Is it Wrong to Date a
Non-Seventh-day Adventist?

I wouldn’t call it absolutely wrong; I’d call it unwise.

After all, dating is really about marriage. I know this seems a bit extreme and you may argue dating is about having fun and getting to know people, no strings attached, no commitment. That is true to some extent, but this whole boy—girl "dance," if you will, is to prepare you for the final big event of marriage.

Each date teaches you something about what you want (or don’t want) in a marriage partner (no matter how far off that day may seem). Think of each date as a social experiment with the opposite sex.

Now, consider you probably have a limited number of dates that are physically possible. Wouldn’t it make sense to make each meaningful? And that the date would actually contribute to helping make the very important decision of picking a life partner?

SDA—non-SDA

So, back to the Seventh-day Adventist versus non-Seventh-day Adventist dating question. I’d like to move away from the assumption all Seventh-day Adventists are "good" and all non-Seventh-day Adventists are "bad."

It’s more an issue of character, morals and values. It’s your job to find (and be) a person of high character, morals and values. You have a responsibility to yourself, to your future spouse and your future children.

It’s by joining with another person of similar character that you help provide that future for your marriage and family. Like it or not, when you have a family, your choice of religion figures into this future in a big way.

SDA—SDA

Let’s assume, then, you’re Seventh-day Adventist and your job is to find a person of similar character, morals and values. The odds are higher your "dating experiment" will be more meaningful and profitable toward your marriage goal if you choose a Seventh-day Adventist to go out with–someone who most probably shares similar morals and values based on a shared religion.

It’s your life and your dating experience. You owe it to yourself to make the most of it.