subllibrm said:
If you join the Marines at 18 you are a mature adult and can date anyone you want without your parent's permission.
If you go to Bible College at 18 you are no where near an adult, immature and must have mommy and daddy approve of your dating choice.
My take on the issue is that it has nothing to do with maturity, but everything to do with accountability. If a child is raised to seek his/her parent's counsel in the area of dating, regardless if they're in the Marines or in Bible college, they're going to seek that counsel.
My daughters wouldn't dream of buying a car without asking for my advice. The car will last 10 years or so. Why wouldn't I want to help them make a decision that will last the rest of their life?
Pick a mate for them? Absolutely not. But, I hope that I have painted a clear picture for them since they were little girls of what kind of man they should marry so that when he does show up, they'll recognize him immediately.