Dating athiests?

[peace4all]

Now, here ius something interesting.

Most christians I know beleive that their denomination is correct right? now, I also know of people who are liek "wow, I was soo blind, my former denomination was soo wrong, this new one is the right one because the message from god is clearer and it leads me to god better etc.."

what if dating other denominations does that. Would the one you love only want the best for you? and if your both diffrent denominations, maybe one will switch over to the one that seems better as a christian?

 

[Featherbop]

Yes, even among same religion couples, different denominations cause problems. Someone has to turn to the other's.

Some people can accept someone's different denomination as long as the religion is the same. It just seems better to date/marry someone that holds almost exactly the same religious(not to mention political) beliefs.

 

[peace4all]

true.

I could never hook up with a conservative.. I just.. can't//

 

[Featherbop]

true.

I could never hook up with a conservative.. I just.. can't//

And many conservatives couldn't with liberals. Extreme differences just do not work in dating/marriage. But most people get with someone likeminded, so it isn't a huge problem.

 

[Shinto]

My wife is agnostic.

It's a funny thing about love. You come up to a problem with no solution. There is no way out. You both agree the situation is unworkable. Then you just do it anyway.

We are limited people. There is no way to know what the plan for us is or what role we are meant to play in the plan for someone else. All we can do is pray and have love.

Maybe being married to someone with different beliefs isn't the ideal circumstance for practicing. Well, when is life ever so obliging as to put us in an ideal circumstance? My path with God so far hasn't been one of ideal circumstances. Often times the situation seemed totally unworkable. That's the funny thing about love though. You go forward anyway.

 

[sydbarrettangel]

lol, my boyfriend's a liberal and I'm a conservative. It's fun ^_^

 

[peace4all]

Lookin at some of my friends relationships.

alot of liberal - conservative relationships workj out, because honestly, most youths these days just dont care. They dont realy understand what their side is about, or why they are there, they just are. Maybe for 1 issue and thats it.. Those ppl will work out fine.


The relationships that wouldnt are like, condi and michale moore... those... ya...

 

[Loren Michael]

eh, my ex-girlfriend was a mostly-liberal catholic. i'm a spiritually deadened conservative-ish libertarian. it didn't work out because i tore down her beliefs all the time. to be fair, i only did it because she kept on confronting me with them.

i'm fairly confident that i am incompatible with that kind of person. i will make sure that i don't get involved in that sort of thing again.

 

[Brother Ian]

2 Cor 6:14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?

Vic said all that needs to be said.

Don't do it.

 

[Guest]

My wife is a Christian. I'm a deist. We have no problems, but it helps that my religion isn't one that condemns non-believers to hell. We've agreed that our children will be raised as Christian. I go to church with her. We get along spendidly, but it helps that she's a liberal Californian flavor of Christian.

All in all, I think that inter-faith relationships can work if both parties are a little open-minded and willing to compromise. For those with strict adherence to the minutae of their denomination/religion, it's not going to work.

For marriage, anyway. I can't see any problems with dating people with different religions, even dramatically so. Getting different perspectives is rarely a bad thing. For someone who's comfortable and secure in his faith, exposure to other views generally results in a stronger understanding of one's own.

 

[living4onlyJC]

God did say not be unequally yoked. I certainly don't want to go against anything God says. He has a reason for everything he says.

What is your purpose of dating an atheist or anybody who is not a christian if you are not going to marry the person?
I mean...the purpose of dating is to find your future spouse. You could still hang out w/ the person... why date him/her?

 

[Guest]

I mean...the purpose of dating is to find your future spouse. You could still hang out w/ the person... why date him/her?

Some would say that there are multiple reasons for dating, including learning more about what you want in a spouse, and simply having fun. Do you really think that you could learn absolutely nothing useful from someone of a different religion? That's a pretty myopic outlook, right there.

 

[Orthodox Christian]

Indeed. Didn't Jesus say to shun the unbelievers, avoid the lepers, and not, under any circumstances, associate with moneylenders?

yes, in an effort to make christianity as esoteric and cloistered as possible.

Of course we know He said nothing of the sort. Offhanded sarcasm aside, marrying someone with views and values similar to one's own could hardly be labeled 'cloistering.'

Spouses often have diverse views on many things, and this provides interest and spark and dialogue...as I have learned in 17 years of marriage :D

However, it is critical that husbands and wives share certain key values regarding child rearing, finances, and morality, or the already difficult task of staying together through the inevitable hardships is made nearly insurmountable.

I would strongly advocate and advise against interfaith marriages of any kind.

 

[Loren Michael]

[quote="Loren Michael":2345d]

Indeed. Didn't Jesus say to shun the unbelievers, avoid the lepers, and not, under any circumstances, associate with moneylenders?

yes, in an effort to make christianity as esoteric and cloistered as possible.

Of course we know He said nothing of the sort. Offhanded sarcasm aside, marrying someone with views and values similar to one's own could hardly be labeled 'cloistering.'

Spouses often have diverse views on many things, and this provides interest and spark and dialogue...as I have learned in 17 years of marriage :D

However, it is critical that husbands and wives share certain key values regarding child rearing, finances, and morality, or the already difficult task of staying together through the inevitable hardships is made nearly insurmountable.

I would strongly advocate and advise against interfaith marriages of any kind.[/quote:2345d]

yeah, i apologize for that comment now that i see it again. it was kind of backhanded and i actually agree with the position to a certain degree now that i think about it. pardon me, guys.

 

[J6o7h8n3]

The way God speaks to me about this is, you should not date atheists or a person with other beliefs, because of being unequally yoked, but if they show an interest in you, turn them not down, they see something in you deeper than just you. People follow things they like, if somebody likes the Christ within you, how much more can they not like the Christ who has forgiven our sins? Why not spend a little time with them and show Christ within you to them. To spend time with them and let them see Christ within you does not mean you have to date them and you shouldnt. The only problem you may get into with spending time with them is temptation. If you feel you may not be able to control yourself around this girl/guy because of stronger feelings than just wanting to lead them to Christ, you may want to resist from spending any time with this person.

 

[Crazy Elf]

If you feel you may not be able to control yourself around this girl/guy because of stronger feelings than just wanting to lead them to Christ, you may want to resist from spending any time with this person.

Stronger feelings being love perhaps? I'm pretty sure that's supposed to be rather important, and something you're supposed to feel a great deal of as a Christian. However, what would your solution be in that situation? You love someone beyond wanting to lead them to Christ, so... give up?

 

[J6o7h8n3]

Showing our love does not mean we should setup ourselves with temptation or harm. We should simply refrain from things that may cause us to fail and stumble, and that is why we pray to God, to lead us not into temptation. If you feel this guy/girl may lead you into temptation sexually or something else that is not right with God, you should turn away. Do you see how rats are lured into mouse traps with cheese? The trap is our stumbling block, the temptation is the cheese, the rat is you. I am sure as a rat with common sense you would not take a chance at grabbing that cheese with knowing that trap may go off. This is why I say we should turn away, if we feel we will be tempted. There is also many ways to show your love without setting up for things that will lead you astray.

 

[bibleberean]

God did say not be unequally yoked. I certainly don't want to go against anything God says. He has a reason for everything he says.

What is your purpose of dating an atheist or anybody who is not a christian if you are not going to marry the person?
I mean...the purpose of dating is to find your future spouse. You could still hang out w/ the person... why date him/her?

You have the right attitude. The man you should marry is a man who loves God more than you...

But wait a few years...