Interfaith marriages-do they work?

pinkshoes

A person true to most religions would not marry someone outside it.

Many religious people pick and choose which bits of the religion they want to abide by.

As an athiest I would not marry a religious person.

andygb

My OH and me were brought up in different faiths, but as we both have the same views on "organised religion" we get along fine :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:
I think that problems happen when one or both people are very fundamentalist in their views, which either means blazing rows over nothing of importance, or one person being constantly bullied into accepting the other person's views.

Dunroamin

sharnad wrote: »

She's a fairweather Christian that only belives in the part of the bible that suit her though she is still extreme compared to some Christians. She is entitled to her beliefs though.

Most Christians don't follow Old Testament teachings and there's a difference between being devout and extreme.

Hermia

CH27 wrote: »

I know several couples were a Christian has married a non believer & bought them to faith.

I used to work with a devout (but very compassionate) Christian who fell in love with someone who wasn't religious. He asked her if she would go on an Alpha course for him. She did and found God. Unfortunately she really threw herself into it and became quite extreme in her views. For example, screaming abuse at women leaving the local Marie Stopes clinic, screaming abuse at people leaving the showing of an 18 film at the cinema and generally doing lots of screaming abuse. She thought of nothing but the church 24 hours a day and it actually led to the break-up of the marriage. It was completely bizarre.

As an atheist I admit I would struggle having a relationship with a religious person, although obviously it does depend on the person. I do have religious friends, but I do think that's different.

Torry_Quine

Hermia wrote: »

I used to work with a devout (but very compassionate) Christian who fell in love with someone who wasn't religious. He asked her if she would go on an Alpha course for him. She did and found God. Unfortunately she really threw herself into it and became quite extreme in her views. For example, screaming abuse at women leaving the local Marie Stopes clinic, screaming abuse at people leaving the showing of an 18 film at the cinema and generally doing lots of screaming abuse. She thought of nothing but the church 24 hours a day and it actually led to the break-up of the marriage. It was completely bizarre.

As an atheist I admit I would struggle having a relationship with a religious person, although obviously it does depend on the person. I do have religious friends, but I do think that's different.

I will never understand or condone anyone who screams abuse outside clinics even if disagreeing with what they do. :mad: While many 18 certificate films are not my taste I can't see why in the vast majority of cases they would be deserving of such behaviour.

Very sad that this happened.

Tropez

Angelicdevil wrote: »

I don't understand that, to me that comment makes it sound like your faith is fragile?

I'm an atheist but from my point of view it makes sense for Christians not to feel bound by what is in the Old Testament.

The Old Testament is largely a collection of stories with a socio-political context. Much of what is written is not the word of god, nor even a second or third hand account of the word of god, but instead it is a collection of rules written by man incorrectly attributed to god.

Many of the more extreme and contemptible passages in the Old Testament are part of these bizarre rules dreamed up my the rulers of the time; rulers who much like the later monarchs of Europe, believed themselves to have a divine or god-given right to rule. They believed themselves to have been appointed to their positions of power by the almighty and thus insisted that whatever rules they came up with, no matter how warped and twisted, were also the rules that god would insist upon and so much of their stories and laws became part of early faith.

The NT is, mostly, the recollections of the actual (alleged) son of god from the point of view of his followers. As Christians believe that this man is indeed the son of god, part of the holy trinity and therefore in the most accurate place to speak the word of god (ignoring the obvious problem with the books of the disciples being written decades after his death), it makes sense that they would place far more credence on what this man said (and what he didn't say) than the rantings of the politicised, power mad individuals that gave themselves titles implying their connection to the almighty.

Treevo

I'm an atheist and I will do whatever it takes to ensure my children are free from religious indoctrination until they are old enough to posses critical thinking skills. My entire family is atheist - even my Jewish brother in law.

My OH's parents live in the US most of the year so they are 'Christians' though members of a very liberal church - the pastor (or whatever he is) offered to marry us and seems to be more Christian than any other I've ever come across. Certainly more so than the 'if you don't believe what I do, you're not a Christian' brigade.

duchy

Torry_Quine wrote: »

I'm Christian not Jewish so that doesn't apply.


'.

Oh Torry - I laughed out loud at this.

So by your theory the Old Testament is invalid (to Christians).....so therefore also the Ten Commandments ? I really think you might want to have a chat with your priest, vicar or whatever if you truly believe Christians believe in only the New Testament and not the Old.

Perhaps you belong to some kind of fundamentalist sect ? Your beliefs certainly are not mainstream CoE.

I can sort of see where you are coming from as you've never had true respect for other religions so can't even begin to understand how a couple can live side by side in unity -both following their own faiths........I bet in your house not following the same football team or not voting the same way is unthinkable too I think you really should "Get out more" and broaden your horizons. If you are strong in your own faith mixing with those of other faiths honestly won't weaken yours ...which appears to be what motivates your fear of other faiths.

neverdespairgirl

Torry_Quine wrote: »

I'm Christian not Jewish so that doesn't apply.

It's in the Old Testament part of the Holy Bible, though. So why doesn't it apply?

neverdespairgirl

Torry_Quine wrote: »

Yes churches disagree on some things and personally I disagree with divorcees not being allowed communion. However the bible is very clear here. 2 Corinthians 6:14 tells us not to marry non-Christians and to be honest I didn't realise that many didn't follow this.

doesn't look terribly clear to me. It says:

Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?

"unequally yoked" doesn't appear to me to be the same as "marriage".