How important is it for you if your spouse is a different religion? How would it affect you, your parents,...?

Question

or your children?

I'm mainly looking at this from a Catholic view point, but all answers are welcome.

Answer 1

Well it depends on how different the religion is. Like if you are catholic and the other is muslim the it can cause some family issues depending on how devote each of you are.

I know that is something that me any my husband discussed thoroughly before we got married. He is Russian Orthodox and I am Evangelical. We both studied theology so we are both fairly serious. Fortunitely we are both Christians. My family was a little concerned but since he is at least a Christian they will live. His friends seem a little shocked by protestantism but they like me anyway.

Children were the more serious issue. I will probably take them to church but he wants to get them baptised which I don't believe in but it doesn't hurt anything. We really did have to hash through all that stuff though. The man thing will be that we don't "fight" about the differences or demine each others beliefs but let the children learn and make their own decision.

Answer 2

For many years, I was married to a non-believer (I'm an Episcopalian). Recently, however, with no influence or pressure from me, my spouse converted to Catholicism. We have always been close, and that was true when we didn't share similar religious beliefs. After the conversion, though, one thing that's changed is some of our intense (and very intriguing) discussions about religion. Also, we attend each other's services from time to time, and in doing so, have learned a lot about each other's beliefs.

As for children/grandchildren, we don't have any. My spouse has no living family, and I only have a few family members left (and they converted to other religions ages ago, and don't approve of either of our beliefs...but that's their problem).

Answer 3

I'm Lutheran and my first husband was Jewish. It was a big problem, although not about religion directly. It was too important to me to give in on, and it was the only area where my husband couldn't control me, so it was pretty rough. The kids were raised in both religions. My first son was the first (maybe only) one in town to be confirmed both Jewish and Christian. There were plusses and minuses. The kids got caught in the middle a lot, and both of them are pretty negative about organized religion. The younger one is 17 and in his "agnostic" stage--who knows where he'll end up. The older one is 22 and is beginning to make sense of all of it and make his own decisions.

I would recommend that you agree that you will worship together somewhere--and then celebrate the richness of the other religion. If you can't do that, you will likely hand your children all the issues that you couldn't resolve.

Answer 4

Well, I'm Wiccan and my boyfriend is an ex-Catholic, and I'd like for him to be my spouse in the future, but his former religious beliefs (I don't think he believes anything now) don't bother me.

However, we have not discussed Baptism. If we had children and he REALLY wanted them Baptized I would acquiesce, but I certainly wouldn't agree to only teach them Christianity or Catholicism.

I don't think my parents care what religion my boyfriend is. They might have an issue if he were Islamic or Jewish (my mother is VERY Christian and respects Judaism, but I doubt she'd be happy with a son-in-law who didn't believe in Christ the Redeemer).

)O(

Answer 5

Do you mean a different denomination of Christianity?or a completly differenf faith such as muslim?the first would not bother me as both would be followers of Christ however if the later then I could not accept it as scripture clearly tells us
2 Corinthians 6:4. Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?
15. What harmony is there between Christ and Belial ? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever?

Answer 6

it is very important, i'm a christian and in the bible it says something to the affect of the two should be equally yoked. it is reffering to religion. i'm kinda torn between the same question too, since i do like this muslim boy. it takes a big toll on the relationship i realized because when or if you get married religions will clash and if theres kids things can and will probably get messy. in there area of parents, if there big on religion it will cause problems. i know my parents aren't gonna go for me marrying a boy outside of my religion first off, race comes second.

Answer 7

To me, good for them, as long as they don't try to change me. My parents, when they found out I was looking at different religions, freaked out. They yelled at me, did this whole drama queen bit, and pretty much ruined my life. I let them think I'm Christian again just so they will be happy. But if they ask me, I won't lie.

But to answer your original question, it would not bother me. Religion is your personal way of getting closer to the One Being who is the true God, a God beyond anything humans can contemplate. In the words of Temperance Brennan (cool character from "Bones"), "It would be like penguins trying to think about nuclear physics."

Answer 8

Heh. When I was a teenager, I considered religion a "deal-breaker". My future spouse HAD to be the same religion, else I couldn't marry them.

Now I don't care. I realize it's not important. As long as they don't try to convert me or our children.

My parents will care, though, I'm sure. Oh well, they aren't marrying them!

Answer 9

My husband came from a very Lutheran background (his family are all Lutherans) but he is Buddhist. I came from a Baptist background but I am a Unitarian Universalist. Our families stopped being a problem when we told them that religion, organized religion, was not a large portion of our lives and therefore it didn't matter that we came from different backgrounds.

I plan to raise my children, if I ever have any, Unitarian. This will give them the opportunity to explore many different religions and choose the spiritual path that is most right for them. My husband's family and mine will not be allowed to take them to church until they are old enough to question what goes on in one and until they are old enough to stand up for their beliefs against authority. I will not have them manipulated in the ways that I was.

My husband would be perfectly happy if they weren't involved in religion at all. He is very cautious of organized religion.

Answer 10

I am not a religious individual, so I would find it extremely difficult to have a partner who was religious. I could see it causing alot of problems and arguments. However, if I were to have children, and when they got old enough they decided they wanted to go to church and practice religion, that would be okay with me.