Muslim/Catholic?

Question

My boyfriend and I are thinking of getting married. He is Muslim and I am Catholic. We've discussed the options of getting married. The Catholic Church DOES allow me to marry a Muslim and he IS allowed to marry me. The problem comes to how we would raise our kids (Catholic or Muslim). Of course, both our faiths would like them raised in their respective places. After much discussion, we are tossing around the following thoughts and would like some advice...

1) Even though neither one of our faiths agree with birth control, we really don't want to have kids and would rather avoid it altogether give the circumstances of our beliefs.

2) If we did decide to have kids, does it seem possible to raise the kids to understand both beliefs and let them decide on their own? Would it be best to go together as a family to both the Church and Mosque every week? That way, it's equal for all?

Answer 1

Not sure what using birth control has to do with raising kids.

Anyway, here's the deal. If you raise your kids to understand that they can pick either Islam or Catholicism, basically what you are teaching them is these choices are optional.

If they're optional, then neither one of them can possibly be true. Because truth is never optional. A statement is either true or not true, regardless of whether or not anybody believes in it.

So if you raise your kids to believe that they can either choose Islam or choose Catholicism and it doesn't matter which, you're basically raising them to understand that neither one of these is true and there is no reason for them to choose either of them.

Is that what you want to do?

Answer 2

Your best option is to forget the whole thing. Islam does not tolerate interfaith marriages now matter what they told you. After you get married you are going to start being pressured to convert to Islam.
There is too much of a culture difference. And you need to understand this thoroughly. In Islam a woman is considered a second class citizen little more that Chattel to be bought and sold.

Answer 3

tough situation, but i gotta tell you that #2 wud really trouble the kids an confuse them! They might even end up chosing none! As for #1, wud u really want to give up being a mother for something you two can probably settle with time?
I admit it's a tough choice, but think it through...
and btw in Islam, the children must be raised Muslim in a situation like yours...

Answer 4

Birth control by pills is allowed in Islam if it's not harmful to the woman.

Number 2 doesn't look good because it is against Islam to teach a person blasphemy or help them learn it - let alone if it was your own child.

Answer 5

In Islam .. The son of a Muslim is a Muslim..in other words must be a Muslim, Islam allows a man to marry a christian or a Jewish and also allows her to keep her beliefs

Answer 6

Birth control is allowed in Islam, i mean the use of pills. And about raising them it is better to raise them on one religion, even grown ups will get confused if you present them with 2 religions. Later in life they decide if they want to carry on.

Answer 7

I strongly suggest you read what the Catechism says about this (with a focus on sections 1633 to 1637) :
http://www.usccb.org/catechism/text/pt2sect2chpt3art7.htm
I also suggest you call the Catholic Answers hotline: [phone] and talk to your parish priest.

Answer 8

Your idea is fine. Would it be nice to raise children who can respect both religion? As long as you show no hatred nor irritation towards islam, believe me your children will grow up tolerant and dignified members of the society.

We don't teach children by telling them what to do or not to do, but by the examples that we show them...

Answer 9

Don't have kids if the two of you agree you don't want to.
The Muslim faith demands a Muslim father raise his children Muslim no ifs ands or buts about it.

Answer 10

Let your kid make up his own mind. Just raise your child to be a good person and let that child find a religion that makes sense to him, be it Catholic, Muslim, Jew or SubGenni.