It's often hard to find someone in your local parish or church to spend the rest of your life with. Especially for young people, who have a very hard time finding someone of their age group in the local church or synagogue. Road trips and chaperoned revivals are a good way to meet people who are interested in the same religion you are, but more and more people are turning to the internet for help in finding the love of their lives.

One answer to this dilemma is to join a singles group via the internet based on your religious upbringing, an online dating service geared toward the religious background of its users.

Christian online dating became popular in the mid eighties, when online dating web sites first hit cyberspace. Christian online dating services promised the users that they would find like-minded people and all their dreams would come true. For some people I'm sure this happened, but you can never be sure who you are talking to online. This is true of course for any online chat room, whether it be Jewish online dating or the newer catholic online dating services for young people.

The bottom line for dating online is simple for people of religion. To feel safe and be sure that the person you've met online is righteous, plan your first date to meet at church. It's the smart thing to do, with cyber stalking and misrepresentation running amok on the internet. Plan your first few dates to be at church, especially if you've met someone online who wants to come meet you from another city or state. A nice church potluck after service is a great, safe way to tell if this person is truly the person of your dreams.

The internet is a fine way to meet people, if a few precautions are taken. Meet the person after several chats, not just one or two, and meet them in a public place. Stay in a group of people the first few times, and let them know up front why. Honesty in relationships is important and if they are sincere, they will understand your need for caution.