Do I like him or do i like the idea of him?

I'm a 16 y/o christian girl, and recently I've been slightly falling for this guy at my youth group. He's easy-going, attractive, funny, and I just enjoy talking to him and stuff.
However, I'm not sure if I have feelings for him for who he is (that is, a great person who I like spending time with), or if I like him for what he stands for in my eyes (that is, an attractive christian male with a firm faith).
Basically, I'm asking do you think there is a difference between liking someone and liking what they stand for, or do they go hand in hand? And how can I distinguish that difference??

In my experience, if you just like the idea of someone, then as you spend more time with them, the less you feel that they're special, or right for you.

When you really like the person, however, the more time you spend with them, the more interesting and special they feel as their individuality shines through the "type" and captures your heart.

I'm a 16 y/o christian girl, and recently I've been slightly falling for this guy at my youth group. He's easy-going, attractive, funny, and I just enjoy talking to him and stuff.
However, I'm not sure if I have feelings for him for who he is (that is, a great person who I like spending time with), or if I like him for what he stands for in my eyes (that is, an attractive christian male with a firm faith).
Basically, I'm asking do you think there is a difference between liking someone and liking what they stand for, or do they go hand in hand? And how can I distinguish that difference??

I'm a 16 y/o christian girl, and recently I've been slightly falling for this guy at my youth group. He's easy-going, attractive, funny, and I just enjoy talking to him and stuff.
However, I'm not sure if I have feelings for him for who he is (that is, a great person who I like spending time with), or if I like him for what he stands for in my eyes (that is, an attractive christian male with a firm faith).
Basically, I'm asking do you think there is a difference between liking someone and liking what they stand for, or do they go hand in hand? And how can I distinguish that difference??

In my experience, if you just like the idea of someone, then as you spend more time with them, the less you feel that they're special, or right for you.

When you really like the person, however, the more time you spend with them, the more interesting and special they feel as their individuality shines through the "type" and captures your heart.

As a fellow Christian, I would advise you to not be too engaged with your feelings to the point that your faith would be compromised as the Bible says: They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world" (John 17 vs 16). I had a nice feeling to know that he is a Christian as well. Don't judge him based on attraction only.

Judging by your age, you are still too young to think about relationships. Focus on God, your education and acquiring communication skills for now by interacting with people and building interpersonal skills with your peers.

If you still feel the same in a few years from now let's say 20 or more then ask Jesus to provide you with guidance and a sign to show that you and him are meant to be together. Also pray and fast about it. Only then would you know if you like him or the idea of him.

As a Christian, relationships are only allowed (no sex before marriage etc), if it would lead to marriage. As the Bible says: "And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." (Romans 12 vs 2). God bless.

This is a very good summary ^

I think liking the idea of someone happens more when you are younger. I see it for two reasons usually. First it's something hobby or interest based: when you're in a student environment you tend to have a restricted pool of people that you meet and they are mostly similar as everyone tries to conform. So some people find it hard to find their ideal kind of partner that they have seen in literature and stuff.

You get situations where students have a crush on their lecturer or a PhD student/seminar tutor at uni because the student is really in to history or literature or whatever and don't find their fellow students quite as in to it but an older person that knows more about it suddenly looks attractive and the idea of being with them sounds great.

I remember a girl at my uni did an internship working on a national newspaper and one of the guys there was about 26, Oxford graduate, got published regularly in the paper and went off to interesting conferences around the world, she totally loved the idea of being in that kind of world and she completely fell for him, but when they got together it fell apart quite quickly.

The other type of situation where people like the idea of someone is when they are struggling to get over an ex and want to try to replace them with as close a like for like replacement as possible. One of my female friends is still not over her ex that played in a band, and she goes on tinder and basically just looks for guys that play in a band, and have similar characteristics to him (dark hair, slim, short), as she is trying to recapture him in someone else.