Is it okay to be unequally yoked? dont be shy...let me know your opinions....Religion has alot to do with lifestyle.
2007-09-12 19:51:47 · 34 answers · asked by Asker_765 3 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Any extra-religoius relationship is totally dependant on respect.
People are not trophies, or their conversion some prize.
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2007-09-13 01:38:30 · answer #1 · answered by Rai A 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
You should be able to determine your lifestyle apart from religion.
Don't let things that people tell you win over what you feel to be true in your heart.
If you love/like her, you should date her.
I believe that one only becomes destructive the moment they stop objectively questioning their own intentions. Righteousness is a hopeful fool's concept.
You have a big decision to make. You need to decide whether you're a dreamer or a thinker. If you're capable of rational thought, you should give this girl a chance. If you choose to depend on your "beliefs" rather than good judgment and moral values alone you're simply misleading yourself from a much stronger truth. Life is short, love is good.
Happiness can be as easy to obtain as it is difficult to find. Sometimes it comes as the result of hard work and persistence. Sometimes it falls into our laps. If you're attracted to her, you should take the oppertunity to make her and yourself happy.
Lifestyle can be faked. Most "Christians" do it. I was raised as a Christian and being a somewhat rational person, my faith always carried a trace of doubt. I'm convinced now that this sliver of doubt would have always lived in my mind. I tried several times to believe and convince myself, but I never completely could.
Atheism is not a cold concept. It's just rational. If reason is a tool of the devil, well, at least he's reasonable...
Wow, what a terrible answer to your question.
2007-09-12 20:11:00 · answer #2 · answered by Cosmodot 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The Bible is very clear about being unequally yoked in relationships. "Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God." It is more than just believing in God or not. It's how you handle yourself as a whole, and what you stand for in life and morality. The original plan of prohibiting marriage outside the faith was so that the children would be raised in a Christian home, and not have conflicting views and upbringing. In today's society, not as many people put emphasis on such things as morality.
If you like this person, start by being friends with them. Be honest about going to church, and NEVER compromise your faith. Remain pure in heart and virtue, and regular in church attendance. Let this person see who you truly are, and what is important to you. You will know in your heart if you want to go to the next level of dating. It's possible this person will see the goodness and light of God in you, and give their life to Christ. It's also possible they will turn away from you.
I will say from experience, that dating a non-believer was one of the hardest things for me. We never agreed on stuff, didn't really have anything in common, and he was not understanding of why I wouldn't be intimate with him. But, I stuck to my faith, and even though things didn't work out romantically, he is still a good friend, and always respected me. He always knew how I felt and what I believed, because I never compromised my testimony.
So, all in all, dating outside the faith is difficult, and the Bible speaks against it. You need to make your choice from there.
2007-09-12 20:11:57 · answer #3 · answered by notarycat 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
"Do not be yoked to unbelievers" refers to marriage, not dating, although arguably that's where the pairing-off process begins in our society. If you are Christian and the young lady is not, yet there are many good qualities about her (otherwise you wouldn't be considering dating her, yes?), there's much to be said for allowing her to see what following Christ means to you and how you live your life. More people are won to the faith by example than by preaching.
As time goes on, if the possibility of making a permanent commitment comes up, do proceed with your eyes wide open. If you decide to marry, and she is still an unbeliever, your marriage (the union between you) will not have Christ as its head unless or until she converts. It's not a totally impossible situation, but it can be difficult. Scripture acknowledges that unbelieving spouses can be "won without a word", but it does not guarantee that they will.
Still, there's 1 Corinthians 14 to ponder in that situation: "For the unbelieving husband has been sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife has been sanctified through her believing husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy."
2007-09-13 05:19:29 · answer #4 · answered by Clare † 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It just might be a wonderful chance to learn something from a different point of view. While it is true that Christians do not like to learn things that are not in the Bible, wouldn't it be great to find out what life is really about? And, further, why not date someone from some other religion, then you could learn even more. I don't know, it seems to me that life is supposed to be a learning experience. If you don't put yourself in a position to learn how can you become wise.
2007-09-12 21:56:53 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Good question! By the way you worded the second part, I think you already pretty much know the answer- but I'll try and tackle it anyway!
From my own personal standpoint and looking at it from a practical sense, my answer would be "no". I mean, If your faith makes up the core of who you are, then it would be extremely difficult to have an intimate, long-lasting relationship because you'd both be coming from two polar opposite ends of your belief systems. I mean, you can only talk about the weather, sports, entertainment, politics, fashions, hobbies, work, and your wonderful loving "feelings" for each other for so long before you need more substance! And that substance is your personal relationship with God. If you can't support each other, build each other up , and share that common bond in Christ, you are settling for less than what God intends for you.
But let's look at it even further...let's say you DO marry an non-Christian. You figure, hey, I love her and we'll make it work. I'll go to church by myself, pray by myself and have friends and close relationships with other Christians, so it'll be no big deal. But then along comes the children- then comes the HUGE question: how do you bring them up? Do they go to church? Do you teach them what God's Word says?
Remember, I'm coming from the angle that your faith in Christ is of the utmost importance to you and you want to share this faith with your children. Hopefully your wife would be in agreement with you, but more often than not, the non-Christian spouse is just as adamant that their children not have to go to church and not be taught something that they themselves don't believe. I've had several friends that married non-Christians because they rushed into marriage because they were SO in love, not contemplating the problems they would face later. Two of the marriages have ended up in divorce and the other is in a bitterly sad marriage where they hardly talk to each other because the husband doesn't even want the wife to mention God at all to their children and won't let her take them to church.
Ultimately, it doesn't matter what I think...or even what you think. The bottom line is: if you have a strong faith in God, it only matters what He thinks, which means your question can only be answered in God's Word and 2 Corinthians 6:14-15 spells it out quite plainly-
"Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?...what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever?"
Sorry to be so long, but for a question this important, one or two sentences just doesn't cut it!
2007-09-12 20:40:11 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
A religion is ( or should be) a small part of our vast lives and should not be allowed to impact upon such major decisions.That apart,if a clear cut understanding has been worked out before hand,then a lots of things get taken care of in subsequent life.As far as life styles go,Christianity is quite a modern religion as compared to many others.should not be an issue.
2007-09-12 20:05:26 · answer #7 · answered by brkshandilya 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It does say in the Bible not to be unequally yoked, that person could be the stumbling block that will cause you to get out of Gods will
2007-09-12 19:56:15 · answer #8 · answered by purpleaura1 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I dated and married a non-christian. For 8 1/2 years of drug abuse and other abuse I stayed because I had made this choice not God and I felt I should own up to it. However, God does not want us to be in such situations. Follow His plan for you. A woman who will grow with you in Him, a spiritual equal or greater. That is what the bible teaches.
2007-09-12 19:56:51 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Think its better you date a fellow christian it will make you bond better you can go to church together that's more time spent together,you pray together say at home that is more time spent together you will probably have similar solutions to problems.Do misinterprete this does not mean segregation against other religions.Difference in religion is the first difference in a relationship.
2007-09-12 20:01:38 · answer #10 · answered by Sophie N 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Not dating someone because they're the wrong religion is crunchy. Or perhaps it's bigoted, I don't remember which of those two adjectives is the best term to describe discrimination but I'm certain it's one of the two.
2007-09-12 20:01:11 · answer #11 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋