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4. How do you think the modern time understand and practice these concepts?
I believe that our generation still believes the concepts of dating and courtship. However, some people court others to marry not because of love but because of power, like for a family dynasty or because of financial problems. As time goes by, we are able to stretch and push these concepts to its boundaries and give it new meanings.

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2. What new learning/understanding have you gained?
A new learning for me is that the word "courtship" is used by Christians to replace dating because they think that by saying courtship, they are doing it better and a bit more noble than just dating. I also read that "anybody that claims to be dating you or courting you for 2 years is a waste of time".

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1. Your preconceived notions/definition of what is courtship and dating (before you read the articles).
Courtship and dating are two different things. Dating can be very casual, it can be with friends, someone you love, or someone you just met recently. The things with dating that differentiates it from courtship is you date to have fun, learn new things or discover what you really like on a person. Courtship is like the level two

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3. What are the key differences between Christian courtship/dating and engagement?
Dating is all about having fun, a go with the flow kind of bond with someone whereas courtship is the path to marriage when you find that someone you are looking for. Courtship doesn't have to be long, it is a short period of time with a definitive end, marriage or dissolution of the relationship.

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4. How do you think modern time understand and practice these concepts?
I think that in modern dating there has been bits and pieces included of marriage, courtship, and friendship in it. Dating nowadays has become more free and uncommitted, it feels as if it's become free for all even if you aren't capable of it. In modern dating, there are some who already practice pre-marital sex. There are also who consider dating as courting, so they treat every person they date as if they are already courting them. There are also some who go into marriage-like situations even though they are only at the courtship stage, an example would be a couple who is already living together and supports each other even though they are not yet married.

Modern times have greatly strayed away from the ideal Christian view for courtship and marriage. Even if it is as is, there are still many who practice the traditional Christian ways.

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3. What are the key differences between Christian courtship/dating and engagement?
Modern dating is basically just the sampling process, a person can freely get to know anyone with no commitment in mind. Whereas Christian courtship is above all that, because when a person is courting someone it means that they are exclusive but at the same time getting to know each other with the thought of being married in the future. This stage should not take long and must be done in a definite time. Both parties should be prepared spiritually, financially and mentally when they enter courtship.Then we have engagement, this is the stage after courtship where the couple is engaged to be married where they become betrothed to each other.

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2. What new learning/ understanding have you gained?
I already know that courtship and dating are two different things but I am totally wrong about their true meanings. My preconceived notions about the two were completely wrong and misleading. I have learned that courtship is different from dating in the way that the former has the commitment and engagement to be married in the future. In courtship, you love with the thought of marrying the other person - you see if he/she has the potential capability of becoming your partner for life. Moreover, in courtship there is exclusivity between the couple. This means that there is commitment to court only one person.
Courtship also highlights endurance and acceptance between the couple because if they can endure each other's negative traits and accept each others flaws, then it is a sign that they can last forever.

Dating is different from courtship because in the former there is no commitment. A person can freely date anyone with no intention to marry at all. Thus, it should not be used interchangeably with the word marriage. In dating, there can be hurt/pain in the process because there is no assurance of exclusivity with one person. I feel like this also  encourages temptations. In a nutshell, dating comes before courtship and courtship comes before marriage.

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1. Your preconceived notions/ definition of what is courtship and dating.
I think that courtship is more formal between the two. In addition, although courting is still done up to now, I feel like it is more old school because nowadays, there are couples that don't even go through the courting stage and go straight to dating. I think that courtship is a vital stage and phase for a couple because it is where both parties' faithful intentions towards each other are shown. It's like the getting to know stage for the man and the woman. I like the idea of courtship because in this way I get to make sure how strong a person's love for me is. If the man courting me has passed this stage then I guess he is worthy to be my partner.

On the other hand, I feel like dating is a more contemporary term and a modern type of romance. In addition to this idea, I think that dating is the next stage after courtship even though there are couples who prefer to go straight into this stage. For me, when you say that you are "dating" someone it means that you are in a relationship with someone and you consider each other as boyfriend and girlfriend. This stage requires faithfulness and commitment. For me, after the couple has gotten through this stage and are sure of each other then can they only marry each other.

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4. How do you think the modern time understand and practice these concepts?

Today most of the people of this generation are confused with the concept of love. They keep searching for it when they already have it, they keep on throwing it away when they always want it as a gift. They always have different opinions about it which leads to newer perspective about courtship or dating. People use the "courting" in order to please their sexual hunger, and others use that hunger to find "courting". Truth is, the intention of loving will always remain pure, it’s just that there are too many things happening in today's world that make it seem that love is too complicated.

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3. What are the key differences between Christian courtship and dating?

It says there that the difference between the two is that dating may equate to the relationship in the stage of being able to satisfy the good feeling of one another. And that courtship simply is the noble definition in which marriage, engagement is the end goal or the intention.

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2. What new learning/understanding have you gained?

I have learned a few things which gave me the christian view for courting and dating. The main thing that is happening towards the articles is that one must have patience. One must really know when and who shall he/she choose. Because it gives meaning to the courtship, let alone the very essence of each relationship which is love. And love comes with a goal in the end. And that goal will only be done if the right person is with you and if the right time is

already at hand.

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1. Your preconceived notions/ definition of what is courtship and dating.
I think that when you say courtship, the most common understanding of this (which has been what I think it really means) is that this is the phase of which you show and express your interest to someone with extra boost of effort which you show in almost any opportunity. Take for example, a person will tend to talk to him/her, spend most of the day chatting, and sometimes tend to assist him/her in any way possible. But when you think about courtship as a way of showing someone your interest to them, then it won't simply be a phase, simply appreciate the person now, and court that person for the rest of your life. Dating on the other hand is what I think is more of the phase or stage. When you date someone, it's probably the very first announcement that things are about to go down. Dating can also be referred to the state of the two people. When you say the two are dating, it is like the official announcement implying that the two have mutual feelings towards one another ( in most cases).

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4. How do you think the modern time understand and practice these concepts?
In today’s time, people do not understand the real essence of these concepts. People nowadays date because everyone is- Bandwagon Effect. Some even wanted to enter into a relationship without fully knowing the other person as they do not want to be left behind. Moreover, they, too rush into courtship and engagement without experiencing and knowing the different sides of each other.

What is unfortunate is that some of them do not value chastity. It is easy for some to give-away what must be reserved until married. The ideas of the people regarding these concepts are distorted by the modernization; as people say, "iba naman noon at ngayon."

Indeed, the past decades are far beyond different from today. This is because the people before have truly went through the processes of dating, courtship, engagement, and marriage. Today, only some observe these processes. Thus, most of the time, some people get their hearts broken because they entered into something lightly. They are rushing. Thus, it is a lesson to take things at a single time and to get to know first the person better.

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3. What are the key differences between Christian courtship/dating and engagement?
Dating is not considered as courtship, as well as courtship and engagement. These three are classified as the unique stages that lead and conclude to marriage. The key differences of these three are in the foundation of marriage and commitment. This is primarily because, as stated in the passage, dating is acceptable even without the intention to marry. In this stage, two persons engage in non-commitment arrangement to better know oneself and to establish a friendship to another. After all, the foundation of all relationships is in friendship.

On the other hand, courtship characterizes exclusivity. With this, commitment is evident. Moreover, the two persons make themselves available to each other in the sense of valuing chastity that is reserved until marriage. Eventually, this will lead to engagement. Consequently, engagement, concludes to marriage as it involves the decision of the couple to eventually commit their entire lives to one another.

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2. What new learning/understanding have you gained?
Courtship and dating portray varying and deeper meanings. Thus, these two need not to be associated interchangeably. This is primarily because these two are in different level in the process of marriage. I have learned that in courtship, marriage and exclusivity are considered, while these two are not quickly taken into consideration in dating. However, this does not mean that the people who are into dating are not interested in marriage. This is because the aim of dating, aside from knowing the other person, is also knowing oneself. Thus, this enables one to realize the reality of marriage and the person that he/she envisions to have for the rest of his/her life. Moreover, this is only possible if and only if one takes a serious decision of moving into serious dating, going through the exclusivity of courtship and engagement, leading to the irrevocable commitment in marriage.

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1. Your preconceived notions/definition of what is courtship and dating (before you read the articles).
In my opinion, courtship is significantly different from dating. This is primarily because in courtship, there is an exclusivity between the two persons and there is already an established relationship between the two persons, which on the other hand, is  beyond the level of dating. In addition, I believe that in courtship, the man is PURSUING the woman. Pursuing is the key term that characterizes this stage.

Dating, on the other hand, is characterized by two persons getting to know themselves. This is the initial stage wherein they begin as friends and no commitment is attached. The two persons could either go on to the next stage or either stop at this stage. This, on the other hand, is agreed upon the two.

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4. How do you think modern time understand and practice these concepts?
In some cases, people tend to misinterpret things because others don't usually clear their intentions to the other. The concept of dating in the modern time does not usually rely on getting really serious to the point that they do not intend to marry yet. They aim more on having hands on experiences of different attitudes of different people that they go out with because for them, searching and discovery is important in the process because it helps them get to know what they really want and who they really want to be with in the future.

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3. What are the key differences between Christian courtship, dating, and engagement?

Engagement won't happen without courtship, and courtship won't happen without dating. The three are interconnected and it all starts in dating. Dating is the first stage wherein you spend time together and get to know qualities that you have. Courtship is pursuing the other as you sincerely become true to yourself and to your partner, you tend to evaluate each other if you are mutually fitted to stay together and build a family in the future. Here, you build trust, enhance patience, and strengthen understanding. Engagement is a promise that you commit yourself into when you are already sure that the both of you can stand beside each other throughout the rest of your lives and that you intend to have the sacrament of marriage. It is taking a big step letting someone into your life like that that's why one must be a hundred percent sure of asking his or her partner during this step because not everyone has successful marriages.

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2. What new learning/ understanding have you gained?
By reading the articles, I have clearly understood the difference between the two and that dating can be considered as more official. Nowadays, courtship and dating became less important and the process became really different. People became shallow in giving importance in these stages because they are blinded by the fact that some tend to date just for the present and not seeing being together with their partners for the future. Some just like the benefit of having someone who can provide them company and happiness around every time they need it. After reading, I am reminded to look more on building the rest of my future with the person whom I date because not everyone works out with the person they are with, and I am lucky enough to find the one who gets along with me.

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1. Your preconceived notions/ definition of what is courtship and dating.

Courtship, for me, is a way of expressing interest from a person to another while dating is the process of getting to know each other. Both of them may be connected but they are somewhat different in a sense. Courtship is represented by actions wherein one proves his or her self to the other, it has the sense of willingness to pursue and becoming dedicated along the process. Dating, on the other hand, comes after acceptance. For me, it occurs when the interest is already two-way. It is characterized by mutual concern and a feeling that accompanies the partners that causes them in being special. In some cases, courtship and dating happens at the same time. These two actions just mainly gives the partners time to connect with each other through their hobbies and interests. It is the discovery stage of knowing one's attitude and opinions towards the things they will discuss. Through this, they can decide and know their compatibilities before they officially become a couple.

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4. How do you think modern time understand and practice these concepts?

In today’s time I think people often interchange dating and courtship not knowing the difference between the two. Because of this, when a guy dates a girl, the other person often thinks that he is courting her even though he isn’t and so when the guy stops dating her, the girl is left hurting and feeling unloved. This is the problem when people do not clarify what their intentions are. A lot of people are hurt because of these so-called “paasa”.

Also sadly I think courtship is less practiced at present. More and more people are settling with just merely dating and courtships mostly end up getting dissolved instead of leading to engagement and eventually marriage.

Another thing I observed at present is that people who are involved in courtship do not really consider evaluating their partners if they are fitted to be their spouse in the future. Also, they take advantage of the relationship that they have to engage in premarital sex although it is still prohibited.

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3. What are the key differences between Christian courtship/ dating and engagement?

Basically the key difference among the three is the depth of the relationship that people experience per stage. Dating is the most shallow since it is only a social activity. Courtship is more serious since it is exclusive and love is present. Engagement is the most serious one since it aspires for marriage.

To distinguish the three, we can consider each as stages for example. It's like dating is the first stage where people get to know each other fully. After which, they could end up considering serious dating which could lead to the next stage which is courtship. Christian courtship is where the two then proceeds to evaluating the character of the other person to find out whether they are fitted to be their spouse. It is like a stage of finding out whether the other is the one that they want to spend the rest of their lives with. Again, this stage could either end or could lead to the next stage which is engagement. Engagement is like the stage before marriage where the couple already decided to get married. It is where they confirm their intent to marry each other and publicly announce their intention to get married in the future.

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2. What new learning/ understanding have you gained?
After reading the articles, I can now clearly distinguish courtship from dating. According to the articles, courtship is a term used by Christians to refer to the process of being in an exclusive relationship with marriage as the ultimate goal. This does not only involve dating but its main purpose is to evaluate the people involved if they are qualified to be a spouse or a parent in the future. This process lasts for only a short period of time and could result to either engagement or dissolution of the relationship.

Meanwhile according to what I read, dating is more like a social activity only and does not necessarily consider marriage as an end. It is where two people get to know each other or as what was said a sampling process where you "sample" the person and see if there is attraction. It could either end up into serious dating which could eventually lead to courtship or it could end into dissolution.

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1.Your preconceived notions/ definition of what is courtship and dating ( before you read the articles).

Before reading the article, courtship for me is like the process undergone by a guy before a girl accepts his proposal to be his girlfriend. In this stage, the two already know each other and either one or both of them already has feelings for the other. This is where a guy does things for a girl like keeping her company, walking her home, singing her songs or serenading her. This is to prove to the girl that he is worthy of her love. So basically, this process occurs before a guy and a girl officially becomes a couple.

On the other hand, dating for me is less serious. It's like a stage where two people get to know each other and see if they have a connection. In this stage, there are no feelings involved yet and the two just start getting acquainted. And if they realize that they enjoy each other's company, they can take it to the next step by entering into courtship. It's like this stage is a process that could lead to courtship.