Is it ok for a catholic to marry an atheist?

Question

I was just wondering. I am a roman catholic and all the girls I've met are atheist (except few). Can I still marry?

Answer 1

I don't think you will be happy together, just because that is a huge thing to disagree on. I mean if your catholic it seems like it would be hard for me to marry someone that i thought was going to hell for not believing in God??

Answer 2

The Catholic church may not approve of it. My mom is Catholic and married my dad (Lutheran). They had to agree the the kids would be raised Catholic, before the church would hold the wedding. I'm sure they would probably have even more of an issue with you marrying an athiest.

I'm not saying, "don't do it", because if you love the person than it shouldn't matter. But just be aware that it may not be accepted.

Answer 3

That's up to you. But I expect that your priest will still expect you to go to church and take the sacraments, and also to raise your children Catholic, and follow the Catholic dictates with respect to birth control, and things like that, it could cause an issue for you if your athiest wife wants to use birth control... Maybe you should stop and think about your faith, and take some time to try to figure out what it is that attracts you to Athiest women? I'm not saying that you shouldn't date Athiests, or anything like that, but perhaps they have a particular quality you are looking for in a woman that you aren't able to find in Catholic women? The reason I am suggesting this is only that it would offer you insight about your feelings about your religion, where *you* are with respect to Catholicism, maybe it's a good time for you to explore spiritually for a while......

Answer 4

Hi there,

Let's not get into "okay" or "not okay." It is not as thought the Church can control who you do or do not marry. It can however, and rightly so, set up guidelines and regulations of the procedure of marriage for those who, as Catholics conscious of their faith and looking to live it out as a sacrament and as part of the baptismal calling to holiness look to undertake marriage in the Catholic Church and as a sacrament.

Here's what Canon law says:

Can. 1086 §1. A marriage is invalid when one of the two persons was baptised in the Catholic Church or received into it and has not by a formal act defected from it, and the other was not baptised.

§2. This impediment is not to be dispensed unless the conditions mentioned in canons 1125 and 1126 have been fulfilled.

Let me explain. When one person is Catholic and the other is not baptised, the impediment to a valid marriage is called disparity of cult (difference of religion).

The fact that this impediment can be dispensed shows that we are not talking about an absolute here, rather, canon law puts up an impediment in order to protect the sacramental nature of marriage for the Catholic party.

That is why when one looks to what conditions need to be met in order to ask for a dispensation from the local bishop, found in canons 1125 and 1126 as mentioned in canon 1086, one sees what one would normally expect. The Catholic party is to remove the danger of defecting from the faith and is to make a sincere promise to make sure the children are brought up Catholic. The other non-Catholic party is to be made aware of the promises and obligations of the Catholic party. In other words, they are to agree that the children are to be raised Catholic. And the couple are to be instructed as to the Catholic understanding of marriage, which means the non-Catholic would have to agree to the purposes and essential properties of marriage (its indissolvability and openness to life in procreation), which of course would not impose any understanding of God on the other party.

Depending on where you live, they may be other requirements that need to be met, but the point is, it is not impossible.

Now, to the real question... should you marry an atheist. My answer is not a yes or a no. Rather I would say that maybe you should know that marriage in the Catholic sense is seen as a vocation... a calling from God, and as such, as you seem to be concerned about getting married in the Church, you might consider that God may be calling you to marry a particular woman. So, instead of introducing a law that tells you you must do this or must not do that, guess what, I advise you to pray and discern such an important decision. Talk to God. Listen to God. Tell God what your feelings on the subject are. Seek out what God's will is. I'm sure, then, He will who He is calling you to marry. And if He is calling you to marry an atheist, then be the best husband to her you could be, and by that, glorify God.

Peace be with you.

P.S. If you are looking for a good Catholic woman, go to church. If they see you at mass, or involved in some Church function, chances are you'll have more Catholic dates!

Answer 5

Yes, you can marry an atheist, but you might be opening up a can of worms. If she just doesn't care about Church or God, that's one thing. But if she is anti-God...that will be a different problem.

If you are interested in finding a Catholic girl, there is a site http://www.catholicsingles.com where you can look for girls in your area who are Catholic.

Answer 6

Sure, as long as you can agree to disagree about religion. Don't force her to go to church, and let the kids decide for themselves. This may go against the belief that you should bring your children up in the church, but Paul said that if your husband or wife is not a believer then you should not divorce them or put them away because they are sanctified through your belief, and would not be without it.

Also, that you should train a child in the way he should go... this does not necessarily mean taking them to church, but showing them how to live as good people who can make good decisions. The society we live in needs religious tolerance, because we have many faiths and no faith. You want your children to be able to work together and get along with everyone. Prejudging people based on belief kinda hinders that. But that's another question for another time.

I'm not a christian, but I used to be and my wife still is. We get along great for the most part, but being married means adjusting to another person in just about all things. Good luck to you, and I wish you the best in finding a mate you can spend your life with. Take your time and choose wisely.

Answer 7

Sure, just so Ur not a Christian, no problem as U won't be Un-Equally Yoked, just 2 Non Believers both of the Worldly System. II Cor. 6:14 "Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness?" (NASB ©1995) Why ask here though, don't U have a "Priest" who can "Indulge" ($$$) Ur desires??? John

Answer 8

How badly do you want to stay a Catholic?

As an atheist male, so far, every Catholic I've dated has either abandoned their religion or broken up with me because they feared they were losing their faith.

Now, let me note, your church will NOT allow you to marry an atheist unless that person a. converts, or b. pretends to convert. Of course, you can get married outside of the church, but the church will not recognize the marriage.

Answer 9

Yes, you can marry anyone from any religion or as in your case, an atheist. However, you cannot marry her in your faith. She has to be converted and baptized as a Catholic.

Answer 10

You can marry whoever you want. I don't think it's expressly forbidden, but St. Paul suggests against being "unequally yoked" just because it will cause a world of troubles. Never enter it thinking you can change someone, and be prepared for a lot of arguments if you are religious and your wife is not.