2nd Corinthians: The Deal With Dating Non-Christians

Alright... So I decided since I talked about love yesterday... I'll talk about different dating issues faced by Christians for the rest of the week. :)
Today I read through 2nd Corinthians 6:15-7:1. The author of this book, Paul, is touching on a very big issue... Dating/Marrying non-believers. I know to some people this isn't a big issue... but in reality it is an issue that can cause a lot of heart ache in the future. With divorce rates on the rise... and the church equal to the world with those ratings, who you choose to marry is a big deal! Dating (to me and I hope to most of you) is a way to get to know a person you think you would like to marry. I personally would rather court than date. The world today uses dating as intimacy before commitment, while courting is more of commitment before intimacy. Anyways... who you choose is a big thing! So why is it such a big deal if you find this amazing, nice, hot, guy/girl that you want to date/court and maybe spend forever with? Why is because there is one thing missing... NOT A CHRISTIAN!
In 2nd Corinthians 6:14 Paul states, "Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?" To make sense of that for you guys... In Lord of the Rings... could Saruman have ended up dating Eowyn? NO WAY! Eowyn is all that is good and beautiful. Saruman is hatred and evil. They don't mix well. Eowyn may have ended up dead for smiling at the wrong time. :P That example is a bit to the extreme side... but not by much! If you are a Christian, you have the light of God in you. Non-Christians do not have this light... and if given the chance and right circumstances, can even snuff out yours! In context with Paul's time, he uses the example of animals being yoked together. Normally, two animals of the same kind were yoked together and tended to pull at the same speed, in the same direction. But if you yoked two different animals together, they tended to pull different directions, and at different speeds. Two different animals often ended in disaster and a huge mess to clean up.
God doesn't tell you not to date/court/marry non-Christians because He wants us to be superior to them! He says it to protect us from the destruction that will ultimately come from it. He wants us as His children to be set apart for Him. (2nd Corinthians 6:16) How are we to be different, if our significant other is always wanting us to be the same? That is why God uses Paul to warn us not to date/court/marry non-Christians. He loves us and wants to protect us from the disaster that will come when the relationship breaks apart... or you walk away from Him.
Missionary Dating, also known as dating a non-Christian to be a witness to them. DON'T DO IT! Girls, you can not change a guy or make him believe anything he doesn't want to. Guys, same goes for you! If you want to be a witness to someone you like that may not be a Christian, BE THEIR FRIEND! Invite them to youth, church, etc... get them involved with things that are God based. Don't shove it in their face, but invite them as a friend. And PRAY for them. Prayer is the most powerful weapon we have and has more power than any of us could imagine. If God truly wants you to be with that person, then they will become a Christian and things will work out in time. Just don't rush it! :)

Anyways... I hope this gives you guys something to think about and hopefully saves a few of you the heart ache that comes from yoking yourself to the wrong person.

Blessings!
Breanna