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There is no Biblical support-or condemnation-of the practice of dating, just as there is no specific condemnation or approbation of a host of modern practices, such as smoking, watching television, or driving a car, none of which were in existence when the Bible was written. However, one need not go too far to find all of those practices roundly condemned by people who claim to have Biblical authority for their views. The same is certainly true of dating.

The practice of dating as we understand it is of very recent origin, and reflects a societal change in attitude toward young adults and the responsibilities and authority of parents. In Biblical times, marriages were generally arranged, as Isaac's and Rebekkah's, Jacob's and Rachel's, and Esau's to the daughters of Ishmael (See Genesis chapters 24-29). The concepts of children as property and parental authority as absolute are clear especially throughout the Old Testament. While New Testament Christianity elevated the position of women in general, it makes no change in the relationship between husband and wife or children and parents, other than requiring the husband to love his wife as Christ loved the church (Ephesians 5:25), an obligation that was never placed on the Old Testament husband.

Christianity in its various forms came to dominate Europe and the New World, and thus the attitudes of parents toward children remained largely unchanged for the two thousand years following the writing of the Bible. (While this is a discussion of Biblical support for dating, it is relevant to mention that the concept of arranged marriage is not solely Biblical, but is or has been practiced in nearly every society in the world. Don't place the blame on the Bible, OK?) As early as the beginning of the twentieth century, European and American practice, while moving away from strictly arranged marriages, still stressed the authority of the parents. Young people of marriageable age were never alone without a chaperone, and socializing involved larger groups under the watchful eye of responsible adults.

The process known as "courting" seems to have been the norm at this time, in which a young man would ask permission to visit at the home of a young woman, and young people and parents would spend time together, getting to know one another, thus determining the suitability of each for the other. I have a friend who insists that this alone is the Biblical way of preparing for marriage, but he has yet to provide a Scripture to back

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