Ryan said:
I generally agree with this, but I think you are a little to hard on more formalized dating (the kind where you get gussied up and put on your best face). Personally, I don’t think that is a bad place to start. After all, if you marry the person, you will be attending weddings and family functions and parties and other things where it helps if … Read Moreyou are attracted to the person in a situation where you and they are trying to impress. I agree that the day to day living is more important (if only because that is most of life) but I still think more formal dating has its place, if only as a quick test. Everyone has their faults in day to day living and it takes a long time to sort through that and figure out what is workable… its comparatively easier to say “here is Christine all dressed up and trying to impress…. do I enjoy her in this sort of setting?” If the answer is no, then you know quickly to move on, because if you don’t really like her at her best, then you probably won’t like her day to day either. So seen this way, formal dating can be a filter to determine if it is worth taking the time to see if you enjoy life in the day to day with someone… thoughts?

Drew said:
Well, for one, the dating part was just a piece to tell the other story through. It wasn’t really important. And, for two, I don’t think I was hard on that form of dating at all, just suggesting that there are other ways to do it that are beneficial in different ways — like how it’s FANTASTIC to have Bible studies (and these shouldn’t be neglected), but maybe there is something MORE we could be doing that would allow community to develop more rapidly.