to be worshipping.

Perhaps you should find out exactly what I was doing before leveling such false accusations. I said that I attended. I don't recalling saying that I was "singing praises" to anyone.

Even if you are going through the motions in your mind, but not really believing in the religion, even if you sing a hymn that praises Allah but don't believe in Allah, you are still showing support for Allah in the midst of a bunch of unbelievers and are representing yourself poorly as an ambassador of Christ.

You do realize that they don't sing in most mosques. I'm not going to say that it doesn't happen, but I'm told that it isn't common practice. It certainly did not occur in my friend's mosque.

Christians are called to be an ambassador of Christ, that means we are to conduct ourselves accordingly, we ought to lead an example that others (believers and unbelievers alike) should follow. Should we be teaching witches, hindus, etc that it is OK to be witches and idolaters?

I was offering them the same respect for their faiths that they gave to my faith.
 
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Sammy-San

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I am kind of confused on this. I've been told that dating a non-Christian is unbiblical with the conflicting belief systems, but I have also heard that as long as the person isn't anti-Christianity then it's okay, and you can do missionary dating, as in convince them to convert while dating. Which is really true?

Please provide biblical support for any answers.

Define "date" in this context. Strictly speaking, dating is a sin if you go by the conventional definition of it.
 
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Xalith

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@Archivist :

The naked human body is a thing of beauty. There is nothing wrong with nudity.

Really, now? The Bible seems to say otherwise. Nudity and Nakedness (both physical AND spiritual) is condemned almost as much as Idolatry is. And can you clearly, and honestly say you can look upon a naked woman and have absolutely no sexual lust towards her whatsoever (this is assuming you're a man)? Paul tells us that women should always be dressing in modesty (which our current society absolutely does not do, considering how women are displaying themselves everywhere), for example.

This obviously does not apply to the private life of a married couple, who come together as "one flesh".

Perhaps you should find out exactly what I was doing before leveling such false accusations. I said that I attended. I don't recalling saying that I was "singing praises" to anyone.

I never once said you were doing that, I said "I hope you weren't" and then went on to say why one shouldn't. I still don't agree that it is good to be in attendance of such things. You can still respect someone and choose not to enter places where unholy things are done.

I was offering them the same respect for their faiths that they gave to my faith.

I would not expect a Muslim, or a witch, to enter into a church unless they had actual ideas of considering conversion. If they don't believe in God or Christ, then I would honestly wonder why they are there in the first place, to be honest. I'm not saying we should bar such people from entry, but then again, "Mutual Respect"... "Do unto others..." etc. I would not enter a Mosque or a Coven unless I had ideas of conversion. Since I have no desire to convert away from Christianity, I'm not going to enter into any such place, nor would I expect anybody of another faith to, unless they had ideas of conversion.
 
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Xalith

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In what way?

The secular idea of dating, is to go out, look for a single woman, and "date" her (which oftentimes includes pre-marital sex). In fact, usually when someone goes on a date, they are looking for sex, rather than marriage, which is of course the sin.

Sex without marriage is 100% sin, always, no matter the reason.

Jesus said to even look upon a woman desiring to have sex with her is committing adultery with her in your heart.
 
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Reeniee

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The secular idea of dating, is to go out, look for a single woman, and "date" her (which oftentimes includes pre-marital sex). In fact, usually when someone goes on a date, they are looking for sex, rather than marriage, which is of course the sin.

Sex without marriage is 100% sin, always, no matter the reason.

Jesus said to even look upon a woman desiring to have sex with her is committing adultery with her in your heart.

So how do you find a partner? And if you cannot desire having sex with them before you're married how do you ensure that you marry someone that you desire sex with? Seems like if you only marry someone that all through the relationship you haven't desired, you're asking for a lot to suddenly find them attractive in that way now that you've married.
 
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Xalith

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So how do you find a partner? And if you cannot desire having sex with them before you're married how do you ensure that you marry someone that you desire sex with? Seems like if you only marry someone that all through the relationship you haven't desired, you're asking for a lot to suddenly find them attractive in that way now that you've married.

You're thinking with a secular mindset, and not a Holy/Godly mindset.

#1: Sex should not be based upon lust, but rather upon love.
#2: Attraction to a person should not be based upon lust, but rather upon love.

See, all things that come from God are based upon Love.

How do you find a partner?

You go out and you make friends. Let's say you know 5-10 ladies who are your friends. Perhaps one day, one such friend who is single, you mind find yourself really enjoying their company, you enjoy talking to them, you enjoy being with them more and more and they feel mutually the same.

Then, the idea of getting together comes up, and it is agreed upon that the two should start dating (no sex!) and after several months, or a year, or two whatever, marriage is agreed upon, and bam. Married.

Marriages built upon sex and lust just don't work for the most part, because there will be a day where the personality clashes will become too great, or one or the other partner will find someone that they desire more than their current partner, and then you're looking at infidelity, adultery, and/or a divorce, especially as they age. A couple that falls in lust for one another when they are 20 might end up with problems when they are 40 when both have gained some weight, and are older and are no longer attractive to each other.

HOWEVER, the Marriage that is founded upon genuine love, and an attraction of personalities should continue to blossom even when they don't look as physically good as they once did.

And to be truthfully honest... does the woman really have to look like a supermodel for you to be able to want to have sex with her? Obviously, many people couldn't go for someone who, say, weighs 500lbs, but for most of your average women who are not incredibly obese or anything, are you really trying to say there are women that you just could not have sex with if she were your wife? Is looks all there is to a woman? Has our society fallen that far, where there are Christians who believe that physical beauty is the defining factor in a woman?

Are we not taught the higher meanings of Love?

Sex should happen when the married couple wants to express love for each other, not lust. Sex should happen when the two want to come together and experience the gift that God gave them, rather than when their hormones are jumping. Not saying that hormones don't play a part in even the most Godly marriages, but that shouldn't be the primary reason.
 
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