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This book should be required reading for every junior high school student. Amazingly insightful. Although many may choose not to approach singleness, dating and love like Joshua Harris did, no one on the face of this earth can deny the principles he lays out is excellent information. The divorce rate would drop drastically. I highly recommend this book to anyone.
Most people refuse to talk about it. Here are the bad things that happened because of it:1. When you're conservative enough to follow this advice, however, divorce is very shameful. If you like courtship, that's great.
They're painful. Joshua Harris may be the poster boy for abstinence, purity, and courtship, but I am the poster girl for the opposite. Following the principles in this book can cause a relationship to go way too far, too fast. 2. And it doesn't work.
If you read Harris' next book, he didn't really follow his own advice to a T. He wrote this while still single, and it didn't even REALLY work for him. I spent so much time focusing on treating my future ex husband as a brother in Christ and saving myself for marriage and putting his needs before my own that I never stopped to ask myself if I actually loved him.4. Everyone I knew who tried to do the same thing wound up marrying before a year after they met, and I am not the only one divorced because of it. So be prepared that if it does happen to you (and yeah, I thought it wouldn't happen to me, either.
3. I bought the message in this book hook, line, and sinker. Courtship sounds nice because who likes a break up. They suck.
But it's part of the growing process, and better the break up of a relationship than a break up of a marriage. Trust me, I know better than anyone. But don't think it will be the vehicle to solve the problems that come with dating.
I wound up marrying a man who turned out to be sexually abusive, something I would have known if I hadn't been so focused on purity. It may save you from something painful here and there, but all it does is add different problems. I read all of those Gary Smalley and Josh McDowell books, too)., you may end up not only losing a spouse, but your entire support system.
If a courtship doesn't work, you still have to break up, so how does that save you any emotional pain. This book can be so very damaging. You can read the details of my story on [.].
This book brings a completely different perspective to the subject of dating. I would recommend it to anyone who is struggling with this issue.
The overall truths should be applied but the extent depends on the individual. I admittedly had written this book of as bunk for many years until I read through and realized that there was a deep regret for not having realized these truths earlier.
THe reality is, there are some VERY GOOD points that are made about dating and relationships. Those of us that get so offended by the nature of the book are the ones who have deeply indulged in its antithesis.
I CAN tell you from experience that the students that I have worked with, who HAVE applied many or MOST of these principles, have had much more successful relationships than the ones who did not. Don't be so quick to throw it out or to even devour every word as sacred truth.
Take the insights and apply them as the Holy Spirit directs you. A great book, to be applied by each reader as it fits his/her own situation.
Don't make the mistake of writing it off before you've finished it.
I came across this book by accident in a used bookstore fairly recently. I read it in a few days and was surprised at this young man's insight into the world of dating. Although I do not agree with many things Joshua Harris writes about in his book, I do think he brings up some very important issues.Read with caution and make sure to keep an open mind as no other views or opinions are offered in this book, which reads like a collection of sermons.
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