Can a Religious and Non religious relationship work?

[propita]

When neither is religious, being of different religions isn't a big problem. I'm white, raised conservative Jewish. Hubby is Mexican, raised Catholic. Both pretty lapsed in faith, let alone specific religion.

I know of a couple, both white. She is devout Christian of some group. He was raised Catholic, even went to a seminary for a while. Is now not only atheist, but thinks religion is a crutch at best, and ridiculous. Yet, they have been very well together.

 

[Pingfah]

Works for my sister who is a devout Christian, and her husband who is an atheist.

Doubtful it would work for me though.

 

[thestrangequark]

When neither is religious, being of different religions isn't a big problem. I'm white, raised conservative Jewish. Hubby is Mexican, raised Catholic. Both pretty lapsed in faith, let alone specific religion.

I know of a couple, both white. She is devout Christian of some group. He was raised Catholic, even went to a seminary for a while. Is now not only atheist, but thinks religion is a crutch at best, and ridiculous. Yet, they have been very well together.

People also change, though. My dad was raised Catholic, but was lapsed by the time he married my mom and had us kids. He is now becoming much more religious again. My mom was raised in a mixed religious household, and was exploring different religious throughout my childhood, but is atheist now.

They are also divorced, but I think that had more to do with other crazy shit.

 

[Alidar Jarok]

Isn't this just an Irish Catholic marriage? Wife takes the kids to work while the husband sits at home and watches television.

 

[sidious618]

They can and do.

Personally, I find that being an atheist turns off religious people more than them being religious turns me off. Thankfully, there are more and more people who are non-religious so it's less and less of an issue for me.

 

[BillJ]

Yes.

My wife is a Christian and I'm a non-believing heathen and we've been going at it for twenty-one years come July.

 

[Timelord79 (he/him)]

Depends more on the Religion than the persons involved I think, but it can work.

if your religion dictates, that I am an evil person that must be redeemed by converting me to your religion, too, and only then can I possess any morals or otherwise go to hell to be punished and tormented for all eternity than WHY would you want to be with me anyway?

if your religion says, there is an afterlife and generally being a good person gets you and me there regardless of believe then we have no real conflict as long as you accept that I might ask myself why you believe if it is inconsequential to do so anyway...
But the relationship in every other matter could be awesome!

 

[propita]

When neither is religious, being of different religions isn't a big problem. I'm white, raised conservative Jewish. Hubby is Mexican, raised Catholic. Both pretty lapsed in faith, let alone specific religion.

I know of a couple, both white. She is devout Christian of some group. He was raised Catholic, even went to a seminary for a while. Is now not only atheist, but thinks religion is a crutch at best, and ridiculous. Yet, they have been very well together.

People also change, though. My dad was raised Catholic, but was lapsed by the time he married my mom and had us kids. He is now becoming much more religious again. My mom was raised in a mixed religious household, and was exploring different religious throughout my childhood, but is atheist now.

They are also divorced, but I think that had more to do with other crazy shit.

Hubby's aunt (VERY religious) recently asked him to go to services--any religion's services. She didn't care if it was mass (she knows his faith...isn't) or a temple. She just felt it was important to go.

We had gone to a Reform congregation's service once while my nephew was staying with us. We both liked the sermon, the discussion, and the people. We're thinking about it, for the social aspects. We don't socialize a whole bunch.

 

[wissaboo]

I doubt there are many relationships where both parties are equally fervent in their beliefs. I'm gonna say one party is always faking it just a little.

 

[Amaris]

I can't speak to anyone else's experiences, but I could not be in a relationship with a non-Christian. There's no way I could see it working.

Besides, technically, it's literally against my religion!

Why didn't you tell me this before we eloped?!

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Yes.

Dude, where's your qualifiers?

It's a yes or no question, so I answered it that way.

But yes, I really do believe it can work. It depends on the personalities involved. There can be jerks, and nice people, in all persuasions (or lack thereof) of faith. That, not the beliefs themselves, is what is going to hurt or help the relationship.

Me, if I was madly in love with a woman who was atheist, I would not let it kill the possibility of a life together. It wouldn't turn me off. I certainly wouldn't spend all my time trying to convert her or anything like that. And I sure wouldn't berate her for not believing as I do. That's not the way to bring people to Christ.

Anyhoo, I can speak from a tiny bit of experience, growing up with a Lutheran father and a Catholic stepmother. They never fought (although my stepmom did used to give me some extremely good natured jabbing when I brought home a copy of Luther's Small Catechism ), so why should this be any different? Think about it.

 

[Star Wolf]

It depends on each person being able to be happy for the other person having beliefs that work for them and not desiring to change the other person.

It's not going to work if one person is stressed out that the other person is sucked in/believes nonsense. And it's not going to work if one person is stressed out that the other person is going to hell.

More fraught issues come up if you have children.

Pretty much ends the thread right there.

For the record when I came to faith I by choice tried to limit myself to fellow believers, my wife's branch of the faith is a bit less accommodating and her fundamentalist still holler about Vatican II making folks of her generation more likely to stray from their church's preferred path.

 

[BillJ]

The only thing my wife has ever asked of me concerning religion is that I go with her to church on Christmas every year. Which I gladly do since it makes her happy.

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

The only thing my wife has ever asked of me concerning religion is that I go with her to church on Christmas every year. Which I gladly do since it makes her happy.

And I bet they have especially good cookies afterwards.

 

[Gul Re'jal]

Depends on people.

I have religious friends and I can't recall even one who didn't offend me, an atheist, at least once, either intentionally or unintentionally. I have also friends who believe in God but don't subscribe to any religion and don't follow any religious rules and I never had any conflicts with them.

So I guess I could be with a believer, but not with a religious person. For causal acquaintances it would work, but not someone that close to me. Sooner or later it would cause problems.

But it could work for others.