Christian teachings on romantic love guide people away from self-centered forms of romantic behavior toward relationships that focus on the happiness and well-being of the other person.
What seem like restraints are actually guidelines for the most fulfilling human relationships, which involve selflessly loving another person.
As more people study Christian teachings about romantic love, some people will misunderstand them as being too restrictive. However, Christian teachings are intended to free people from the constraints of self-centered behavior. How often does romantic love involve a person who tries to use someone they are attracted to for selfish reasons? This isn’t to say that it is wrong for a person to be attracted to another, but that real love is not selfish and that attraction should not be the foundation for a romantic relationship.
What seem like restraints are actually guidelines for the most fulfilling human relationships, which involve selflessly loving another person. Christian teachings on romantic love guide people away from self-centered forms of romantic behavior toward relationships that focus on the happiness and well-being of the other person.
What seems restrictive on a superficial level actually helps a person overcome the pitfalls of natural desires that are selfish and harmful to the other person. Relationships that do not focus on the life and happiness of the other person are actually the restrictive ones because they can be controlling and they leave the other person feeling that they are not genuinely cared about. Christian teachings on romantic love are not restrictive but liberating.