I’ve seen a lot of questions about the difference between courting and dating since Faith and Ben made their courtship announcement a few weeks ago – and I’m just one of the parents. I know the two of them have tried to explain it to others, and it’s a challenge to do so. Part of the problem is that the concept that should be familiar to people has become hard to define. There is commonality between dating and courtship, but the distinctions are, well, distinct. Part of the challenge for Faith and Ben, and myself, is that while we know what the concept is and have seen it lived out in others, we’re still new to actually living it ourselves (I include myself here because the parents do play an important role).
Scanning through the Google-searches that have brought people to this blog, however, I came across some very helpful links from people who have followed this path. Among the most charming is a series of posts by Alex and Carmen where they described their relationship through three stages leading up to their marriage in 2003:
In addition, I discovered a very clear Q & A post on the subject that does a great job in outlining the diffences here at Vidaville.
Check them out if you’re so inclined. I know I’ll be looking at them often.
