Interfaith Dating

[icemodeled]

I think its really wrong for those who are just saying go for it. This is a serious thing, least to me a relationship is serious. I just don't enter a relationship for the fun of it. Being that I have been where you are, and I did 'go for it' because at the time I was away from God/church and all. My faith was weak and I didn't really care(I was around 18) We dated and I really did love/care about him. Really, things were SO tough between us because of our faiths. He wasn't Christian, really nothing. He just didn't care or think about it much. Its been a big struggle. 2 years later, he has accepted christ into his heart and as his savior! I think things will really improve for us.

I don't think this outcome will be for all cases though. If she is very strong in her faith and unwilling to change(not saying your trying to convert or anything) but it will be tough. If your faith is important to you then of course its going to be a huge struggle and probably a lot of pain/arguments/fights. This is from personal experience. Do I think it COULD work? maybe, but like I said it would be a much smoother, happier relationship with someone who can share your faith and support each other in it - which is what God intended.

My last relationship(also non believer) pulled me down and away from God(even though I would say I was strong in my faith) over time I stopped going to church and all. I regret it, but I'm stronger then ever and have someone who I love who shares my beliefs. Whatever you choose, just really think about it. Look towards the future also. The person you spend your life with/have kids with, how would you teach them two different faiths. would you be okay with that.. just a lot to think about it. I never thought about it, and I went down a very hard road.

 

[xxJaydie]

I'm in total agreeance that it is incredibly important to be equally yoked in a relationship! Ultimately, and if all goes well, the person we enter into a relationship will become our husband or wife. If you really love the Lord, you won't marry somebody who doesn't. Marriage is becoming one: one body, one soul, one spirit. There can't be complete unity (which marriage should be) if you are both of a different spirit.

Yes I'll admit there are times when Christians marry non-believers and the non-believer becomes a believer... but out of all the couples I know, that's a 1/4 ratio. Probably even smaller. The couple I know that married when she was a believer and he was not now admit "It was stupid, we are just extremely blessed that it worked out and God had his hands on us" and they would not recommend others doing as they did, they can now see it was pretty dumb at the time. God just used their dumb for good in this instance

But seriously don't date the girl unless she becomes a believer and has some time to just rest in Jesus for a bit first. I can't imagine having a fiance that didn't love the Lord as I do. I wouldn't be able to discuss the most important parts of my life with him on a deep level that he would understand. That would be most distressing for our relationship!

All the best! Hope you make the right decision

 

[lifetheuniverse]

If you like her and share many things in common then become friends. That is the safest thing.

Dating her is riskier on a spiritual level. From what I have heard when a christian dates a non-christian God tends to remove some favor from their life.

However I have also heard of a good christian man who worked hard, could never find a christian woman in his entire church to marry, and finally around the age of twenty-five ended up in a pre-marital relationship with a local woman from another country that made him very happy.

Please consider another church, or even college if you can't find suitable partners to date. This is an important life stage and if you can only find a compatible non-christian partner near you then it is a sign that where you are living or doing right now isn't meeting the life-stage responsibilities that God has put within you.

 

[molimar]

Learn more about her faith and communicating your Christian values in terms of hers. Read about Buddhism.

God is the alpha and omega = Energy is. Let Go = Let God. Allow the Holy Spirit = Allow the energy to flow in (inner peace). There are similarities if you look hard enough. Your difference is you choose Jesus. Everyone has a choice.

Basically people do not resist change, they resist being changed. Live out your faith.

 

[grew]

Probably the most common interfaith dating situation I have received emails about is a Christian dating a Mormon. The biggest difficulty I run into in addressing this issue is neither party in the relationship .

 

[Luther073082]

Nihilist, you make me laugh.
To the OP: ignoring all this repetition of a single passage, my only question is this. Does she make you happy?

God did not put us on this earth to be happy. We where put on this earth to serve God. Happiness is open to pursuit only when it doesn't violate God's standards. Marriage to unbeleievers while you are a beliver violates said standards.

When my partner and I began dating, I was agnostic. I'm Christian now, but I wasn't then. I converted because he showed me the true way, but I doubt I would've found it on my own. The same could be said for you and this girl.

Yours turned out well, most interfaith relationships don't turn out that well however.

One can witness the faith without being in a romantic relationship with another though.

And everyone who is saying 'oh well, how will you raise your children?', my first question is this, how do you know for sure they will have children?

But what if they do? If he follows what we are telling him and does not have children, no harm will come. If he does not follow what we are telling him and has children then his children may be damned to hell because they worship a false God taught to them by their mother.

Don't count your chickens. And my second is more of a request. Let the children decide which faith they want to believe in.

Like it or not, no matter what faith children are taught they will eventually choose their own faith. Teaching them one faith only makes it easier for them to become faithful Christians. However they will still and always have the choice as to what faith they want to practice. Teaching a faith does not take away that choice.

I know that better then anyone as I was taught a diest faith where you can make God agree with you on everything, while I became a Christian when I became an adult.

 

[Fatally.Yours]

I'm going to say this is a bad idea and you should leave her well alone.
I'm an atheist, and I could stretch to dating a Buddhist, Pagan or Wiccan, but definitely not a Christian (or a Jew or Muslim for that matter).
So I don't think Christians dating non-believers is a good idea.