Okay, so, like it or not speed dating is making its way into Christian circles.

Now, speed dating doesn't mean taking things quickly, or going from dating to engagement to marriage in, say, two months. On the contrary, speed dating is an event where one goes from table to table meeting people. Participants rotate every five minutes until they have conversed with everyone. It may not be the most conventional way to meet a wife or husband, but it's popular, even among believers.

That's also the case with what I call mass dating. More and more folks are dating several people (specifically several Christians) at once. Like, they get to know a number of ladies and gentlemen until they narrow down to one.Mass dating centers on a process of elimination, if you will. Yet, it's not quite cheating, since it's technically based on no-strings-attached outings.

I'm sure Joshua Harris is out there somewhere banging his head with a copy of his oft-quoted and perhaps even canonized book, I Kissed Dating Goodbye.

Mass dating is certainly not new. Forget happy-go-lucky dating game shows; sitcoms like Sex in the City, Girlfriends, Jersey Shore-glorify today's "hook up" culture. Have these carefree mores seeped into the Christian consciousness? I'd argue so. That's probably why my pastor is currently tackling this issue with a series on Biblical dating.

I'm sure some have done all right while mass dating. If I were a betting woman, though, I'd be willing to wager that it has done more to hinder, not help, young adults in their quest for godly marriages.

And so I want to make a case for uni-dating. You know: the good ol' boy meets girl...boy and girl become friends...boy and girl become best friends...boy loves and marries his best friend-the girl, not the dog.

1. Taking your time shows that God knows what He's doing.

Would God instruct one of His children to be a full-time missionary in Cambodia, plant an urban church in Brooklyn and run a Christian non-profit human service organization in North Miami ALL AT ONCE? No. In different seasons of life, maybe. But not at once.

Likewise, God would hardly direct us in separate paths with, say,three separate individuals simultaneously. It's hard to believe that the all-knowing, brilliant God--you know, the God who orders our steps--will encourage His children in this way. He chose a one-at-a-time, divine route for Rebekah who blessed the servant while she worked at the well and, in so doing, found her lover, Isaac.And He chose a one-at-a-time, hope-filled route for Ruth, who met Boaz as she diligently gleaned in the field. It's all about timing. If a guy or gal doesn't have time to take their time, then they don't have time to date.

2. Taking your time shows you're content and sober.

Gone are the days when young folks--women, especially--suffered if they remained older and unwed. Alas, our social status doesn't depend on our marital status.Last weekend, I enjoyed the movie The Help. A part of the storyline revolved around how Skeeter, the leading character, wittily rebelled against her mother's pressure to wed. For the most part, Skeeter remained single and career-minded. Let's thank God we don't live in Skeeter's world. There's no need to rush or zig-zag through a maze of fixed-up dating. Indeed, the best marriages that I've come across were birthed from focused, purposeful and--yes, FUN--courtships...not from being all over the place. Dating shouldn't be approached with efficiency or convenience in mind.

3. Taking your time shows you don't want to hurt anyone, including yourself.

So, let's say you've been dating around and are now ready to commit to one specific guy or gal. Just how do you say goodbye to the others, particularly if they've narrowed down their selections to, well, YOU? Letting people down softly is one thing, but then you also have a responsibility to tell them that you are pursuing someone else, lest they find out on their own. I'd be hard-pressed to find anyone who feels okay with being one of several pursuits...and it'd be harder still to find a person who is okay with being superseded. It's human nature. Mass dating simply leaves too much room for hurt.

Now, what if you simultaneously dated several people in the same congregation? Are you now at risk of having a reputation of being a flirt..or worse? Could it be that your mass dating image then ruins future prospects? Let's face it: when it comes to dating several people at once, guys get more grace in this area than ladies do. I heard once that debonaires are smiled upon, coquettes are frown upon. Oh, the double standards...

4. Taking your time shows you want to distance yourself from the world's dating handbook.

Recently on one of my favorite Christian dating e-magazines, Boundless, I read an article on how the Duggar family of TLC's 19 Kids and Counting maintains a high and pure standard of living. I was challenged toward clean living.The Boundless podcast show asked, "Do your lifestyle choices and habits look any different than the world?" It isn't enough to save sex for marriage. How we meet, show affection and dress on our dates reflects how we walk with God. Christian young adults should have a shock element to our lives; in other words, we ought to be so counter-cultural that, to the world, we are shocking, then admirable and, lastly, contagious. Lifestyle evangelism is potent. Let's ask ourselves: does mass dating cause us to imitate or stimulate the world?

Ana Guthrie is a super cool chick with a heart for God and love for youth culture. She doubles as a not-so-naughty librarian and instructor at Florida Memorial University in Miami, Florida.