Is it OK to discriminate against Christians (on a dating site)?

Discrimination has acquired a pejorative flavor due to the high charged struggle for civil rights. I’m old enough to remember when to be considered a person of discriminating tastes was a compliment. Discrimination is merely about sorting preferences, and the word is only a negative in very narrow instances. Dating sites are operations built and based EXCLUSIVELY on discrimination, because they are about sorting out personal preferences. Your question is equivalent to asking “is it wrong to choose the strawberry ice cream and discriminate against the chocolate?”

A matching of philosophical/religious beliefs is an important factor in relationships, you would simply be stating your preference. Is it only those of a Christian bent you would be avoiding, or persons of all organized religions? Singling out Christians when you also don’t want to date Muslims, Jews or Zoroastrians seems limiting.

Yes, you are discriminating against christians but you are not persecuting them.

“Pretty important that the person NOT be religious” is probably the better response that would help find someone more compatible.

Just curious. Do you have to be a Christian to join the dating site: Christian Single. com? (intentional misspelling.) Are they discriminating?

I guess if it’s a deal breaker for you, then I’d guess it’s okay. But I think anyone that rules someone out over their faith or lack there of is missing out on a lot of potentially good partners.

Evangelical Christian here. No, you wouldn’t be discriminating. In fact if you’re a Christian you’re not supposed to marry an unbeliever, and likewise it’s not smart to plan to spend a lot of time with someone with whom you’re incompatible on such a major difference.

I think that when it comes to dating and personal preference, it is whatever you want it to be. People have many different requirements for potential partners and religion is just one of many. I also agree with @Adirondackwannabe, though, that you are missing out on some potentially good partners. There are many Christian people who are not overly religious at all (people from other religions can be the same way), and for those people, religion may be a teeny tiny part in their lives. In my family, we’re Christian (Presbyterian to be exact) and we go to church on Christmas eve, but not the rest of the year and we’re not praying all the time, talking about God all the time or even thinking about God at all, other than that one church service. There are Christians who don’t go to church at all. There are Jews who may identify with being Jewish but don’t go to services or follow Jewish rules, etc. So just my opinion, don’t rule out something based on a title or stereotype.

Isn’t finding someone you want to spend time with all about being discriminating? I like to think I have very discriminating taste.

@cazzie What you won’t settle for some lazy, worthless, unemployed buttweiney? I’m crushed and my hope is gone. :)

@jca – I’m not discriminating because of labels – it’s really borne by experience. In my past dating history, dating christians is not as successful as dating Jews (or atheists). Never dated a muslim.

I’m surprised you’re even asking this question. Ruling people out is what dating sites are all about. Hopefully you can narrow it down to one.

On the site I’m on, you indicate where you’re at in terms of religion and the algorithm will indicate if someone is a match or if “y’all got issues” – which are usually religious ones. I think there are more positive ways to indicate what you are and what you want but it’s also ok to indicate who you feel you wouldn’t be compatible with.

I dont see it as descriminating for you to do that. After all, were I single, mine would read the same in reverse.

It makes a bit of sense to avoid relationships that probably wont work out.

No, it is not discrimination, There is a big difference between preference and discrimination. I wouldn’t be a match with a religious person either any more than I would be a match with a rigid, controlling, anal personality. haha It’s basic compatibility of values not any different than other preferences based on common ground.

I wouldn’t be compatible with someone that hated cats and had 4 dogs either. Doesn’t mean I am discriminating against dogs, just means I don’t want to live with 4 dogs.
I wouldn’t be compatible with someone that was a gun enthusiast and had an arsenal of weapons, or someone that hunts for sport. Preferences have nothing to do with true discrimination.

If you don’t want to date a Christian, then do what is reasonable to avoid dating them. What am I missing in the question?

Dating Sites are just begging to have the piss took outta them & their patrons.

It is discrimination, in the English word sense, if not the PC “all discrimination is bad” sense. It’s not persecution. People set unfair dating filters all the time. It’s probably not a bad general dating filter for you, though there are serious Christians who aren’t Biblical literalists and are sane good people who you might actually date. Many of those might be smart enough to not identify as highly Christian on dating sites, though.

I am always discriminating when selecting a partner. Everyone should be.

And yes, one of the things I select against is religion. I prefer to be with rational people.

Nope. No more than a Christian would by saying they don’t want to date a non-Christian, which is perfectly normal and expected in many religious circles. We have preferences and we have reasons for those preferences. Does not make you discriminatory.

No, it’s not discrimination. It’s your preference. However, I think that limits your possibilities tremendously. At one time I was a Christian, but I rarely spoke of God and didn’t go to church much.

Not in the sense that is used with employment, benefits, etc. Each person likes what they like in a partner, and they are able to better discriminate who is a better fit to themselves. Some things, like hair and eye color or height might be more of a preference (i.e. things are not important or that you could live with if it was the right person). While others are much stronger filters (discrimination, if you wish).

If you strongly feel that you cannot have a romantic relationship with someone who is religious, then yes you should discriminate, it will be better for you and the other person in the long run!