I strongly agree with you, cupcakeme, that friendship needs to come before romance in a relationship. It's a tragedy how many couples rush into romance with one another without knowing much about each other's goals, interests, morals, etc.
And, although I think both men and women find it difficult to maintain a friendship when one of the two experiences unrequited romantic attraction toward the other, if it can be done, it is a wonderful thing.
Jayzeee, I think you are taking things in the right order.
Even if/when you find that one particular person to enter into a romantic relationship and marriage with, you may be blessed with numerous friendships that you can retain.
I think it is possible to have many friendships while preserving monogamy in marriage.
Chioniso, thanks for the Bible references and for your desire to submit to God's will.
I certainly agree with you that sexual lust is wrong. I'm sorry if my comment indicated anything otherwise.
And, while my statement about being monogamously married being better than being in lust was not a Bible quote, it was a paraphrase of part of two Bible verses that I cite below.
In I Corinthians 7:9 the Apostle Paul states ". . . it is better to marry than to burn with passion" as the New International Version puts it.
And I Corinthians 7:2 in the King James Version states "Nevertheless to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband." This is monogamy.
