Dating Someone of a Different Religion 

With such a wide array of customs, beliefs, and religions out there, the chances of you falling for someone with the same exact ones are pretty slim. Here are some of the benefits and avoidable pitfalls associated with dating someone of a different religion…

Embrace your beliefs in a positive, healthy way. Just as you should not overemphasize your religion, you should definitely not suppress it either. Never try to change yourself for someone else. Instead, continue the religious practices you engaged in before meeting your significant other. They were attracted to you because of who you are, and your religion is a part of that.

Educate your partner about your religion just as far as it pertains to you (unless they are curious for more information). Religion can have a big impact on all areas of your personal life, from birth control and sexual practices, to eating habits, to opinions on laws, to everyday moral differences, just to name a few. It’s always nice to have the background on why you think and feel the way you do.

Listen to your partner’s religious and spiritual views. Even within the same religion, different individuals have various different ways of interpreting things. Keep an open mind about the distinctions between your ways of thinking, remembering that there is no one right way of going about life. If you actually do believe that, you should probably stick to dating within your own religion.

Be mature when you confront the issue with your parents, if it actually is an issue. Explain to them that you have your religious beliefs and that your boyfriend is entitled to his as well. If they start asking questions like whether you’ll be married by a priest or a rabbi, or wanting to know what religion you’d raise your children with, calmly let them know that they’re getting way ahead of themselves. If marriage and children are the eventual results of your dating, you’ll have plenty of time to figure that out.

Celebrate your differences in a practical way: holidays! If one set of holidays wasn’t enough for you, then reap the benefits of getting to share a whole extra set of them. That means more presents and more good food, as well as a great opportunity to absorb some new culture. After all, variety is the spice of life.

Respect a partner’s choice of agnosticism or atheism just as much as you would respect a commitment to an organized religion. An agnostic individual is not lacking a religion in the way a lonely student in the corner at prom is lacking a dance partner. It’s not an open invitation for you to swoop in and save the day. Likewise, an atheist is not a sinking boat with an “S.O.S.” flag that is begging, somewhere deep inside, to be rescued from a life devoid of spirituality. We all have our right to believe whatever we want to, and the only way to illustrate the beauty of your religion is by embracing it within your own life. Showing is much more powerful than telling.