“I have been dating this fabulous guy for almost a year now, but the thing is we belong to two different religious faiths. While I have no doubt he loves me, I don’t really see us as a couple. Could this be all a result of our religious differences that has him holding back? Or am I just overreacting?” says Leanne Pereira, Copywriter with a leading agency.
“We took the plunge; it’s our life after all! My family doesn’t have to live with the man, I have to. Though there was the family drama to deal with, we decided we were meant to be together.” It was this attitude that got Rina, a Senior Executive working with an MNC, her man.
While today both families are one happy household, here are some things you need to take into consideration if you are dating someone from a different religion.
The most important question is, how important is religion to you? Be honest. Will you be comfortable marrying someone who practices a different religion? When you're dating, you would most likely have an ‘ideal man,’ but does religion rank at the top of your list? Or is it even there at all? Would you want your future spouse to share the same faith as yours?
Says Leanne, “I would never want Ali to give up his faith, after all that’s what made him the man he is.”
Although the above questions may be ‘fundamental’ to some, remember you don’t need to give up your faith. This means that you could practice certain virtues or avoid some things. Spend time with your boyfriend’s family, observe them for things they may consider ‘vices’ that you don’t. And ask yourself if you're okay with it.
Another thing to consider is your children. When you have them, what religion will they be practicing? Would this be a problem for the both of you? This is assuming of course that neither of you is going to ‘convert’ to either one's religion in the near future.
The important thing is get to know the person you are dating — choosing a mate involves using your head and heart ¬— and to know whether you're comfortable with the religious differences. If the differences make you do things like ‘justify this to your family’ then think twice.
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