The church date

Is church the new meet market?

A guest blogger tackles that question on the AJC's dating blog, describing the pros and cons of meeting a significant other at church. My favorite part: The "God told me you were my spouse" pickup line.

I've heard tons of stories from readers who met partners at church. The concept makes sense: In theory, you're in a pool of people with the same values and ideals.

And it's significantly less sleazy than the bar scene...assuming you leave room for the Holy Spirit.

But tread lightly. Much like the gym, some people view church as a sanctuary where you go to be "in the zone" for an hour. Uninvited pickup lines taint that process.

Finding romance at church is great -- if your relationship works.

If it doesn't, you're forced to associate a place traditionally rooted in love with, well, anything but.