Youth, Dating and Friendship

Faith Q&A › Metropolitan Youssef

120 questions in 42 topics

Topics

Relationships 24Friendship 14Dating 13Love 8Mate Selection 6Sunday School 5Youth 4Appearance 3School and Studies 3Belonging 2Clubs/Clubbing 2College 2Decisions 2Fellowship 2Prom 2Teenage Relationships 2Age Difference 1Beach 1Beauty 1Christian Brotherhood 1Company (Bad) 1Earrings for Men 1Esteem 1Fraternities 1Fun 1Graduation 1Identity 1Karate 1Loneliness 1Long Hair 1Love & Respect 1Online Dating 1Pressure 1Relationship with Classmates 1Role Model 1Summer Activity 1Swimming 1Swimming Suit 1TV 1Vocation 1Youth Service 1YouTube 1

All questions in this theme

• QAppearanceI cannot stop being vain with my looks. My father has encouraged that in me by his criticism of my fat figure, ugly dresses, etc… and by constantly comparing me to…
• QAppearanceIn His Holiness' lecture dated 10/05/04 Copticpope.org - 5-10-04 in the social topics section, His Holiness said that it is wrong if a woman does not use make-up because…
• QAppearanceI am a Sunday school teacher and I was faced with a question that requires research before responding. The question: Is hair coloring (dyeing) a sin for Christians and…
• QBeachIs it alright to go on trips to beaches with members of the opposite sex? If not, why?
• QBeautyMost men want to marry pretty women. Is it true that if one seeks God's will, then God will choose for them the person to marry? How can I accept with joy and…
• QBelongingAlthough I am Coptic Orthodox, I don't know much about the history of my church, nor do I know the Coptic language. I didn't regularly attend Church on Sundays when I was…
• QBelongingMy conversion to Orthodoxy has not been without its troubles, I am a working class man from England, upon joining the Coptic Orthodox Church, I found solid secure…
• QChristianity: Christian BrotherhoodAs Christians, are we to view all people as brothers and sisters or only people who are Christians? If only Christians, how are we to view non-Christians?
• QClubs/ClubbingIs clubbing a sin? Like, if I go to the club with my friends, and I do not drink, but maybe dance a little (not in an inappropriate way), how is it a sin?
• QClubs/ClubbingIs going to clubs wrong if you are just going for a friend's birthday and you are not drinking, not dressing inappropriately, not dancing, and not doing anything bad?
• QCollegeI am a very hardworking student. I receive top marks in my grades and I am an athlete too. I have even started to volunteer at a homeless shelter, once a week. I take my…
• QCollegeI am a senior in high school and the time to think about where I will be attending college is now. I feel very overwhelmed with whether I should attend a university near…
• QCollege: Relationship with ClassmatesMy clinic partner in college is giving me a very hard time. We are supposed to work together, but she always blames me. She gets upset from the smallest thing and it is…
• QCompany (Bad)Avoiding bad company and yet loving everyone is what the Holy Bible recommends. How can I strike a happy balance in my relationship with others without judging anyone?
• QDatingMy fourteen year old daughter has often asked “Why can’t I have a boyfriend?” Her definition of boyfriend is someone from the opposite sex that she would trust and open…
• QDatingI have a boyfriend whom I like to talk to on the phone. We do not have bad conversation we’re just friends. Is this sinful or bad behavior?
• QDatingA ten year old girl in my Sunday school class is dating a boy. People have tried to talk to her about it, but to no avail. She does not want the priest to know; because…
• QDatingI am beginning to like a girl, my age, 20 years old. My confessor father tells me to wait for a good time. When is a good time, and how will I know?
• QDatingDuring Sunday school lesson, the topic on dating has generated a lot of surprisingly negative feedback from one of the girls in high school; revealing her attitude…
• QDatingI would like your advice on the following: I met a girl over the internet. We both are from the same church and are active in the church. We started to talk on the phone…
• QDatingHow do our religion and our fathers regard dating?
• QDatingDoes engagement serve as dating?
• QDatingShould dating involve parents?
• QDatingWhy is the topic of dating never talked about or discussed within our youth meetings?
• QDatingHow am I expected to get married if dating is wrong?
• QDatingWhat is so bad about dating? If I am not having sex and I am trying to find the right girl to marry after I get to know her and go out with her, what is the problem with…
• QDatingI need your help, I am dating this girl and I really like her but I do not know what to do. I do not want to break up with her (I will if I have to), but I have already…
• QDating: Online DatingI would like to know your view about internet dating and a Coptic match website, designed for people to meet single Coptic men and women.
• QDecisionsWhen in the process of making some decisions, we are encountered with obstacles, is it legitimate to think that those obstacles are from God as a sign of displease with…
• QDecisionsIf one has to pick between one of two directions, should one pray to God for guidance, but when there is no response back, would it be ok to pick one direction at random…
• QEarrings for MenI, as a Coptic Orthodox male, am I allowed to wear earrings? Why or why not?
• QEsteemPlease explain what Saint Basil the Great meant by saying that we must not “claim the first place”? Is he referring to praise and honor; or to other accomplishments?
• QFellowshipI have one question regarding the need for fellowship with one another in the Body of our Lord Jesus Christ. What if there is a group of people who brings out the worst…
• QFellowshipIs it wrong for a Coptic Orthodox believer who attends and serves in church regularly, to attend other churches group meetings? The main aim here is to extend one’s…
• QFraternitiesI have been introduced to a social fraternity called "the Freemasons”. I have done a lot of research on the organization, and critics weigh out just as many pros as there…
• QFriendshipWhen you come across people who are not all too good a company, what should one do under the light of Christian teachings?
• QFriendshipMy friend always expects me to help her in everything she asks for. When I do not do it she hurts my feelings by saying insulting words. I get so angry, so how do I deal…
• QFriendshipI am worried about my friends, who are a big part of the youth group at my church. Lately they have been doing inappropriate things. What is worse is that their parents…
• QFriendshipWhen I came to the states three or four years ago, I faced the problem of how to make friends. At church, friends my age are cynical, critical and manipulative. Outside…
• QFriendshipFirst: I am applying to dental schools and I am so confused which college should I accept. I want to go to a good school in a good state where my dad can find a job and…
• QFriendshipI am a very sociable person. A lot of people like me. At my work, there is a small group of girls who have invited me to go to a small gathering at one of their houses.…
• QFriendshipHow can I make friends with people who are far away from God living an ungodly life while still keep myself away from sin and also try to bring them closer to God? Will…
• QFriendshipWhat is your suggestion if someone, a really close friend, is on and off in his relation with me to a point that is really confusing me?
• QFriendshipI have a very close friend of the opposite gender and we love each other as friends; and we've spoken about keeping our friendship pure. We've become very close and we…
• QFriendshipI’m going through a very hard time in my life, I feel extremely depressed, and I have been depressed for a while. I feel like I’m not interested in anything in life, even…
• QFriendshipThe friends I hang around with are of a different religion and they are great friends. However, I feel that because of our different religions, it's made me lack trying…
• QFriendshipI am wondering how much interaction with the opposite gender is sinful. I am 25 years old but realize that I am not ready for marriage yet because I still have a couple…
• QFriendshipMy friend is Coptic Orthodox. He thinks that going to a theme park is a waste of time and money. I offered him a free ticket to come with me to the theme park. He says…
• QFriendshipHow important is friendship? Everyone around me in the church and especially at home keeps telling me that friendship is not that important and that it will not last.…
• QFunHow can I have pure fun and still live a true repentant and a victorious Christian life? For example, I am trying to read the Holy Bible everyday and apply it to my life…
• QGraduationI am a junior in high school right now and I have been planning on graduating this year instead of next year. In order to have enough credits, I had to take night…
• QIdentityThe Holy Book of Tobit (5:12) makes Archangel Raphael sound like a liar for taking on the name "Azarias," and the kinship to Tobit. Could you please explain?
• QKarateWhat is the churches view on karate as a sport or hobby? Can I join a club that might even have an evil dragon sign knowing that I do not care about their…
• QLonelinessI am always surrounded by people that "love me" at church and usually I try to be the best person possible by returning the love of God. Recently, I feel lonely even with…
• QLong HairHow come St. Paul the apostle says that males should not have long hair, but we see in the icons that Jesus Christ had long hair and also the monks (I think) do not cut…
• QLoveI am afraid I might love people more than God. How can I guard my heart against that, although I feel that the more I love God, more I want to love people, especially…
• QLoveBased on what principle and scale can I love everyone around me? How do I do it?
• QLoveDoes God love everyone regardless of whether they are good or evil just because He is love? How does God feel towards Satan and the fallen angels?
• QLoveI am having trouble discerning whom exactly we are to love and whom we are not to love. For example I know that we are to love God and our neighbor (Mark 12:31) (further…
• QLoveOur Lord commanded us to Love our enemy, and those who don't love us. Besides praying for them, how far can an Orthodox Christian go in loving those who blaspheme against…
• QLoveWhat is the difference between love and lust?
• QLoveCan you please let me know why there is love and true love when God chooses who we marry? Why are we born? Why does God have to test us?
• QLoveIs love a gift or a commandment? Or is it both a gift and a commandment? Is the ability to love given as a gift to all men when we were created, since we are a product of…
• QLove & RespectWhere can one draw a line between love and respect and still be fulfilling the commandment of love? Can one practice love without respect and respect without love, as for…
• QMate SelectionI am getting involved with someone. There were a couple concerns I had, but I'm not sure if they are valid. One thing is he doesn't seem to be as involved in the church…
• QMate SelectionThere is a strong emotional connection between the two of us because of a very long history of communication. I do enjoy her company very much when we are in the same…
• QMate SelectionI'm confused, hurt, and lost. Since marriage was the path I chose, I had several people propose from different states with various degrees, life, personalities, and so…
• QMate SelectionOne of our priests was in a sermon and he quoted your grace about 3 different kinds of marriages: Emotional --- this one is based on emotions and usually ends up in…
• QMate SelectionI am a 30 year old male and was recently introduced to someone who is 3 years older. Is the fact that she is older by 3 years a problem and if it should be cause enough…
• QMate SelectionI need advice with relationships. I am 25 years of age and I have been extremely anxious for the past few weeks. I am a servant and serve alongside with a female servant…
• QPressureI'm currently going through my internship in surgery. It's very tough and I hardly get any days off, which makes going to the liturgy almost impossible these days. I…
• QPromI would really like to go to prom because this is the last big event I can share with my friends before we all go off to college. I would simply go with a group of my…
• QPromWhy is going to the prom wrong?
• QRelationshipsI am a college student living at home and I don't know what to do. Every time I do anything my mom gets mad and I just feel like no one cares about me anymore. If I try…
• QRelationshipsI recently met someone very special, and I made it known to my family that I really have strong feelings for this gentleman. He is 19 years old and I am 20. I don't know…
• QRelationshipsI have been interested in a gentleman for a little over a year. He and I are very good friends. It seemed to me for a while that he was expressing interest as well. So,…
• QRelationshipsI interact with a close group of friends on a day-to-day basis. One of them is a Coptic girl. I try my best to treat her with the most respect, concern, and care. Lately…
• QRelationshipsI have strong feelings for a particular girl that I have known at work for months. However, I am only 18 years old. I know I'm not financially, educationally, or even…
• QRelationshipsGod has bought a very special girl in my life. At the moment I am praying to find if she is the one that the Lord has chosen for me. One thing that is bothering me a…
• QRelationshipsI met a guy last year in August and we were just friends for a while up until he told me he had feelings for me and I do too. I am only 18, a freshman in college and he…
• QRelationshipsI am seventeen years old and there is a girl my age in church that I really care for. She doesn't even know I have feelings for her. We are just friends and that is it. I…
• QRelationshipsA friend of mine is in love with someone who is using her, brainwashing her and disrespecting her family; but she will not listen to anyone nor will she leave him no…
• QRelationshipsWhy is it wrong to have a relationship with someone from another religion? Is it the influence? Could Your Grace please explain.
• QRelationshipsI am nineteen years old and for the past nine months I have been in a relationship with a twenty three year old boy. This relationship started in the most beautiful pure…
• QRelationshipsI met a young lady at a church convention. We began to talk online and on the phone for about 4 months and we both wanted to get to know each other more. I talked to…
• QRelationshipsAbout a year ago, I started talking more with a friend of mine. I met him a few years ago with his family when they came to our city on vacation, and his sister has been…
• QRelationshipsI have a relative that just came from overseas, and is very nice. She always tries to help me and stuff, but I find myself feeling annoyed by her. With her being here, I…
• QRelationshipsI feel like I am ultra-conservative in many things. For instance, I am 100% against dancing, drinking, television, and worldly music. I know a girl who is good, serves in…
• QRelationshipsI'm in a dilemma and I can't figure out what the right thing to do is from an ethical stand point. There's an old friend of mine to whom I gave the impression of interest…
• QRelationshipsI am 26 years old and I have a professional degree. I could not have been where I am today had it not been for my parents’ support and assistance. Two years ago, I met a…
• QRelationshipsFor the past 6 months I have been in a long distance relationship with a Coptic Orthodox young man. He is 25 I am 23. He is very active in his church and very involved in…
• QRelationshipsI am in my mid-twenties and have been with someone for almost 5 years. I am 100% sure that she is the person with whom I want to spend the rest of my life. We have lot in…
• QRelationshipsIf you know people who are going through a hard time and you know you could be there for them because they told you, but you choose not to be there for them even though…
• QRelationshipsI have been in a relationship for almost two years with an amazing, godly, Coptic girl. However, recently we were told by her father of confession that we should break…
• QRelationshipsI am a young woman in my mid-twenties. In the last few years, I have been hurt by men. I was never in a "serious relationship," but I was talking to men who I thought…
• QRelationshipsIs it unbiblical for a woman to pursue a man for a relationship?
• QRelationshipsShould a couple tell each other about whether they had past sexual relationships, and if so, should they reveal the previous partners identity if it is an individual with…
• QRelationships: Age DifferenceI started a new job and met this man there. We started talking and everything was going very well. I could not believe it because I have always had the worst luck when it…
• QRelationships: Teenage RelationshipsI am a 16 year-old teenage boy. There is this girl that I have liked for a long while and I still do. I know this is not the right time. Now here is the thing, from what…
• QRelationships: Teenage RelationshipsI am a sophomore in high school and have been having feelings for this guy for a while. I see him everyday whether at school or church. Everything he does increases my…
• QRole ModelThere is this family in my church whom I look up to. But lately, the father, a Godly, wise servant has done or said things that seem to be not completely spiritual;…
• QSchool and StudiesI am currently a junior in college and I hate college and studying. I really want to graduate, yet I am getting bad grades in some classes, and I think the reason is…
• QSchool and StudiesI've been taking a class for the past 3 years (6 semesters). I pass other classes except this subject. I've done everything I can. I'm almost graduating and I still can't…
• QSchool and StudiesIs skipping class wrong if your teacher does not even care?
• QSummer ActivityWhat does your Grace think of the so called "a pajama day" held in church for the children and alsothe so called "crazy hair" day? Are there any parameters for summer…
• QSunday SchoolWho is responsible for the Sunday School Program, the senior Sunday School teacher or the priest? If the senior Sunday School teacher is responsible, is he solely guided…
• QSunday SchoolI need your prayers and suggestions for my Sunday School class (7th and 8th grade). They are very hyper. I have tried to get them involved in the lesson and to make it…
• QSunday SchoolA reward system was recently implemented in our Sunday School in the hope of improving participation in class and spiritual habits: class attendance, confession, Liturgy…
• QSunday SchoolShould a servant demand respect from the ones he serves? A high school student whom I teach is a good kid. However, he oftentimes shows disrespect without realizing it…
• QSunday SchoolAs a servant in one of the high school Sunday school classes, I find difficulty in applying what the youth want to hear as a lesson. I was talking to a few of them who…
• QSwimmingAre youth allowed to go swimming or wear cut-off shirts during convention and routine church activities?
• QSwimming SuitIs wearing swimming suits a sin?
• QTVWhat is the Christian attitude towards TV. Could we watch it?
• QVocationI would like to know more about the “calling” that we receive as individuals and how we can tell if we are going in the right direction or not. "Let every man abide in…
• QYouthPlease share with me some ideas on how to keep our high school teenagers preoccupied with spiritual things?
• QYouthA youth at our church is having a difficult time finding her place in the Church--so much so; that she is considering visiting other churches. Nothing seems to help her…
• QYouthI have a high school student (very active) and a leader to two other boys. I want to bring that leader to God so he can be a good influence on two other boys and of…
• QYouthWhat is a way to respond to controversial questions, discussing strategies to prevent youth that get puzzled about issues, and how to absorb questions and answer them?
• QYouth ServiceWe are trying to revive the college youth meeting and I wanted to ask for some ideas or thoughts about that. We need help with formulating a curriculum to use for them as…
• QYouTubeIs it wrong to have your own YouTube channel?

Questions answered by His Eminence Metropolitan Youssef (opens in a new tab) of the Coptic Orthodox Diocese of the Southern United States. Questions and answers © Coptic Orthodox Diocese of the Southern United States. All rights reserved.