An Orthodox dating service...

[Jean-Serge]

I think Orthodox should marry within their religious community. This is not a problem in traditionnaly Orthodox countries... But in countries where Orthodoxy is quite recent, it can be a real issue...

It is difficult to meet and know young Orthodox including in parishes... Moreover, some of them are so modernist and ecumenist... There is another problem : phyletism. Even if you find an old calendarist traditionnalist girl (or man) it is not certain she or he (or the family) would accept to marry you due to your origin. It is not racism, just customs... For example, in my case, I am from Africa (so I am black), a Georgian lady was telling me : maybe you will marry a Georgian girl later... Immediately, a young Georgian girl, good friend of mine said : "Err it would be very very difficult". I am talking about the situation in France.

So I am thinking about creating an orthodox dating site. Jews and Catholics and even Muslims have this type of site... Such an orthodox site would also host teachings about what marriage is and why it is important to marry between Orthodox... It would be also free but could accept donations... It would be done with the blessing of a Bishop... It would also respect moral values : decent photographies... It would be reserved for marriage minded people

What do you think about such idea? How much would it cost?

I would like everybody do answer the poll. Thank you please...

[gimme your lunch money]

I'm sorry your thread didn't get the responses like you expected. Personally I think this is a wonderful idea, Jean-Serge. It is very hard, particularly for people who live in rural areas of the U.S. (or France or England, or whatever), to find an Orthodox mate. The only problem with such a dating site would be the problem normally inherent to such services: the sheer artificiality of basing marital compatibility on a picture and a photograph. Other than this, I find no problems with starting an Orthodox dating site per se. I'd also like to add that, ironically, I find that the most phyletist Orthodox groups are precisely the ones which are the most Ecumenist. If you're not a Lebanese person making at least $100,000 a year in the Antiochian Church, then you might as well forget about pursuing anything more than a weekly Sunday greeting......and this is the same Church whose Patriarch has been quoted as saying that the Holy Spirit works through islam!

[Jean-Serge]

Thank you for showing interest to the subject. The necessity of such project is not only because of Orthodox living in rural areas. Even in towns, Orthodx form a minority... And if you go to some Orthodox churches, you find essentially old married people. So how do you find an Orthodox spouse? Tell me...

Of course I understand your fear, a photograph etc. In my project (I cannot begin due to lack of money -at the moment I am not allowed to working)- photgraphs would be strictly controlled. No half naked gboys or girls as it can be seen in other sites... And some questionaries would be included in order to define the personnality of the person and aboce all his or her religiosity... People could select the potential spouse through serach with criterias like jurisdictionnal affiliations, old or new calendar, oposition toward ecumenism, religiosity etc... Of course it should be reserved for marriage minded people only, and opened to Orthodx believers (and may be cathecumens but I am not sure). The main aim is that Orthodox longing to marry may meet and then know each other better... Of course you do not fall in love with some words and a photograph...

This site should be also didactical with textes defining the Orthodox marriages...

As regards the price, according to me, the site should be as cheap as possible... Even if it is run as a company, I do not find this honest to make money like this... It would be in many language : English at the benginning of course but with further additions (French, Spanish, Russian, Georgian etc etc)

Of course, a Blessing of a bishop would be welcomed to support the idea...

I do not think the Antichian are the most phyletist. In the US, they have many native parishes...

[gimme your lunch money]

Well, let me be your first client. I actually meant to say picture and a paragraph....not picture and a "photograph".

[Грешник]

Greetings,

On my never-ending search for God only knows what, today I came across this little gem that might be of interest to you.

Orthodox Christian Dating

This might or might not be what you are looking for but it's a start

[gimme your lunch money]

I just put up a profile there, but there's hardly anybody on there. C'mon everyone, put up a profile!

[Jean-Serge]

I have visited this Orthodox dating site. It is a beginning but many things could be done to improve the concept...