Mr. Tanton answered several written questions on the subject of dating, after speaking on this topic at a Youth Conference. Two of the questions and answers were as follows:

Question: "You warned us against marrying unbelievers, but all are not bad. My uncle married an unbeliever and now she comes to church regularly and they have a nice family."

Mr. Tanton replied, "You cannot make a rule from an exception. Imagine that you wanted to row across a lake and saw old, rough rowboats tied to shore. You then asked me, 'Mr. Tanton, is it okay to travel in one of these across the lake?' What would you think of me if I answered, 'Sure, every once in a while there is one that makes it!'

"Even when an 'unequally-yoked' marriage succeeds, it is not without great stress, difficulty, and adjustment."

Question: How can you answer a guy you are dating and really love who says, 'If you really loved me, you would!' ?"

Mr. Tanton answered, "Use one of these answers or a similar one of your own:

'If you really loved me, you would not ask me to do that.'

'I want to keep that special for both of us on our wedding night.'

'That is so special to me that I will share it only with my husband.' "

To which dating principles do these questions and answers relate?

Mark and Sandy started dating in eleventh grade. Both were church attenders and Christian school students. Mark was a bit shy and Sandy did not really care for some of the girls her age, so they chose not to participate in any church or school-related activities. Rather than go to various places, they preferred to be alone together. Their parents warned them about spending too much time together and often encouraged them to participate in more group