I think aside from that if you are 'dating' it means you on a date with someone and going out, it means you are not single you are with that person alone for a few hours, so you are a couple or potential couple for those two or three hours you are dating. Its pretty much the intent.
You dont want to be single.
if you make the commitment whatver way you do it, hold hands, exhange rings, locks of hair, spit or blood or WHATEVER you obviously want to form a bond, maybe permanetly with the other person. If you go so far to have a baby, change your name, location and address to anothers and leave your family behind, obviously that is a huge life change for someone. Some people think they can bribe someone to do this by offering a lot of money.
I dont know how much different this is from prostituion...