Dating is usually one of those topics that is never, or rarely, discussed in churches.  Online dating is especially not mentioned.  Many still consider it odd, taboo, and so forth.  It is as though someone who dates online is inferior to those who date the so-called normal way or weird for trying it.  Nevertheless, many people, even perhaps some you know, date online.  In this article I want to consider whether or not it is best for our readers.

Before I give you my answer, it is probably best to explain my past experience with online dating.  I have tried online dating several times because I was not meeting godly, single women at college or at church or at work.  I attended college and graduate school both at a place where good and godly single women are about as easy to find as a (good) working PC (=perhaps impossible) and I worked full-time.  So, I decided to try a free trial of eHarmony.  Shortly thereafter I subscribed because I became interested in a few of the profiles I read.  From that time I met some strange people – seriously.  Oh the stories I could tell!  Anywho, I had lots of bad experiences and said I’d never do it again.  One of my friends, however, met someone who seemed to be godly.  He suggested I try it once more.  My first day on Match.com, I met the godly woman is who now my fiancé!  We both had similar, bad experiences with online dating – which was quite humorous to hear.  My main point in sharing this information is to explain that I have had lots of experience with online dating – even true success!  Enough about me, it is time to consider your situation.

Here is a guideline I’ve formulated based on my experience with online dating: guys and girls, try to find someone godly where you are – at school, work, church, and so forth; if you cannot find someone there, then try online dating, wisely and cautiously.  While I met someone amazing online, I still think trying to find someone where God has placed us is best.  Perhaps God places where we are for a reason, even for meeting our future spouse.  For some, online dating is a form of cowardice: it becomes a method to avoid the nervousness of asking someone out in person or just meeting people in person the so-called normal way.  For those types, online dating is not best.  That kind of guy should try to meet new people, man up, and ask a godly woman out on a date.  Or, that kind of woman should find a way to make herself available to meet new guys – whether that is in a coffee shop, in a book store, at church, and so forth.  Nevertheless, in some circumstances, the option of meeting new people and asking them out in person is unavailable.  This person should try to make good use of online dating.  Hopefully my success with this method will encourage you to try it and know that for some it works – perhaps even you!

Going to the local grocery store each week, we see a number of different people.  We see singles out buying groceries, young men and women out buying groceries, and families out buying groceries.  Something we also are seeing more and more together, out and about, are homosexual couples.  Though their sex is the same, they walk, talk, and oftentimes act like any other heterosexual couple.  While being at the grocery store, there is no debate on how one should view someone who practices this lifestyle; however, the question I want to consider in this article is how should the church view them?

Churches have varying approaches as to how they view homosexuals.  Some of them completely ostracize them, such that if someone who practices this lifestyle shows up for a church gathering they would promptly ask them to leave.  Other churches will allow this type of person to attend but would not allow them to join unless they ceased being a homosexual.  Even other so-called churches will open their arms to them, even calling them Christians.  So again, what approach should we take as Bible-believing Evangelical Christians?

Here is my answer:

Churches should view homosexuals as individuals made in the image of God who are living a lifestyle which clearly manifests their complete and furious rebellion against the God of the Bible and thus in need of repentance and belief in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.

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In this article Ben Montoya discusses an important issue for young college students to understand:  Your college ministry on your local campus is NOT the local church. [...]